Craig Goldman

Craig Alan Goldman (born October 3, 1968)^[1] is a real estate businessman from his native Fort Worth, Texas, who is a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 97 in Tarrant County.^[2]

First elected in 2012, Goldman successfully sought a third two-year term in the general election held on November 8, 2016.^[3]

Goldman secured a fourth term in 2018. With 35,083 votes (53.2 percent), he defeated another Democrat, Beth Llewellyn McLaughlin, who collected 29,549 ballots (44.8 percent). Another 1,283 votes (1.9 percent) went to the Libertarian choice, Rod Wingo.^[4]

Early life[]

Goldman's family has lived in Fort Worth for five generations. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin where he was a member of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity and Silver Spurs. After college, he worked for Republican U.S. Senator Phil Gramm for five years and later for U.S. Representative Jeb Hensarling of Texas' 5th congressional district.

Goldman is a former board member of Cowtown Executives Association, the Tarrant County College Foundation and the Women's Center of Tarrant County. In 2001, he graduated from the civic training school "Leadership Fort Worth".^[1]

A lifelong Republican, he has worked to elect members of his party to office in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and nationwide as well through Straight Talk America, a political action committee founded by U.S. Senator John McCain of Arizona, of which Goldman was once the executive director. He also worked in the McCain presidential campaign in 2008.^[1]

Goldman is a partner in two real estate investment companies in Fort Worth. For ten years, Goldman was vice president of a family-owned business, Ronnie's Fine Wines and Specialty Foods on Hulen Street in Fort Worth, named for his father, Ronald J. Goldman.^[1][3]

Political life[]

Craig first ran for the state House in a special election held in November 2007 to fill the seat vacated by the resignation on August 15 of that year of Republican Representative Anna Mowery. He received 2,947 votes (16.7 percent), a fourth-place finish,^[5] and was hence eliminated from contention in the runoff election on December 18. In that contest, Democrat Dan Barrett defeated Republican Mark M. Shelton, a pediatrician from Fort Worth, 52-48 percent.^[6]

After less than a year in office, Barrett was unseated as representative by Mark Shelton in the general election on November 4, 2008.^[7] After two terms as representative, Shelton did not seek re-nomination in 2012; instead he ran a strong but unsuccessful race for the District 10 seat in the Texas State Senate, held by Wendy R. Davis, the 2014 Democratic gubernatorial nominee against Republican Greg Abbott.^[8] Shelton tried again to seek the District 10 Senate seat that Davis vacated in her unsuccessful gubernatorial bid. In the May 27, 2014 runoff election, Shelton was defeated by the conservative activist Konni Burton of Colleyville, a favorite of the Tea Party movement.^[9]

Goldman entered the 2012 Republican primary; with 6,333 votes (54.7 percent), he defeated two opponents, Susan Todd, with 4,143 votes (35.8 percent), and Chris Hatch, who finished third with 1,105 (9.5 percent).^[10] Goldman then defeated Democrat Gary Allen Grassia of Fort Worth, in the general election on November 6, 2012, receiving 38,139 (59.4 percent) to 24,159 (37.6 percent). Another 1,873 votes (2.9 percent) went to the Libertarian Party nominee, Rodney Lynn "Rod" Wingo of Fort Worth.^[11]

For the 86th Texas Legislative Session that convened in 2019, Goldman serves on the House committees of Elections and Licensing & Administrative Procedures.^[12]

Personal life[]

Goldman is Jewish.^[13] His wife is Auryn B. Goldman.^[3]

References[]