Sparks: Let’s Unite This District – Midland Reporter-Telegram

Sparks feels he is the first southern candidate to make inroads up north. The outcome in the March 1 Republican primary election will determine how successful he was.

On Wednesday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick joined the Midland oilman for an event at the Wagner Noel. Patrick has endorsed Sparks for the seat currently occupied by Amarillo Republican Kel Seliger, who is not running for reelection. However, Sparks has his work cut out for him against Stormy Bradley of Big Spring, Tim Reid of Amarillo and Jesse Quackenbush of Amarillo. Wednesday was day 3 of early voting, and Sparks knows doing well and winning the Republican nomination requires two things – uniting the district behind a Sparks candidacy and driving turnout in Midland-Odessa.

Through two days of early voting, Randall County has had twice the turnout as Midland County, Sparks said, “and Potter County has had more votes than Ector.”

“It will take $600,000 to $700,000 if the race goes to a runoff,” Sparks said, “and there is no reason that it should go to a runoff.”

Sparks and Patrick believe the senate needs a representative with oil and gas experience. But they also know District 31 – the most conservative in the state, they said — is more than oil and gas.

Sparks said if you count the agricultural impact – especially in and around Amarillo — that likely means District 31 accounts for 35-40 percent of the state’s economy.

“This region is the most power economic engine in state of Texas and one of the most powerful in the country,” Patrick said. “It needs to have clout in Austin.”

Uniting the district was one reason Patrick and Sparks started the day with meeting elected officials and business leaders in Amarillo and ended the day with the event at the Wagner Noel.

“It is incumbent on us to speak with one voice,” Sparks said. “We have to get past this north versus south, Midland versus Odessa, rural versus larger communities. We are the same people; we just function a little differently.”