J. D. Sheffield

Jesse David Sheffield II, known as J. D. Sheffield (born August 13, 1960),[1] is a physician from Gatesville, Texas, who was a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives.

J. D. Sheffield
Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 59th district
In office January 8, 2013 – 2021
Preceded by	Sid Miller
Succeeded by	Shelby Slawson
Personal details
Born	August 13, 1960 Loraine, Texas, U.S.
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Janice Gray Sheffield
Residence	Gatesville, Texas
Alma mater	Western Texas College Howard Payne University Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
Occupation	Physician

On July 14, 2020, Sheffield was defeated in his re-election effort by Stephenville, Texas attorney Shelby Slawson by over 20% in the Republican primary runoff.[2]

Background

Sheffield was born in Loraine in Mitchell County in West Texas. He attended Western Texas College, a community college in Snyder in Scurry County, where he played in a jazz band. Thereafter, he graduated from Howard Payne University, a Southern Baptist-affiliated institution in Brownwood. He subsequently earned a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth. He did his medical residency in Pueblo, Colorado. He is a past board member and former chief of staff of Coryell Memorial Hospital in Gatesville. Sheffield currently practices at AdventHealth in Copperas Cove.[3]

Political career

Texas House District 59 encompasses Comanche, Coryell, Erath, Hamilton, McCulloch, Mills, San Saba, Somervell in Central Texas. Sheffield was one of former House Speaker Joe Straus's loyal supporters.[4]

2010 Republican primary

The 2010 election was Sheffield's first campaign for local or state office. He had served in student government during college. In the Republican primary in 2010, Sheffield polled 44.2 percent in his challenge to incumbent Sid Miller who had held the office since 2001.[5]

2012 election

Two years after his unsuccessful challenge to Miller, Sheffield gained the Republican nomination with 54.8 percent of the ballots cast.[6] Sheffield easily won in the November general election with 78% of the vote district wide against Bill Norris, the Democratic nominee and a retired school teacher from Dublin.[7] Norris had effectively dropped out of the race due to health reasons but remained on the ballot.

2014 election

Because Sheffield and an adjoining Republican state representative, Ralph Sheffield, a restaurateur from Temple, share surnames, voters in both districts often confuse the lawmakers though they are unrelated.[8] Ralph lost his reelection bid in 2014.

Sheffield won re-nomination to a second term in the Republican primary held on March 4, 2014. He defeated the more conservative Danny Wayne Pelton (born 1958), a medical equipment salesman and rancher from Hico. A former Erath County Republican chairman and a member of the Texas Republican Executive Committee,[9] Pelton was allied with former Representative Sid Miller and recruited Miller's long-time campaign consultant, Todd Smith, to manage Pelton's campaign against Sheffield.[8] Sheffield polled 9,389 votes (60.9 percent) to Pelton's 4,798 (31.1 percent), and 1,225 votes (7.9 percent) for a third contender, Howard "Eddie" Ray.[10]

2016 election

Brent Graves, an auctioneer from Stephenville, ran against Sheffield for the Republican nomination in 2016. Graves lost to Sheffield 61% to 38%, district wide. Sheffield ran unopposed in the general election[11]

2018 election

In 2018, Sheffield defeated Chris Evans in the Republican primary. Sheffield ran unopposed in the general election.[11][12]

2020 election

On July 14, 2020, Sheffield was defeated in his re-election effort by Stephenville, Texas attorney Shelby Slawson by over 20% in the Republican primary runoff.[4][2] Slawson does not have an opponent in the 2020 general election.[11]

Committees

During his time in the Legislature, Sheffield served on the Texas House committees of Appropriations, Corrections, Public Health, Rules and Resolutions.[13]

Legislative voting record

In his first legislative session in 2013, Sheffield voted to forbid abortion after twenty weeks of gestation and to increase medical requirements and licensing of abortion providers. He supported a taxpayer-funded breakfast program for public schools; the measure passed the House, 73-58. Sheffield supported legislation to provide marshals for school security. He sponsored the law authorizing the immunization of minors without parental consent, a measure which the House approved, 71-61. He co-sponsored the law to extend the franchise tax exemption to certain businesses. Sheffield voted to prohibit texting while driving and to require testing for narcotics of those receiving unemployment compensation. He voted for a bill relating to unlawful employment practices regarding discrimination in the payment of compensation, which passed the House, 78-61. He voted to forbid the state from enforcing federal regulations of firearms and in support of another law allowing college and university officials to carry concealed weapons in the name of campus security. He voted for term limits for certain officials.[14]

Personal life

He is married to Janice Gray Sheffield, a former District Clerk of Coryell County.[12] Sheffield attends First Baptist Church, a congregation in Gatesville.

References

1. "J. D. Sheffield's Political Summary". votesmart.org. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
2. Pollock, Cassandra & Reese Oxner. Three Texas House incumbents — Dan Flynn, Anna Eastman and J.D. Sheffield — lose in primary runoffs, Texas Tribune, July 14, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
3. "AdventHealth Central Texas holds open house at Cove and Lampasas Clinics | Copperas Cove Leader Press". coveleaderpress.com. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
4. Rowen, Ben. Roundup: Texas Primary Runoffs 2020, Texas Monthly, July 15, 2020.
5. "2010 Republican primary election returns (House District 59)". elections.sos.state.tx.us. Archived from the original on November 8, 2006. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
6. "2012 Republican runoff election returns (House District 59)". elections.sos.state.tx.us. Archived from the original on November 8, 2006. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
7. Report, GRR Staff. "The Glen Rose Reporter". yourglenrosetx.com. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
8. "Ross Ramsey, "Shared Name May Be Hurdle to Keeping Post", December 9, 2013". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
9. "About Danny Pelton". votepelton.org. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
10. "Republican primary election returns, March 4, 2014". team1.sos.state.tx.us. Archived from the original on March 6, 2014. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
11. "Texas House of Representatives District 59 - Ballotpedia". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
12. Staff. "Central Texas primaries: Upsets, runoffs and a few surprises". kwtx.com. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
13. "J. D. Sheffield Biography". Legislative Reference Library. Missing or empty |url= (help)
14. "J. D. Sheffield's Voting Records". votesmart.org. Retrieved February 21, 2014.