Linda Koop

Linda Lee Fielding Koop (born June 21, 1950)[1] is a former eight-year member of the Dallas City Council and a Republican former two-term state representative from Dallas County, Texas.[2]

Linda Lee Fielding Koop
Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 102nd district
In office January 13, 2015 – January 8, 2019
Preceded by	Stefani Carter
Succeeded by	Ana-Maria Ramos
Member of the Dallas City Council
In office 2005–2013
Personal details
Born	June 21, 1950 Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Myron Lee Koop ​ ​ (m. 1973)​
Children	2
Residence	Dallas, Texas
Alma mater	Hillcrest High School (Dallas) University of Texas at Dallas
Occupation	Businesswoman

Background

Koop graduated from Hillcrest High School in Dallas. She obtained a master's degree from the School of Management at the University of Texas at Dallas. She married Myron Lee Koop in 1973 and the couple has two sons.[3][4]

Political life

Koop is an outspoken defender of free enterprise. Her grandfather in 1929 established National Shoes in Dallas, the oldest family-owned business in the city. Four generations of her family worked there prior to its closure in the 1990s.[4] She was formerly employed by the North Central Texas Council of Governments, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, and the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce.

In the March 4, 2014 Republican primary for House District 102, Koop led the incumbent Stefani Carter, an African American, by 163 votes. She received 3,646 votes (34.7 percent) to Carter's 3,483 (33.2 percent). Two other candidates held another critical 32 percent of the ballots cast.[5]

One of the two eliminated candidates, Samuel Brown, endorsed Koop over Carter, who had first announced her candidacy for the Texas Railroad Commission but then decided to run for a third term in the House. Brown claimed that Carter told him her primary interest in running again was to collect a state pension which she could receive after two more terms in the state House, a contention Carter dismissed out of hand. In her runoff election campaign, Koop challenged Carter on the "trust" issue.[6]

Carter was originally seen as more conservative than Koop, whom she tried to cast as a Moderate Republican, who as a city council member until she was term-limited in 2013 had voted to place numerous bond issues on the ballot. Carter claimed that Koop had supported on the council $500 million in increased taxes.[6] Koop nevertheless sought with considerable success to depict herself as more conservative politically than Carter. She stressed her support for border security and opposition to illegal immigration.[4]

On May 27, Koop unseated Carter, 5,072 (59.8 percent) to 3,405 (40.2 percent).[7]

In addition to border security, Koop outlined her key campaign issues as minimizing the impact upon Texas of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law in 2010 by U.S. President Barack H. Obama, protecting the water supply of the greater Dallas area, and strengthening local schools. Koop vowed as a legislator to "fight every program and tax that hurts small businesses so we can grow our economy and create jobs."[4]

Koop carried the endorsement of the Dallas Morning News,[1] former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley, Richardson Mayor Laura Maczka, and the Richardson Firefighters Association.[8]

In the general election held on November 4, 2014, Koop claimed the House seat by defeating the Republican-turned-Democrat, George M. Clayton (born 1949), a retired school teacher and administrator,[1] 20,394 (62.5 percent) to 12,243 (37.5 percent).[9]

Legislative Voting History

In 2015, Linda Koop voted for Joe Straus as speaker of the house. She voted in favor of HB 80, which placed a ban on texting and driving.[10] Koop regularly has voted in favor of bills relating to occupational licensing such as HB 2267 (which would require an anesthesiologist assistant to obtain a license before practicing)[11] and HB 1260 (which would require an occupational license for shrimp loading and off loading).[12] Additionally, Koop voted in favor of HB 486 which would allow school districts to raise taxes without voter approval.[13] Koop also voted in favor of the Garen Amendment of SB 19, which sought to grant special privileges to legislators and legislative staff members by categorizing their communications as confidential, reducing government transparency.[14]

Unseated by 3,181 votes

Koop lost her bid for a third term in the state House in the general election held on November 6, 2018, when Democrats ran strongly in Dallas County. With 26,648 votes (47.2 percent), she was unseated by Democrat Ana-Maria Ramos, who led with 29,829 (52.8 percent).[15]

References

1. "Editorial: We recommend Linda Koop in Texas House District 102". Dallas Morning News. October 8, 2014. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
2. "Linda Koop". Texas Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
3. "Mr. Koop Weds Miss Fielding", The Dallas Morning News, October 21, 1973, retrieved December 8, 2014
4. "Linda Koop: Issues". lindakoop.com. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
5. "Republican primary election returns (House District 102), March 4, 2014". enr.sos.state.tx.us. Archived from the original on March 5, 2014. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
6. Gromer Jeffers, Jr. (May 6, 2014). "Stefani Carter, opponent Linda Koop a study in contrasts". the Dallas Morning News. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
7. "Republican runoff election returns, May 27, 2014". Texas Secretary of State. Archived from the original on May 29, 2014. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
8. "Linda Koop: Endorsements". lindakoop.com. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
9. "General election returns, November 4, 2014". Texas Secretary of State. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
10. "Texas Legislature Online - 84(R) History for HB 80". capitol.texas.gov.
11. "Monday, May 4, 2015 — 62nd Day" (PDF). House Daily Journals. Texas House of Representatives. March 22, 2016. p. 6. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
12. "Monday, May 22, 2017-62nd Day" (PDF). Senate Journal Online. The Texas State Senate. March 5, 2018. p. 60. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
13. "Monday, May 3, 2017 — 62nd Day" (PDF). House Daily Journals. Texas House of Representatives. October 24, 2017. p. 40. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
14. "Monday, May 26, 2015 — 80th Day" (PDF). House Daily Journals. Texas House of Representatives. July 22, 2016. p. 137. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
15. "Election Returns". Texas Secretary of State. November 6, 2018. Archived from the original on November 10, 2018. Retrieved November 13, 2018.