Changes

'''Rodney Scott Cosper''', known as '''Scott Cosper'''  (born November 8, 1968),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylife.com/rodney-cosper/e139700012142|title=Rodney Cosper|publisher=Mylife.com|accessdate=March 18, 2018}}</ref> is a lame duck [[Republican Party|Republican]] state representative for District 54 in Bell and Lampasas counties in central [[Texas]]. In 2017, he succeeded fellow Republican Jimmie Don Aycock, a [[veterinarian]] who did not seek re-election in 2016.

'''Rodney Scott Cosper''', known as '''Scott Cosper'''  (born November 8, 1968),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylife.com/rodney-cosper/e139700012142|title=Rodney Cosper|publisher=Mylife.com|accessdate=March 18, 2018}}</ref> is a lame duck [[Republican Party|Republican]] state representative for District 54 in Bell and Lampasas counties in central [[Texas]]. In 2017, he succeeded fellow Republican Jimmie Don Aycock, a [[veterinarian]] who did not seek re-election in 2016.

Cosper is the former [[mayor]] of Killeen in Bell County, a position which he held from 2014 to 2016. For the nine years prior to 2014, he was a member of the Killeen City Council.<ref>{{cite web|author=Josh Sullivan|url=http://kdhnews.com/news/local/former-killeen-mayor-starts-new-life-as-state-legislator/article_1356660e-d78f-11e6-aa25-dbdd56143380.html|title=Former Killeen mayor starts new life as state legislator|accessdate=January 16, 2017|publisher=''Killeen Daily Herald''|date=January 10, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Jeff Lowe|title=Killeen mayor joins race for Texas House|url=http://www.lampasasdispatchrecord.com/news/2015-10-13/Front_Page/Killeen_mayor_joins_race_for_Texas_House.html|accessdate=16 January 2017|publisher=''Lampasas Dispatch Record''|date=October 13, 2015}}</ref>

Cosper is the former [[mayor]] of Killeen in Bell County, a position which he held from 2014 to 2016. For the nine years prior to 2014, he was a member of the Killeen City Council.<ref>{{cite web|author=Josh Sullivan|url=http://kdhnews.com/news/local/former-killeen-mayor-starts-new-life-as-state-legislator/article_1356660e-d78f-11e6-aa25-dbdd56143380.html|title=Former Killeen mayor starts new life as state legislator|accessdate=January 16, 2017|publisher=''Killeen Daily Herald''|date=January 10, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Jeff Lowe|title=Killeen mayor joins race for Texas House|url=http://www.lampasasdispatchrecord.com/news/2015-10-13/Front_Page/Killeen_mayor_joins_race_for_Texas_House.html|accessdate=16 January 2017|publisher=''Lampasas Dispatch Record''|date=October 13, 2015}}</ref> In Killeen, Cosper was [[recall]]ed from the city council in 2011, when a dispute developed over the buyout of a contact for a former city manager. While Cosper was mayor, financial troubles led to an $8 million projected shortfall amid much public concern.<refname=kdh/>

To win the state House position, Cosper defeated fellow Republican Austin Ruiz, 50.44 to 49.56 percent in a runoff contest. He then defeated in the [[general election]] the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] nominee, Sandra Jean Blankenship (born 1964) of Killeen, 28,894 (54.8 percent) to 23,794 (45.2 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist319_state.htm|title=Election Results|publisher=Texas Secretary of State|date=November 8, 2016|accessdate=January 18, 2017}}</ref>  

To win the state House position in 2016, Cosper defeated fellow Republican Austin Ruiz, 50.44 to 49.56 percent in a runoff contest. He then defeated in the [[general election]] the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] nominee, Sandra Jean Blankenship (born 1964) of Killeen, 28,894 (54.8 percent) to 23,794 (45.2 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist319_state.htm|title=Election Results|publisher=Texas Secretary of State|date=November 8, 2016|accessdate=January 18, 2017}}</ref>  

In his bid for a second term in 2018, Cosper was forced into a runoff election on May 22 with fellow Republican Bradley Leo "Brad" Buckley (born September 14, 1966), a Killeen veterinarian. Cosper had led the three-candidate GOP field with 4,472 (44.6 percent) to Buckley's 4,173 (41.6 percent). The remaining 1,390 votes (13.9 percent) went to Larry R. Smith, whose supporters were critical in the second round of balloting. Smith had also finished third in the 2016 primary.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://enrpages.sos.state.tx.us/public/mar06_325_state.htm|title=Election Returns|date=March 6, 2018|publisher=Texas Secretary of State|accessdate=March 18, 2018}}</ref> Cosper was then unseated in the runoff, 3,185 votes (41.7 percent) to Buckley's 4,445 (58.3 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://enrpages.sos.state.tx.us/public/may22_326_race3.htm|title=Republican Primary Runoff Election Returns for State House District 54|publisher=Texas Secretary of State|date=May 22, 2018|accessdate=May 23, 2018}}</ref>  

In his bid for a second term in 2018, Cosper was forced into a runoff election on May 22 with fellow Republican Bradley Leo "Brad" Buckley (born September 14, 1966), a Killeen veterinarian who formerly served on the board of the Killeen School District. Buckley did not make an issue of Cosper’s tenure as an embattled city official. the challenger attributed his victory to his personal style, door-to-door campaigning, and the strength of his platform. Buckley was considered no more [[conservative]] than Cosper, with both in the [[Moderate Republican]] camp.<refname=kdh/>

 

Cosper had led the three-candidate GOP field with 4,472 (44.6 percent) to Buckley's 4,173 (41.6 percent). The remaining 1,390 votes (13.9 percent) went to Larry R. Smith, whose supporters were critical in the second round of balloting. Smith had also finished third in the 2016 primary.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://enrpages.sos.state.tx.us/public/mar06_325_state.htm|title=Election Returns|date=March 6, 2018|publisher=Texas Secretary of State|accessdate=March 18, 2018}}</ref> Cosper was then unseated in the runoff, 3,185 votes (41.7 percent) to Buckley's 4,445 (58.3 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://enrpages.sos.state.tx.us/public/may22_326_race3.htm|title=Republican Primary Runoff Election Returns for State House District 54|publisher=Texas Secretary of State|date=May 22, 2018|accessdate=May 23, 2018}}</ref>

 

Between January 26 and May 20, 2018, Cosper received $191,400 in contributions from two [[political action committee]]s associated with the retiring Moderate Republican House Speaker [[Joe Straus]] of [[San Antonio]]: the Texas House Leadership Fund and Associated Republicans of Texas.<ref name=kdh>{{cite web|url=http://kdhnews.com/news/district-runoff-election-postmortem-what-contributed-to-buckley-upset-of/article_3286264c-6161-11e8-b6ed-b35fe933f1b3.html|title=District 54 runoff election postmortem: What contributed to Buckley upset of Cosper?|author=Kyle Blankenship|publisher=''Killeen Daily Herald''|date=May 26, 2018|accessdate=May 28, 2018}}</ref>  

With Cosper eliminated, Buckley now faces Sandra Blankenship, who is once again seeking the state House seat on the Democratic ticket in the November 6 general election.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/VoteSandraBlankenship/|title=Sandra Blankenship|publisher=[[Facebook]]|accessdate=March 18, 2018}}</ref>

With Cosper eliminated, Buckley now faces Sandra Blankenship, who is once again seeking the state House seat on the Democratic ticket in the November 6 general election.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/VoteSandraBlankenship/|title=Sandra Blankenship|publisher=[[Facebook]]|accessdate=March 18, 2018}}</ref>