Trent Ashby

Trenton Edward "Trent" Ashby​
Texas State Representativ for District 57 (Angelina, Houston, Leon, Madison, San Augustine, and Trinity counties)​
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 8, 2013​
Preceded by	Marva Beck​
Born	October 9, 1972 (age 48) Rusk County, Texas, USA​
Nationality	American​
Political party	Republican​
Spouse(s)	Nicole Marie Cormack "Nickie" Ashby​
Children	Garin Ashby​ Grant Ashby​
Residence	Lufkin, Angelina County, Texas​
Alma mater	Henderson (Texas) High School Texas A&M University​
Occupation	Title insurance executive​
Religion	Southern Baptist​

​ Trenton Edward Ashby, known as Trent Ashby (born October 9, 1972),^[1] is a title insurance executive from Lufkin, Texas, who is a Republican state representative for House District 57, which encompasses Angelina, Houston, Leon, Madison, San Augustine, and Trinity counties in the eastern portion of his state..^[2]​

Background[edit]

Ashby was reared on a diversified livestock and dairy farm in Rusk County. As a youth, he was the state president and vice-president, respectively of 4-H and the Future ​ Farmers of America organizations. He graduated in 1991 from Henderson High School in Henderson, the seat of government for Rusk County. In 1996, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics from Texas A&M University in College Station. He was elected by the student body as a yell leader at TAMU, as was an earlier alumnus, former Governor Rick Perry. Ashby is president of Community Title Company, which maintains offices in Angelina, Nacogdoches, and Polk counties.^[3]​

Ashby and his wife, the former Nicole Marie Cormack, known as "Nickie" Ashby (born c. 1973), have two sons, Garin and Grant.^[4] The Ashbys attend the Harmony Hill Baptist Church at 2708 S. Chestnut St. in Lufkin and work in various nonprofit organizations in the district,^[3] such as the Museum of East Texas, which opened in Lufkin in 1976. He is affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce, United Way, and Lions International.^[4]

Political life[edit]

Earlier in his career he was the legislative director for Democratic former U.S. Representative James William "Jim" Turner (born 1946) of Texas' 2nd congressional district, a former member of both houses of the Texas legislature and a former mayor of Crockett in Houston County (not the city of Houston), Texas. In that capacity prior to 2005, he lived in Alexandria, Virginia.^[1] After settling in Lufkin, he served as president of the nonpartisan Lufkin Independent School District.^[3]​

In the Republican primary election held on May 29, 2012, Ashby unseated one-term Representative Marva Black Beck (born 1944) of Centerville in Leon County, 11,730 votes (58.1 percent) to 8,454 (41.9 percent), in the reconfigured District 57.^[5] Beck was supported by the TEA Party movement. During her brief tenure, the district included Leon, Madison, Falls, McLennan, and Robertson counties but not Ashby's home base of Lufkin in Angelina County.^[6]

In the general election held on November 2, 2010, Beck had toppled seven-term Democrat Representative Jim Dunnam a lawyer from Moody, Texas, but no Democrat ran in 2012 for the District 57 seat.^[7]

Ashby serves on the House committees of (1) Appropriations Subcommittee on Article III - Chair (2) Natural Resources - Vice Chair (3) Appropriations and (4) House Administration.^[4]​

Legislative positions[edit]

A pro-life legislator, Ashby supported in 2013 the ban on abortion after twenty weeks of gestation; the measure passed the House, 96-49. He also co-sponsored companion legislation to increase medical and licensing requirements of abortion providers.^[8] These issues brought forth an unsuccessful filibuster in the state Senate led by Wendy Russell Davis of Fort Worth, who in 2014 as the Democratic nominee lost the governor's race to the Republican Greg Abbott.^[9] The Texas Right to Life Committee rated Ashby 73 percent favorable.^[10]​

Ashby voted for legislation to establish a taxpayer-funded breakfast program for public schools; the measure passed the House, 73-58. He supported legislation to provide marshals for school security as a separate law-enforcement entity. He voted to extend the franchise tax exemption to certain businesses. He voted for the adoption of the biennial state budget. Ashby voted to prohibit the sending of text messages while driving, which nevertheless passed the House, 97-45. He voted to require testing for narcotics of those individuals receiving unemployment compensation. He voted against the "equal pay for women" measure, which nevertheless passed the House, 78-61, but was vetoed by then Governor Rick Perry.^[8]

Ashby backed the measure to forbid the state from engaging in the enforcement of federal regulations of firearms. He voted to allow college and university officials to carry concealed weapons in the name of campus security. He co-sponsored the measure to reduce the time required to obtain a concealed-carry permit. He backed the redistricting bills for the state House and Senate and the United States House of Representatives. Ashby voted for term limits for certain state officials.^[8]

Interest group ratings[edit]

​ In 2013, Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum, managed in Texas by Cathie Adams, a former state chairman of the Texas Republican Party, rated Ashby 75 percent favorable, compared to Beck's 40 percent in 2011. The Young Conservatives of Texas scored him 59 percent; the organization rated Beck 71 percent in 2011. The Texas League of Conservation Voters rated him 79 percent; a similar group Environment Texas rated him 50 percent. The interest group, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, founded by Michael Quinn Sullivan, rated him 49 percent, but the Texas Association of Business scored him 100 percent. The National Rifle Association, of which he is a member, scored Ashby 92 percent.^[10]

References[edit]

​​​​​​