– Primary election less than a month away –

The March 2 primary election is just a little over three weeks away, and Dan Huberty believes he has the strong conservative leadership needed for the Texas House District 127 seat. State Rep. Joe Crabb will not be seeking re-election, and four GOP contenders are in the running to win the nomination in the March primary: Dr. Martin Basaldua, Dr. Susan Curling, Addie Wiseman and Huberty.

The Republican victor in March will go on to face Democrat Joe Montemayor in the November election.

Huberty is currently the president of the Humble ISD School Board, as well as the vice president of Clean Energy, the largest provider of natural gas for transportation in North America.

Huberty’s interest in serving the public goes back many years.

“For me, it dates back to when I got involved with the school board,” he said. “When I made the decision to run for the school board, it was to provide a better quality education for my children. When Joe (Crabb) decided to retire, I felt like this was a great next step to be able to really try to fix what’s wrong with education in the state of Texas.

“Our legislative efforts in 2009 didn’t achieve what we needed to, and a part of it is that the people in Austin truly don’t understand how to fix what’s wrong with education. Money is not the solution – it’s part of the solution, but it’s not the whole solution. School districts do have to be accountable, they have to be fiscally responsible, and if you look at what Humble ISD has done, I think we have proven that.”

The issues

While education is a top priority to Huberty, he has several key items that he deems important. Business and property tax dilemmas rank high on his list.

“The margins tax is bad for business. I don’t think the government has a right to come in and tax a business to where it potentially won’t make money,” he said. “I don’t think it’s realistic, it’s an unconstitutional income tax in my mind.”

He also cites the need for property appraisal caps, and the need to give relief to business and property owners.

“We have a responsibility to give meaningful tax relief to the people that drive the economy in the state of Texas, which are the small business owners and the property owners.”

Growing and creating jobs is another key concern of Huberty’s.

“We’ve been the fastest growing state,” he said. “And in order for us to continue to deal with that appropriately, job growth and economic development is going to be important for the state of Texas.”

Border control ranks high on Huberty’s list of priorities as well.

“We have the ability to control our borders. We have a responsibility to control our borders,” he said.

Huberty maintains that the solution lies in enforcing the laws we have on the books, taking the steps to stop cities from adopting sanctuary policies, and providing the necessary aid to our border sheriffs.

What sets him apart

Huberty contends that he has experience and traits that uniquely set him apart from the other candidates.

He has been a businessman for 20 years, working in large businesses, small businesses, as well as being an entrepreneur (owning a real estate company).

“I believe I have a good, broad base of understanding corporate relations and how government works,” he said. “I’ve spent my entire career working with municipalities and government agencies, and understanding how they work. Clearly there is a lot of waste that must be dealt with.”

Huberty’s experience on the Humble ISD School Board is another asset he brings to the table.

“The fact that I’m on the school board and I understand education means I don’t have to be trained or taught or briefed on what’s wrong with education.

“The school board has taught me that it’s probably the most accountable level of politics you have, because people care about their children, they care about their home values, and they care about taxes. You have to be able to stand and take the heat and be able to explain yourself.”

Huberty also stresses that he and his wife, Janet, are involved in the community, and have been for many years.

He is a member of many community organizations including the Kingwood Chamber of Commerce, Crosby/Huffman Chamber of Commerce, the Knights of Columbus, Humble Rotary and is on the board of the Lake Houston Area Chamber of Commerce.

Huberty’s endorsements include Sen. Dan Patrick, Precinct 4 Constable Ron Hickman, former Congressman Jack Fields and The Honorable Lynn Fields (retired HISD Trustee), Houston City Councilman Mike Sullivan, Conservative Republicans of Texas and Conservative Republicans of Harris County.

His message to voters

“Janet and I have put time and effort into working in the community and understanding what we think people expect from me and my service as a school board member,” he said. “I make sure that I work in the best interest of all constituents, not one special interest group over another.

“The job that I do as a school board member is to work in the best interests of the community, and to provide the best possible school district we can.”

Huberty wants to take that work ethic to the state level.

“You have to be accountable, you have to be accessible, and you have to be responsible,” he said. “And I have those traits.”

For more information about Huberty, visit his Web site at www.danhuberty.com. For election and voting information, visit www.harrisvotes.com and continue to follow election coverage in The Tribune.

Important election dates: 

Feb. 16 - First day of early voting 

Feb. 23 - Last day to apply for ballot by mail

(received, not postmarked) 

Feb. 26 - Last day of early voting 

March 2 - Primary election day 

April 13 - Primary runoff

Election Day