Rep. John Smithee celebrates being re-elected in Texas House District 86

The election night watch party was packed with supporters for State Rep. John Smithee, R-Amarillo, who has maintained his position in the Texas House District 86 since 1985. The family and supporters were taking nothing for granted as the contender, Jamie Haynes, a well-known activist in school boards, made a good showing.

The latest figures showed Smithee at 18,228 votes, or 71.78%, and Jamie Haynes with 7,165 votes, or 28.22%. The District 86 area includes Armstrong, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Hartley, Oldham, Parmer and Randall counties.

The watch party held Tuesday night at Cask & Cork at Town Square had televisions tuned in to results as supporters mixed and mingled in tight quarters.

"We're extremely grateful for voters who turned out and re-elected us for another term," Smithee said Wednesday. "I'm hoping we can do some good things for our area in the next session. One of the things I'm proudest of about this campaign was that both of us kept it clean with no mud-slinging like some contests. It's hard to know what the big issues will be for the next session. Vouchers are a big concern, and voters are more favorable now, but my No. 1 concern is protecting our schools. We need to protect our rural schools and be sure nothing happens to harm them. I represent some small communities like Adrian and Walcott, where vouchers wouldn't work."

Smithee said he favored a local option where districts can choose for themselves. He said that he looked around at his constituents from large metroplexes like Houston and Dallas and realized they don't understand our area.Smithee said he's also looking for ways to increase our capacity to power lines. An increase of 20 percent would mean billions of dollars for our economy.

Among supporters at Tuesday night's event were former Canyon Independent School District Board of Trustee Randy Darnell and his wife, Lisa. Darnell, who is a farmer, served on the CISD board for almost 19 years. He was part of the bond issue that brought in West Plains High School and many other projects.

Brian Heinrich and his wife, Susie, were at the party, celebrating with Smithee. Heinrich is a longtime supporter of Smithee and practices law specializing in personal injury and litigation.

Smithee’s family was in attendance as well. His wife, Becky, had suffered a knee cap injury and was temporarily using a walker but was in very good spirits, along with their two daughters and son.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Incumbent Rep. John Smithee wins Texas House District 86 primary