Joseph P. Heflin

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Joseph Paul "Joe" Heflin
Texas State Representative from District 85 (South Plains)
Incumbent
Assumed office 2007
Preceded by	James E. "Pete" Laney

Born	January 6, 1952 (1952-01-06) (age 56)
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Linda Heflin
Children	Two daughters
Occupation	Attorney
Religion	Christian

Joe Heflin (born January 6, 1952) is the only Democrat to represent either West Texas or the Panhandle in the Texas House of Representatives. Heflin, an attorney, served five years as Crosby County Judge prior to running for the Representative position. He defeated a vigorous Republican challenger in District 85, James Franklin "Jim" Landtroop, Jr. (born January 16, 1968), of Plainview, in the general election held on November 7. Heflin followed retiring Democrat and former Speaker James E. "Pete" Laney of Hale Center (also Hale County).

Heflin is a member of the House Agriculture & Livestock and County Affairs committees.

Heflin edged Landtroop by 207 votes, 14,323 (49.0 percent) to 14,106 (48.3 percent). The Libertarian David K. Schumacher (born ca. 1946) of Anson in Jones County polled 793 votes (2.7 percent), a significant showing considering the slight difference between the two major-party candidates. Heflin won six of the fifteen counties, with a comfortable margin in his own Crosby County and in Landtroop's own Hale County.

In addition to Crosby, Hale, and Jones, the district includes the counties (listed in alphabetical order) of Borden, Fisher, Floyd, Garza, Glasscock, Howard, Irion, Kent, Lynn, Reagan, Sterling, Stonewall, and Terry.

Harvey Kronberg, editor of the Austin-based Web site, The Quorum Report found that Republicans initially expected Landtroop to defeat Heflin in part because of Landtroop's financial advantage. In the last 30-day campaign finance report prior to the election, Landtroop raised $418,973 compared to Heflin's $86,204. Landtroop reported expenses of $378,104, with $40,868 to finance his final push.

In the last month of the campaign, Heflin raised more than $70,000, some $23,000 less than Landtroop, mainly from small Democratic donors within the district. Landtroop, on the other hand, drew out-of-district money, including $40,000 from the Houston homebuilder and conservative Bob Perry.

Landtroop received $25,000 from the HillCo PAC, an Austin-based lobbying firm that helped Tom Craddick of Midland take the speakership in 2002 after Republicans won a majority in the House. Texans for Lawsuit Reform gave Landtroop $128,000, and Stars Over Texas PAC, which usually concentrates on incumbent Republicans, gave him $150,000.

Heflin made Landtroop's out-of-district funding as an issue. However, Heflin also got funds from outside District 85: $14,500 from the House Democratic Campaign Committee. The interest group Texans for Insurance Reform also paid for $52,000 in direct mail advertising, polling, and consulting fees for Heflin. The Texas State Teachers Association also announced its endorsement of Heflin, who pledged to fight the consolidation of rural schools.

Landtroop said that his funding edge reflected how competitive he was in the race. In television advertisements, Landtroop challenged Heflin's record as a defense attorney by pointing out Heflin's defense of murderers and prostitutes.

Landtroop, a 1991 graduate of Texas A&M University in College Station, grew up in Keller near Dallas. He owns a small State Farm Insurance agency in Plainview.

Heflin received his bachelor of arts degree from Eastern New Mexico University in Portales. In 1993, he received his Juris Doctor degree from Texas Tech University in Lubbock. Heflin is a former Crosby County administrative county judge. He also served two terms on the nonpartisan Crosbyton City Council. He has been on the board of directors of the South Plains Association of Governments and the Crosby County Appraisal District. He is a former chairman of the Crosby County Juvenile Board. He is a member of the Kiwanis Club.

He and his wife, Linda, reside in Crosbyton and have two daughters. Heflin is a member of the First Baptist Church of Crosbyton.

Preceded by James E. "Pete" Laney of Hale Center	Texas State Representative from District 85 Joseph Paul "Joe" Heflin of Crosbyton 2007–	Succeeded by Incumbent