Jeff Wentworth

Jeff Wentworth
Member of the Texas Senate
from the 25th district
In office
1997–2013
Preceded byWilliam "Bill" Sims
Succeeded byDonna Campbell
Member of the Texas Senate
from the 26th district
In office
1993–1997
Preceded byCyndi Taylor Krier
Succeeded byGregory Luna
State Representative from Texas District 123 (Bexar County)
In office
May 11, 1988 – January 12, 1993
Preceded byKae T. Patrick
Succeeded byFrank J. Corte Jr.
Personal details
Born
Earl Jeffrey Wentworth

(1940-11-20) November 20, 1940 (age 84)
Mercedes, Hidalgo County, Texas, USA
Political partyRepublican
SpouseKarleen Rae "Karla" L. Wentworth
Children2
Residence(s)San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Alma materTexas A&M University
Texas Tech University
ProfessionAttorney

Earl Jeffrey Wentworth (born November 20, 1940) is a Republican former member of the Texas Senate from San Antonio. He represented District 25 in the upper legislative chamber from January 1997 to January 2013. In addition, from 1993 to 1997, he represented District 26, having been initially elected to the state senate in 1992 to succeed fellow Republican Cyndi Taylor Krier, when she became the county judge of Bexar County. District 25 included northern portions of Bexar County, all of Comal, Guadalupe, Hays, and Kendall counties, and a part of southern Travis County.[1][2]

From 1988 to 1993, Wentworth was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 123. He won a special election on May 7, 1988, called when Republican Representative Kae T. Patrick of San Antonio resigned during his fourth term.

In 2010, Wentworth wrote to Chairman Ron Blatchley (Chairman of the Texas State University System Board of Regents) a scathing letter from a sitting State Senator expressing his unhappiness with the Texas State University System Board of Regents decision to appoint State Rep. Brian McCall as the Chancellor of the Texas State University System over him. In the letter, Wentworth expressed a strong disagreement with McCall's appointment and repeatedly states that he authored the bill that changed the name of Southwest Texas State University (SWT) to Texas State University-San Marcos (TSU-SM) - an unpopular bill among the vast majority of SWT alumni with suggestions throughout he expected this appointment in part due to carrying this legislation, having it killed in one sub-committee, re-introducing the bill in a rush before another unrelated sub-committee to finally get it passed. Opposition to the bill was not limited to SWT alumni but also included dozens and dozens of Texas Southern University (TSU) faculty, students and alumni aligned with SWT alumni.[3]

In 2012, Wentworth was defeated in his bid for re-nomination. In the Republican primary runoff held on July 31, he lost to Tea Party candidate Donna Campbell, who amassed 45,292 votes (66.2 percent) to Wentworth's 23,168 (33.8 percent).[4]

Wentworth and his wife Karla, a licensed professional interior designer, have two sons, Jason and Matthew Wentworth. After his term in the state Senate, Wentworth was appointed to the position of Precinct 3 justice of the peace by the Bexar County Commission.[5][6]

  1. ^ "Earl Jeffrey Wentworth". Texas State Cemetery. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2007-01-03.
  2. ^ Office of the Secretary of State (Texas) (2002-09-13). "State Senate Candidates for 2002 General Election". Archived from the original on 2008-02-13. Retrieved 2006-12-27.
  3. ^ Wentworth's Letter, static.texastribune.org. Accessed May 24, 2023.
  4. ^ Ward, Mike (1 August 2012). "Campbell ousts Texas Senate veteran Wentworth". Austin American-Statesman. Archived from the original on 4 August 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  5. ^ San Antonio Express-News, November 21, 2012
  6. ^ Karen Olsson (November 2002). "Mr. Right". Texas Monthly. Retrieved March 19, 2015.