David Lee Farabee is a Democratic former member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 69.
Background
His father, Ray Farabee, was an attorney in Austin, Texas, and a Democratic former state senator for the Wichita Falls and West Texas area, having served from 1975 to 1988. Farabee is an Eagle Scout, an accomplishment which eluded his father.
Education
He graduated from Wichita Falls High School and then obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Midwestern State University there.
Career
Himself had estimated that a Democrat expecting to hold the seat would need to raise at least $250,000. In 1998, was unopposed for the Democratic nomination in District 69 when the Democratic incumbent, John Hirschi, did not seek reelection. He defeated the Republican Ronald South. Buffum (born 1945), then of Wichita Falls, 14,207 (561 percent) to 11,130 (439 percent).
Republicans left unopposed in 2008, and the Democrat garnered more than 58 percent of the vote in 2006 against a Libertarian and a Republican, Shirley Craft, who had also lost to in 2004.
He recalled that in 2006 the Democrats held the West Texas state House seat vacated by former Speaker Pete Laney. Joe Heflin, the county judge in Crosbyton, narrowly defeated a young Republican insurance agent from Plainview named Jim Landtroop, who had considerable support from the state"s Grand Old Party leaders.
Landtroop rebounded in 2010 to deny Heflin a third term in the legislature. In 2005, he supported the position of National Abortion Rights Action League on abortion 55 percent of the time.
In 2007, National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League rated him 0 percent.
In 2008, he was voted "A+" by the National Rifle Association. In 2001, he was rated 100 percent by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In 2009, he was rated 17 percent by conservative Phyllis Schlafly"s Eagle Forum, but the same organization rated him 68 percent in 2007. The interest group Texans for Fiscal Responsibility rated 38 percent in 2009.
Membership
Farabee is a member of the Energy Resources and State Affairs committees in the Texas House. Prior to his legislative service, Farabee was an at-large member of the Wichita Falls City Council from 1989-1993.