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Piece of Mind: What a Choice for Senate District 30

Texas Tribune
Shelly Luther and Drew Springer are set to face off in a Texas Senate District 30 runoff.

By John Kanelis

The race for Texas Senate District 30 is going to feature a most interesting tandem of candidates who finished at the top of a bipartisan primary.

One of them is Shelly Luther, a Dallas salon owner who rose to meteoric notoriety by refusing to close her business at the height – or depth – of the coronavirus pandemic. The cops arrested her and she spent some time in the slammer before coming out and declaring her candidacy for the Texas Senate.

The other one is state Rep. Drew Springer, who touts himself as a solid Donald Trump supporter and the conservatives’ conservative lawmaker who has bucked liberal/progressive legislative notions all along the way. One of his TV ads calls attention to his efforts to block "liberal attempts" to discriminate against "Christian-owned businesses." 

What are we to make of this? I have no clue.

Luther, who finished first in the primary, and Springer are seeking to succeed former state Sen. Pat Fallon, who is likely to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives to succeed former Rep. John Ratcliffe, who’s now the director of national intelligence.

I have written already about my distaste over Luther’s candidacy. She is a celebrity politician who is trying to parlay her 15 minutes of notoriety into a political career. In my humble view she is in way over her head and her skill level.

To be candid, Drew Springer doesn’t float my boat, either. He’s a way too much of a right-winger to suit my taste, but that’s just me.

Indeed, the two of them took the gloves off against each in the other latter stages of the primary campaign. I reckon the runoff will only get bloodier. The state hasn't yet set a runoff election date. Hurry up! Let's get this contest settled.

I live in Princeton and one of these individuals will represent me in the Texas Senate. Who will get my vote? Gosh, I just do not know.

I will hold my nose and vote … for someone.

John Kanelis, former editorial page editor for the Amarillo Globe-News and the Beaumont Enterprise, is also a former blogger for Panhandle PBS in Amarillo. He is now retired, but still writing. Kanelis can be contacted via Twitter @jkanelis, on Facebook, or his blog, www.highplainsblogger.com.Kanelis' blog for KETR, "Piece of Mind," presents his views, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of KETR, its staff, or its members.

Kanelis lives in Princeton with his wife, Kathy.

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