Leach defeats Cole in District 67 race

Jeff Leach has defeated opponent Jon Cole in the Texas House District 67 Republican primary runoff.

Leach finished the election with 53 percent of the vote, while Cole garnered 47 percent. With no Democratic challengers, Leach will run unopposed in the November election.

"The real work is still ahead of us," Leach said the morning after the election. "I'm mindful that I'm replacing a representative that's been in office for 18 years. I've got big shoes to fill and we've got great challenges and great opportunities ahead."

Leach's victory marks an end to the long and drawn-out primary season. When Cole and Leach announced their intentions to run in fall 2011, the primary date was set for March 6. In November, a federal court struck down the 82nd Legislature's redistricting maps, citing minority voter disenfranchisement.

The creation of an interim map and a series of court delays backed up Election Day to May 29, and a nearly two-month wait for the runoff followed the general election. Cole and Leach beat out three other candidates -- John Pitchford, Roger Burns and former Plano mayor Jeran Akers -- before heading to the runoff.

"No one expected this, but we just continued to work hard," Leach said. "With every changed election date, with every curveball that was thrown our way, we took it in stride. We regrouped and we continued to work hard and spread our message."

During the election, Cole and Leach generally mirrored each other on the issues, supporting lowered taxes, reduced spending and the easing of government business regulations.

Instead of drawing lines over those issues, they emphasized their respective backgrounds and accomplishments. Cole, a finance attorney, drove home his experience working as an aide for state Rep. Jim Pitts and his extensive volunteer work with the Drug Free America Foundation. Leach, a business attorney, detailed his position as a member of the TEXO Construction Industry Association and as a member of a steering committee for Dallas Baptist University.

The election was also a battle of endorsements. Cole had the support of former Plano Mayor James Muns and Collin County Commissioner Cheryl Williams, but Leach secured not only current District 67 Rep. Jerry Madden but all three former opponents from the general election.

A total of 11,215 voters, or 11.4 percent of those registered in the district, cast votes in the runoff. In 2008, the last time the Republican nomination was contested for the seat, 12.4 percent of voters in the district turned out to vote.

Leach said he will set out on a "listening tour" of the county over the next four months, meeting with voters, elected officials and community leaders to hear their concerns and issues that are important to them.

"I'm committed to going to Austin in January and being an effective advocate and a leader for our community in the Texas Legislature, and to do that I need to, and look forward to, just listening to the concerns of my constituents over the next four months as we prepare for the session."

District 67 comprises the eastern half of Plano, the west side of Allen and the Collin County portion of Richardson.

Cole could not be reached for comment.

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