| − | Macias ran for the state House in the Republican [[primary]] in March 2006. He garnered financial support of the Texas Republican Legislative Campaign Committee, a political action committee to which the San Antonio [[physician]] and conservative political activist James R. Leininger personally gave over a million dollars. While Leininger intended to avoid attention regarding his role in the campaign, he was the only large contributor to the PAC and nearly the sole source of campaign funds to the virtual newcomer Macias. The Texas Republican Legislative Campaign Committee was created shortly before the election although it appeared from campaign contracts that the Leininger had been laying the ground work months earlier. Leininger is also the founder and principal contributor of the Texas Public Policy Foundation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.acapitolblog.com/2006/02/state-rep-carter-casteel-under-power.html|title=State Rep. Carter Casteel Under Power Broker's Attack, February 5, 2006|publisher=State Representative Aaron Peña: A Capitol Blog|accessdate=February 23, 2014}}</ref> By a margin of only forty-six votes, Macias unseated the two-term incumbent, Carter Casteel, she a former Comal County county judge. He polled 10,183 votes (50.1 percent) to her 10,137 ballots (49.9 percent).<ref>Texas Secretary of State, Republican primary election returns|publisher=elections.sos.state.tx.us|accessdate=February 21, 2014}}</ref> In the 2008 Republican primary, again with financial assistance from Leninger, Macias was defeated for a second term by Doug Miller, a former mayor of New Braunfels. Miller received 14,684 votes (50.02 percent) to Macias' 14,667 (49.97 percent), a margin of 17 votes.<ref>Texas Secretary of State, =2008 Republican primary election return, 2008.</ref>Miller was later unseated in the Republican primary by the conservative Kyle Biedermann. | + | Macias ran for the state House in the Republican [[primary]] in March 2006. He garnered financial support of the Texas Republican Legislative Campaign Committee, a political action committee to which the San Antonio [[physician]] and conservative political activist James R. Leininger personally gave over a million dollars. While Leininger intended to avoid attention regarding his role in the campaign, he was the only large contributor to the PAC and nearly the sole source of campaign funds to the virtual newcomer Macias. The Texas Republican Legislative Campaign Committee was created shortly before the election although it appeared from campaign contracts that the Leininger had been laying the ground work months earlier. Leininger is also the founder and principal contributor of the Texas Public Policy Foundation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.acapitolblog.com/2006/02/state-rep-carter-casteel-under-power.html|title=State Rep. Carter Casteel Under Power Broker's Attack, February 5, 2006|publisher=State Representative Aaron Peña: A Capitol Blog|accessdate=February 23, 2014}}</ref> By a margin of only forty-six votes, Macias unseated the two-term incumbent, Carter Casteel, she a former Comal County county judge. He polled 10,183 votes (50.1 percent) to her 10,137 ballots (49.9 percent).<ref>Texas Secretary of State, Republican primary election returns, March 2006.</ref> In the 2008 Republican primary, again with financial assistance from Leninger, Macias was defeated for a second term by Doug Miller, a former mayor of New Braunfels. Miller received 14,684 votes (50.02 percent) to Macias' 14,667 (49.97 percent), a margin of 17 votes.<ref>Texas Secretary of State, Republican primary election return, 2008.</ref>Miller was later unseated in the Republican primary by the conservative Kyle Biedermann. |