More than two weeks after the first candidate announced intentions to run for the District 14 seat in the state House of Representatives, incumbent Fred Brown has decided to seek re-election to the post he's held since 1998.
Former Brazos County Tax Assessor-Collector Gerald "Buddy" Winn announced his candidacy Nov. 1, and former District Judge Rick Davis followed suit Nov. 12.
In early November, Brown, a Bryan Republican, had said he was unsure if he'd be running for re-election. But in an e-mail interview Tuesday he said that, after considering his options, the decision was clear.
"Well, to be honest, I had been approached by a few different parties and individuals asking if I had any interest in seeking a different office during the 2010 election cycle," he wrote in an e-mail. "While I did take some time to consider the options available to me, ultimately I felt that there's really no place I'd rather be than the Texas House."
Brown is seeking his seventh term as a member of the Texas House. For four of those terms, he has served on the Appropriations Committee, which is responsible for writing the state's budget.
Winn and Davis both said they weren't sure if Brown would run again.
"I wasn't sure one way or the other, but he certainly has a right to do that," said Davis, who works as an attorney and has represented clients in both civil and criminal matters. "He has a public trust, and shouldn't take offense if other people ask the public for that trust."
Winn announced publicly in July 2007 he wanted to run for the position after retiring from 30 years of serving as tax assessor. Brown, Winn said, called him a few days after the announcement and asked him to hold off on running for one more term.
"It doesn't surprise me that he's decided to run again, I just figured he was ready to do something else," Winn said. "I'm not running against Fred, I'm just offering my knowledge of what goes on in the Legislature to the people of Brazos County."
Brown, a local businessman, has not had a major challenger for his seat since taking office in 1998. He said he's not concerned about facing at least two potential opponents in the Republican primary.
"You certainly never want to take anything for granted," he said. "But I'd like to think that the reason I haven't been challenged is the people of Bryan-College Station genuinely have faith in me to do what's right for the community."
The filing period starts Dec. 3 and ends Jan. 4; the primary is March 2.
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