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Tony Tinderholt

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Tony Tinderholt
Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from the 94th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 13, 2015
Preceded byDiane Patrick
Personal details
Born (1970-08-31) August 31, 1970 (age 54)
Chippewa County, Minnesota, USA
Political partyRepublican
Spouses
  • Kimberly Ann Johnson (m. 1990; div. 1994; m. 1995; div. 1996)
Tammy J. Land
​
​
(m. 1996; div. 1997)​
Tamara Dawn Levan
​
​
(m. 2002; div. 2007)​
Bethany Tyler
​
(m. 2009)​
Children3
Residence(s)Arlington, Tarrant County
Texas, USA
OccupationBusinessman
Websitetonytinderholt.com
Military service
Branch/service
Battles/warsIraq War

Tony Dale Tinderholt (born August 13, 1970) is an American politician who is Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from Arlington, Texas currently representing District 94. On January 13, 2015, Tinderholt succeeded Diane Patrick, a four-term representative whom he unseated in the Republican primary election on March 4, 2014.

Political career

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Elections

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Tinderholt won the 2014 Republican nomination over four-term incumbent Diane Patrick,[1] 7,489 votes (55.44 percent) to 6,018 (44.55 percent).[2] Tinderholt was endorsed in his primary challenge by the right-wing group Empower Texans, which targeted Patrick for comparatively moderate positions.[1][3] Texas Observer described Tinderholt as possibly the most far-right political candidate in Texas in that year.[3]

In the November 2014 general election, Tinderholt, with 23,034 votes (56.64 percent), defeated Democrat Cole Ballweg and Libertarian Robert Harris, who received 16,461 (40.47 percent) and 1,172 (2.88 percent), respectively.[4]

In the general election held on November 6, 2018, Tinderholt won his third legislative term. With 32,448 votes (52.49 percent), he defeated Democrat Finnigan Jones, who received 27,145 votes (43.91 percent). Another 2,230 votes (3.61 percent) went to Libertarian candidate Jessica Pallett.[5]

Tenure

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In 2015, Tinderholt filed a handwritten complaint with the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct, criticizing judicial rulings regarding same-sex marriage. The complaint was riddled with errors, naming the wrong judge (Tinderholt named Judge David Wahlberg, rather than against Judge Guy Herman, the judge who had made the ruling about which Tinderholt complained) and incorrectly asserting that the judge "deliberately violated" a state law requiring a notification to the state attorney general's office prior to striking down a law as unconstitutional (Judge Herman did in fact make the notification to the state attorney general).[6][7]

In January 2017, Tinderholt introduced House Bill 948, the "Abolition of Abortion in Texas Act." The bill seeks to criminalize abortions that take place after the "moment of fertilization."[8][9] The abortion ban would make it legal to charge both the woman and her doctor with murder. In an interview with the Texas Observer, Tinderholt explained why he introduced the bill:

"I don't think that there should be any exceptions to murder, no matter what. So, if this child was out of the womb and it was a child that was born out of rape or incest, no one would be OK with killing a child. I look at it like that child is a child in the womb, just like it's out. [...] Right now, it's real easy. Right now, they don't make it important to be personally responsible because they know that they have a backup of 'oh, I can just go get an abortion.' Now, we both know that consenting adults don't always think smartly sometimes. But consenting adults need to also consider the repercussions of the sexual relationship that they're gonna have, which is a child."[10]

The bill would also criminalize abortions resulting from rape and incest.[11]

On March 21, 2017, Tinderholt criticized then Representative Byron Cook of Corsicana for Cook's refusal to hold a hearing before the House State Affairs Committee on Tinderholt's proposed ban on abortion in Texas. Cook said that the office of Attorney General Ken Paxton has called the measure "unconstitutional" and therefore no hearing will be set. Tinderholt accused Cook of "hiding behind the office of attorney general" so as to block a vote on the legislation.[12]

In 2017, Tinderholt supported a "bathroom bill" proposed by two fellow Republican state lawmakers, Representative Ron Simmons and Senator Lois Kolkhorst; the legislation would have nullified anti-discrimination ordinances adopted by Texas cities and counties protecting transgender Texans' access to public restrooms that matched their gender identity.[13]

Tinderholt supports a ban on Democrats being given committee chairmanships as long as the Republicans hold the majority of seats in the Texas House.[14]

An analysis of votes from the 2023 regular session of the Texas Legislature, conducted by Rice University's James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, ranked Patterson as the sixth-most conservative member of the state House, based on votes cast.[15]

In May 2023, Tinderholt voted against the impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.[16]

Personal life

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Tinderholt has been married five times.[6] His current wife, Bethany Tyler, is a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.[6] He married Kimberly Greaves in 1990; they divorced in 1994, re-married in 1995, and divorced again in 1996.[6] Other marriages lasted from 1996 to 1997, and 2002 to 2007.[6]

Tinderholt has two children from a previous marriage and a daughter with Bethany Tyler.[17]

Tinderholt has a titanium aortic valve replacement. In 2020, he was hospitalized with COVID-19.[18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Christopher Hooks, Tony Tinderholt Unloads: 'People are Going to Die' at Border, Texas Observer (September 12, 2014).
  2. ^ "Republican primary election returns (House District 94), March 4, 2014". Texas Secretary of State. Archived from the original on March 5, 2014. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
  3. ^ a b Christopher Hooks, Tony Tinderholt Might Be Texas’ Most Far-Right Candidate. Can He Win?, Texas Observer (October 17, 2014).
  4. ^ "General election returns, November 4, 2014". Texas Secretary of State. Archived from the original on December 1, 2014. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  5. ^ "Race Summary Report 2018 General Election". elections.sos.state.tx.us. Office of the Secretary of State of Texas. 2018-11-06. Archived from the original on 2019-04-10. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  6. ^ a b c d e Dylan Baddour (March 2, 2015). "Texas lawmaker married five times files error-filled complaint against gay marriage". Houston Chronicle.
  7. ^ Bud Kennedy (February 28, 2015). "For Tinderholt, a judicial complaint gone haywire". Ft. Worth Star Telegram.
  8. ^ Paiella, Gabriella (24 January 2017). "State Rep. Says Making Abortion a Crime Would Force Women to Be 'More Personally Responsible'". NY Mag. Archived from the original on 25 January 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  9. ^ "85(R) HB 948 - Introduced version - Bill Text". www.legis.state.tx.us. Archived from the original on 2017-08-13. Retrieved 2017-08-18.
  10. ^ Guarecuco, Lyanne A. (23 January 2017). "Lawmaker: Criminalizing Abortion Would Force Women to be 'More Personally Responsible'". Texas Observer. Archived from the original on 25 January 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  11. ^ Wagner, Meg (24 January 2017). "Texas lawmaker proposes criminalizing abortion to make women 'personally responsible' for sex". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on 26 January 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  12. ^ "Rep. Tinderholt Shows Rep. Cook to Be a Phoney". Conservative Republicans of Texas News. March 31, 2017. Archived from the original on September 1, 2017. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  13. ^ "House bathroom bill stalled, but effort to restrict restroom access is far from over". The Dallas Morning News. May 9, 2017.
  14. ^ Johnson, Brad. The Back Mic: Legislators Opposed to Democratic Chairs Listed, Rep. Moody Quells DA Appointment Rumors, House Rules Discussed, The Texan, December 9, 2022.
  15. ^ Mark P. Jones, Analysis: The 2023 Texas House, from right to left, Texas Tribune (June 20, 2023).
  16. ^ Astudillo, Carla and Chris Essig. Ken Paxton was impeached by the Texas House. See how each representative voted., Texas Tribune, May 27, 2023.
  17. ^ Tinsley, Anna (13 January 2017). "End abortion in Texas? Plan called cruel and 'most extreme' measure so far in 85th Legislature". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  18. ^ 'I truly thought last Friday was gonna be my last,' says Texas lawmaker who was hospitalized for coronavirus, by Cassandra Pollock, at The Texas Tribune; published August 3, 2020; retrieved August 7, 2002
Texas House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the
Texas House of Representatives
from the 94th district
2015–present 		Incumbent
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