Donald Huffines

Former state Sen. Don Huffines has announced that he's challenging Gov. Greg Abbott in the 2022 primary race. Huffines is a conservative Republican from Dallas who's criticized Abbott for being too slow to fully reopen the state during the pandemic. He’s also blamed Abbott for the statewide blackouts during February’s catastrophic winter snowstorm. He served in Dallas' Senate District 16 for one term before losing his seat in 2018 to Democrat Nathan Johnson. In the Senate, Huffines was known as a conservative firmly in his party’s right wing. Huffines said he supported term limits in the Texas senate, cutting taxes, school choice and teaching creationism. Huffines was born and raised in Dallas. His family's business, Huffines Motor Company, has been involved in car dealerships and real estate in North Texas for over 90 years. After graduating from the University of Texas with a degree in finance, Huffines and his twin brother Phillip started Huffines Communities. The land development company is one of the largest in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Huffines has been married to his wife Mary Catherine for 36 years. He has five children and two grandchildren.