Special to the Progress
State Rep. Chuck Hopson, R-Jacksonville, has officially filed paperwork with the state Republican Party of Texas to run in the 2010 Republican primary. The filing period runs from Dec. 3 to Jan. 4.
“President Obama and the Democrats in Congress are out of touch and do not reflect the concerns and conservative values of our families in this district,” Hopson said. “I am running as a Republican because I agree strongly with the Republican Party on issues of family values, illegal immigration, gun rights, property owners rights and the death penalty. With my filing today, I look forward to campaigning hard to win the Republican primary and general elections head.”
Hopson campaign's said the representative has received support from Republican leaders, including U.S. senators John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison, Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, and 80 percent of the Republican members of the Texas House of Representatives.
At a Nov. 14 press conference in Jacksonville, Cornyn praised Hopson and his wife, Billie, for embodying true conservatism and pledged his full support to Hopson in the upcoming primary campaign.
Also joining Cornyn at the mid-November press conference were new Republican Texas House Speaker Joe Straus and Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples. Straus endorsed Hopson as “an outstanding public servant with integrity and commitment to conservative values.”
Staples said Hopson was following the path of other rural conservative Democrats who became Republicans, including Perry, former U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm, U.S. Rep. Ralph Hall, former Railroad Commissioner Kent Hance.
After Hopson announced his move to the Republican Party, he received the endorsement of the National Rifle Association and Texas State Rifle Association.
Hopson has also received the endorsement of former Republican opponent Brian Walker, who Hopson defeated in the 2008 general election.
“Chuck has always been a conservative. I applaud his move to the Republican Party as courageous and in the best interests of all families in House District 11,” Walker said.
House District 11 includes Cherokee, Houston, Panola and Rusk counties.
