Chairman’s Circle Profile : Lt. Governor David Dewhurst

Lt. Governor David Dewhurst is a life-long Republican, native Houstonian, successful businessman, rancher and U.S. military veteran. In 1998, he became the first Republican since Reconstruction elected to the office of Texas Land Commissioner, and for the last eight years, he has served as Lt. Governor of Texas and President of the Texas Senate.

Lt. Governor Dewhurst has always been a steadfast conservative leader and a vocal advocate for: lower taxes, less government, states’ rights, property rights, gun rights and the rights of the unborn. Through four regular sessions and seven special sessions of the Texas legislature, Lt. Governor Dewhurst has also been a shining example of fiscal responsibility in action. He helped pass the largest tax cut in state history, balanced four state budgets, and has continued to protect taxpayers by building and maintaining a healthy reserve of more than $9 billion in our state’s Rainy Day Fund. Thanks to Lt. Governor Dewhurst’s conservative leadership, Texas now leads the nation in job creation, business relocation, homebuilding, international exports, and Fortune 1000 companies.

At the height of the Cold War, Dewhurst dedicated his young adult life to serving his country – first in the U.S. Air Force, then in the CIA and later in the U.S. State Department. When he left government service, he returned home to Houston to begin his career in business. In the early 1980s, he started his own company, but like so many other Texas businesses at the time, he lost nearly everything when the oil and gas and real estate markets went bust. Dewhurst gradually built back all that he had lost and more, and earned his reputation as an innovative and successful businessman.

A college basketball player at the University of Arizona and champion cutting horse rider, Lt. Governor Dewhurst was inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2009. Lt. Governor Dewhurst lives in Houston with his wife, Tricia, and their young daughter Carolyn.

Pictured above is Chairman Munisteri presenting Lt. Governor Dewhurst with his Chairman’s Award at the Williamson County Lincoln-Reagan Day Dinner.  He received the Chairman’s Award as a result of his contributing $25,000 to the Republican Party of Texas.  Governor Dewhurst’s generosity did not end there however, as he funded the RPT’s Outreach program and established a “Rainy Day Fund” for the Republican Party of Texas.  Gov. Dewhurst personally raised $100,000 for the fund.   In presenting him the award, Chairman Munisteri stated, “I believe its important for Republican Party activists to know which Republican elected officials have been responsible for helping to solve the party’s past financial difficulties and for revitalizing the party.  Governor Dewhurst deserves much of the credit for erasing the RPT’s deficit and establishing the RPT on sound financial footing.  He has shown an active and sincere interest in the party and has been one of our strongest allies of building a strong party organization.  I am honored to present him with this award in recognition and thanks for his leadership.”