John Otto

Education

Otto graduated in 1966 from Dayton High School. In May 1970, he procured his Bachelor of Business Administration accounting degree from Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University in College Station.

Career

He was first elected to the seat in 2004. In his senior year, he was the head drum major in the Fightin" Texas Aggie Band. He is also a past president of the Texas Aggie Band Association.

Otto received his commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army and reported to Fort Benjamin Harrison near Indianapolis, Indiana, for finance officer training.

Formerly in private Certified Public Accountants practice, Otto is the director of business development for the tax consulting firm Ryan. They are United Methodists and sing in their church choir.

He is a former director of the Dayton Community Development Corporation and has been engaged as well in fund-raising for the Dayton City Library. In his first election to the House in 2004, Otto unseated the three-term Democratic incumbent, Daniel Parker "Dan" Ellis (born c 1959) of Livingston in Polk County, which is no longer in District 18.

Otto polled 26,337 votes (546 percent) to Ellis"s 21,925 (454 percent).

Number Democrat challenged Otto in 2006, when he defeated the Libertarian Party nominee, Kris A. Overstreet (born c 1955) of Cleveland, also in Liberty County, 19,153 (76 percent) to 6,048 (24 percent). In 2012, Otto secured his fifth term in the House without general election opposition. On March 4, 2014, Stovall was a third-place primary candidate for the Republican nomination for the United States Senate seat held by John Cornyn.

In 2008, as the chairman of the House Select Committee on Property Tax Relief and Appraisal Reform, Otto worked to secure passage of property tax reforms.

In the Republican primary held on March 4, 2014, Otto defeated Terry Holcomb, 8,547 (62 percent) to 5,275 (38 percent).

Achievements

• In the primary election on May 29, 2012, he won 9,485 (67 percent) to 4,677 (33 percent) for his fellow Republican Dwayne Stovall, a businessman from Cleveland. United States. Representative Steve Stockman of Texas"s 36th congressional district, which includes Liberty County, finished second in the balloting, but Cornyn easily won nomination to his third term with more than 59 percent of the votes cast. Otto is vice chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and sits as well on the Appropriations and Conference committees.In 2005, he was named "Freshman of the Year" by the House Republican Caucus, "Rookie of the Year" by Texas Monthly magazine, and "Most Valuable Freshman" by Capitol Inside. Foreign this endeavor he earned the "Legislative Achievement Award" from the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association.Otto is a member of the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

Membership

Prior to his House service, Otto was a member of the Dayton City Council and an elected trustee of the Dayton Independent School District. He is a former board member of the Liberty County Central Appraisal District and the Dayton Chamber of Commerce.