Kel Seliger

Infobox State Senator


imagesize = 150px
honorific-prefix =
name = Kel Seliger
honorific-suffix =
state_senate = Texas
state = Texas
district = 31st
term_start =March 2, 2004
preceded =Teel Bivins
succeeded = Incumbent
office2=Mayor of Amarillo, Texas
term_start2=1993
term_end2=2001
preceded2=Keith Adams
succeeded2=Trent Sisemore
party = Republican
birth_date = birth date and age|1953|6|16
birth_place =Amarillo, Potter County, Texas, USA
death_date =
death_place =
spouse = Nancy Meredith Seliger
children=Jonathan and Matthew Seliger
residence = Amarillo, Texas
alma_mater = Dartmouth College
occupation = Businessman; Flight instructor
profession =
religion =
website =

Kelton Gray “Kel” Seliger (born June 16, 1953) is a Republican member of the Texas State Senate representing District 31 in the Panhandle and the Permian Basin. [cite web
url = http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/tx/hill/vitals/births/1949/hill4902.txt
title = Birth Certificate for Kelton Gray Seliger
accessdate = 2006-12-26
date = 1953-06-16
format = Third party index of birth records for Potter County
publisher = [http://www.rootsweb.com Rootsweb.com]
author = Texas Department of State Health Services, Vital Records]

Seliger was sworn in to the Texas Senate on March 2, 2004, to complete the term of Teel Bivins of Amarillo, who obtained a diplomatic appointment as United States Ambassador to Sweden from the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush. Seliger was reelected to serve a full, four-year term on November 4, 2004. The district spans twenty-six counties and includes mostly conservative voters in Amarillo, Midland, Odessa, and Big Spring.

Born in Amarillo and reared in the Panhandle city of Borger in Hutchinson County, Seliger is a graduate of Borger public schools and Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. He is co-owner and executive vice-president of Lake Steel, Inc., a steel service center. He is also a licensed commercial pilot and flight instructor.

Seliger was appointed by Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst to serve as Vice-Chair of the Criminal Justice Committee for the Seventy-ninth Texas Legislature. In addition, he was appointed to the Natural Resources, International Relations and Trade, and Administration Committees.

Seliger filed and sponsored over seventy-five bills, fifty of which were passed in one form or another during the regular session of the 79th Legislature. As Vice-Chair of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, Senator Seliger passed House Bill 2577 requiring local law enforcement agencies to report to the state the reason for a peace officer's termination to protect the integrity of the state's law enforcement officers. This legislation will help prevent those peace officers with a history of poor performance or unethical behavior, termed "gypsy cops," from taking advantage of police departments that lack the resources to investigate their employment history.

Seliger's membership on the Senate Natural Resources Committee aided him in passing several important bills for West Texas. House Bill 2161 ensures that effective pipeline safety standards are in place for all construction work around oil and gas pipelines. It also establishes a program to address abandoned or orphaned oil and gas wells and includes considerations for potential future periods of decline in oil and gas prices. Additionally, House Bill 951 will establish a notice and remediation process for construction around pipelines.

His involvement has earned him recognition from respected organizations throughout the state. The Texas Municipal League presented him with the 2005 Distinguished Legislative Service Award for his dedication to protecting and promoting local control. Seliger was also the recipient of the 2005 Rural Legislator of the Year Award from the Association of Rural Communities in Texas for his work in passing meaningful legislation to aid rural communities.

Seliger served four terms in the nonpartisan position as mayor of Amarillo (1993–2001). He is also a former city commissioner and a former member of the Amarillo Civil Service Commission. He also served on former Texas Attorney General John Cornyn's Municipal Advisory Committee and, in 2002, he was appointed to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission by Governor Rick Perry. Seliger is currently a member of the National Rifle Association, the Texas Farm Bureau, and the Harley-Davidson Owners Group.

Seliger and his wife, the former Nancy Caroline Meredith (born October 11, 1960), reside in Amarillo with their two sons, Jonathan and Matthew.

Election history

Election history of District 31 from 1992. [Uncontested primary elections are not shown.]

Most recent election

2004

Election box begin
title=Texas general election, 2004: Senate District 31 [cite web | url = http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist.exe | title = 2004 General Election | accessdate = 2007-01-05 | publisher = Office of the Secretary of State (Texas)] Election box candidate with party link
party= Republican Party (US)
candidate = Kel Seliger (Incumbent)
votes = 170,299
percentage = 78.53
change = -21.47Election box candidate with party link
party= Democratic Party (US)
candidate = Elaine King Miller
votes = 46,556
percentage = 21.47
change = +21.47Election box majority
votes = 123,743
percentage = 57.06
change = -42.94Election box turnout
votes = 216,855
percentage =
change = +82.33Election box hold with party link no swing
winner = Republican Party (US)
loser = Republican Party (US)

Previous elections

2004

Election box begin
title=Special Election Runoff: Senate District 31, Unexpired Term [cite web | url = http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist.exe | title = Special Runoff Election, State Senate, District 31 | accessdate = 2007-01-05 | publisher = Office of the Secretary of State (Texas)]
17 February 2004Election box candidate with party link
party= Republican Party (US)
candidate = Kirk Edwards
votes = 32,094
percentage = 43.85
change = [Change from Special Election] +43.85Election box candidate with party link
party= Republican Party (US)
candidate = Kel Seliger
votes = 41,102
percentage = 56.15
change = +20.44Election box majority
votes = 9,008
percentage = 12.31
change = Election box turnout
votes = 73,196
percentage =
change = Election box hold with party link no swing
winner = Republican Party (US)Election box begin
title=Special Election: Senate District 31, Unexpired Term [cite web | url = http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist.exe | title = Special Election, State Senate, District 31 | accessdate = 2007-01-05 | publisher = Office of the Secretary of State (Texas)]
20 January 2004Election box candidate with party link
party = Republican Party (US)
candidate = Bob Barnes
votes = 9,478
percentage = 13.65
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Republican Party (US)
candidate = Kirk Edwards
votes = 14,273
percentage = 20.56
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Republican Party (US)
candidate = Lee Gibson
votes = 2,429
percentage = 3.50
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Party (US)
candidate = Elaine King Miller
votes = 5,738
percentage = 8.27
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Republican Party (US)
candidate = Jesse Quackenbush
votes = 1,488
percentage = 2.14
change = Election box candidate with party link
party= Republican Party (US)
candidate = Kel Seliger
votes = 24,793
percentage = 35.72
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Republican Party (US)
candidate = Don Sparks
votes = 11,216
percentage = 16.16
change = Election box turnout
votes =
percentage =
change =

References

External links

* [http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist31/dist31.htm Senate of Texas - Senator Kel Seliger] official TX Senate website
* [http://votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=49550 Project Vote Smart - Senator Kel Seliger (TX)] profile
*"Follow the Money" - Kel Seliger
** [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=83163 2006] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=64050 2004] campaign contributions

Persondata
NAME=Kel Seliger
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Texas politician
DATE OF BIRTH=16 June 1953
PLACE OF BIRTH=Amarillo, Texas
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=