Chairman's Circle Profile : Attorney General Greg Abbott
 

Attorney General Greg Abbott is a life-long Republican and native Texan. He has displayed unparalleled leadership and tenacity as our state's chief law enforcement official. General Abbott was re-elected in November 2010, making him the longest-serving Texas Attorney General in state history. During his service, he has amassed a sparkling record of victories through consistent enforcement and defense of our state's laws and freedoms not only here in Texas, but also in front of the United States Supreme Court.

As the state's chief law enforcement official, Attorney General Abbott has made protecting children and families and values the focus of his administration. Shortly after taking office, Attorney General Abbott established a Cyber Crimes Unit to arrest criminals who use the Internet to prey upon children; a Fugitive Unit to arrest convicted sex offenders who violate their parole; and an expanded Medicaid Fraud Control Unit to crack down on elder abuse and waste of taxpayer dollars. Since taking office, General Abbott has collected more than $20 billion in child support for Texas children.

In his capacity as the state's lawyer, Attorney General Abbott oversees more than 700 attorneys who represent the State of Texas. General Abbott has personally appeared in courtrooms around the state and has obtained indictments against criminals charged with offenses ranging from attempted aggravated assault of a child to capital murder. In March 2005, General Abbott personally appeared before the United States Supreme Court, where he successfully defended the constitutionality of the Ten Commandments display that adorns the Texas Capitol grounds.

General Abbott's career in public service began in Houston, where he served as a highly rated state trial judge in the 129th District Court for three years and was named "Trial Judge of the Year" by the Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists. In 1995, then-Governor George W. Bush appointed Abbott to the Texas Supreme Court, where he served with distinction. Twice elected to the Texas Supreme Court, Abbott earned numerous awards, including "Jurist of the Year" from the Texas Review of Law & Politics and Appellate Specialists; and "Appellate Judge of the Year" from the Texas Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates."

An active participant in his community, General Abbott has held leadership positions in numerous organizations, including the Central Texas Chapter of Goodwill Industries, the Governor's Committee to Promote Adoption, Justice for All, and the Texas Institute for Rehabilitation and Research Foundation. In 2004, General Abbott served as Honorary State Chairman of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Texas.

A native Texan, Attorney General Abbott was born in Wichita Falls and raised in Duncanville. After graduating from The University of Texas with a B.B.A. in Finance, he received his law degree from Vanderbilt University. Shortly after graduating from law school, he was partially paralyzed by a falling tree while jogging. He and his wife, Cecilia, a former school teacher and principal, have been married for 30 years. They live in Austin with their daughter, Audrey.

Said RPT Chairman Steve Munisteri in thanking General Abbott, "I sincerely thank General Abbott for supporting our efforts and investing his resources with the state party to help us continue the fight for Republicans in 2012. He has been a stalwart in his defense of conservative values and Texas freedoms and we thank him for his continued leadership for our state. We look forward to working with him towards strengthening our Texas Republican majority in the upcoming year, and for years to come."