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Created page with "{{Infobox officeholder | name=John Langston Kuempel |image=John Kuempel of TX.jpg |nationality=American |office=Texas State Representative for<br>Distri..."
{{Infobox officeholder
| name=John Langston Kuempel
|image=John Kuempel of TX.jpg
|nationality=[[United States|American]]
|office=[[Texas]] State Representative for<br>District 44 (Guadalupe, Gonzales, and Wilson counties)
|party=[[Republican Party|Republican]]
|term_start=December 15, 2010
|term_end=
|preceded=Edmund Kuempel
|succeeded=[[Incumbent]]
|residence=Seguin, Guadalupe County, Texas
|birth_date=May 11, 1970
|birth_place=
|occupation=Salesman
|spouse= Michelle Kuempel (married 1999)
|children=Will and Sam Kuempel<br>
'''Parents''':<br>
Edmund and Roberta "Birdie" Blumberg Kuempel
|alma_mater=Seguin High School<br>
[[University of Texas]]
|religion=[[Lutheran]]}}
'''John Langston Kuempel''' (born May 11, 1970) is a salesman for Commercial Metals Company in Seguin, [[Texas]], and a [[Republican Party|Republican]] state representative for District 44 in Guadalupe, Gonzales, and Wilson counties.
A former [[football]] player, Kuempel graduated in 1998 from Seguin High School and the [[University of Texas]]. He and his wife, Michelle, a former city librarian, have twin sons, Will and Sam Kuempel (born c. 2004). Kuempel coaches his sons' [[Little League]] [[baseball]] team. The family is active in the Faith [[Lutheran]] Church in Seguin. He is a member of Rotary International, the Texas [[Farm Bureau]], the [[National Rifle Association]], and the capital campaign committee of the Guadalupe Valley Medical Center.<ref>"Edmund Kuempel passes away," ''Seguin (Texas) Gazette-Enterprise'' November 8, 2010, p. 1.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://johnkuempel.com/about|title=About John Kuempel|publisher=johnkuempel.com|accessdate=December 22, 2010}}</ref>
==Political life==
Kuempel's father, Edmund Kuempel, had held the seat in the heavily [[Republican Party|GOP]] district since the retirement in 1983 of previous Representative Bennie Bock, a Republican, and had won reelection to the House in 2010 without opposition. However, two days after his 2010 re-election, on November 4 Edmund Kuempel died, thus requiring a December 14, 2010 [[special election]] to full the position.
Kuempel was the only candidate in the field openly committed to the retention of [[Moderate Republican]] [[Joe Straus]] of [[San Antonio] as the Texas House Speaker. Edmund Kuempel had also been a Straus backer in 2009, when Straus deposed the more [[conservative]] former Speaker [[Tom Craddick]] of [[Midland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.texasmonthly.com/blogs/burkablog/?p=8702|title=Paul Burka, "Huge Lead for John Kuempel"|publisher=''Texas Monthly''|date= December 14, 2010|accessdate=December 17, 2010}}</ref> Kuempel also secured the backing of [[Houston Astros]] baseball great [[Nolan Ryan]], who relocated into District 44.<ref>"Ryan endorses Kuempel," ''The Dallas Morning News,'' December 2, 2010.</ref>
Kuempel and eight other opponents faced off in a special election, which Kuempel won with 66 percent of the vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gonzalesinquirer.com/news/article_0bc14b34-099b-11e0-9623-001cc4c002e0.html|author=Daniel Elizondo|title=Kuempel elected to succeed father in District 44
|publisher=''Gonzales (Texas) Inquirer''|date=December 15, 2010|accessdate=December 17, 2010}}</ref> The second place candidate, with 10 percent of the ballots, was another Republican, Gary Inmon, a school board member from Schertz in County. Others in the field were two candidates defeated earlier by the Democrat [[Henry Cuellar]] of [[Texas's 28th congressional district|District 28]] in the [[United States House of Representatives]], Ron Avery (born 1947), a retired architect from Seguin who ran in 2006, and Jim Fish (born 1957), a small business owner from Cibolo, who ran for Congress in 2008. Avery and Fish filed as Republicans for the special legislative election, but Avery had previously been a [[Constitution Party]] candidate for Congress.
Still another candidate, Robin Walker, had lost in the March 2, 2010, Republican primary to the elder Kuempel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/politics/entries/2010/12/14/john_kuempel_wins_late_fathers.html|title=John Kuempel wins late father's seat|date=December 14, 2010|publisher=''The Austin American-Statesman''|accessdate=December 22, 2010}}</ref>
At the time of Kuempel's House election, two [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] representatives, Aaron Pena of Edinburg and [[Allan Ritter]] of Nederland, switched affiliation to the Republican Party. Their defections increased the Republican total to one hundred members, thus giving the GOP a supermajority in the Texas House at least on paper.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ramparts360.com/uncategorized/two-democrats-defections-give-republicans-supermajority-in-texas-house/|title=Two Democrats' defections give Republicans supermajority in Texas House, December 14, 2010|publisher=ramparts360.com|accessdate=December 22, 2010}}</ref>
Kuempel's victory brought the number of Republicans in the Texas House to a record 101 members in January 2011, with Democrats]] holding the remaining 49 of the 150 total seats in the body.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/12/john-kuempel-coasts-to-victory.html|title=John Kuempel coasts to victory in special Texas House election|date=December 2010|publisher=trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com|accessdate=December 17, 2010}}</ref>
==Campaign issues==
Kuempel cited conservative issues in his campaign, including:
*Lower taxes and limited government
*Balancing the state budget by cutting wasteful spending
*Requiring valid Texas photo identification to vote
*Blocking implementation of the health-care plan signed in March 2010 by then [[U.S. President]] [[Barack Obama]]
*Stronger border security measures; namely, citizenship background checks on jail inmates, banning "[[sanctuary city]]" policies, tougher penalties for employers who knowingly hire [[Alien (law)|illegal aliens]], and opposition to [[amnesty]] for those in the United States illegally
*Restricting [[abortion]] rights at the state level
*Defense of [[Second Amendment to the United States Constitution|Second Amendment]] rights
*Requiring [[eminent domain]] reform to protect private property owners from government confiscation of their holdings
*Protecting [[states' rights]] from intrusion by the [[U.S. government]].
*Quality public education
*Protection of local water sources<ref>{{cite web|url=http://johnkuempel.com/issues|title=Kuempel for State Representative: Issues|publisher=johnkuempel.com|accessdate=December 22, 2010}}</ref>
Texas State Republican Chairman [[Steve Munisteri]] of [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] described Kuempel's victory as "a strong testament to the legacy and patriotism of the entire Kuempel family."<ref name=munisteri>{{cite web|url=http://texasgopvote.com/2011-legislative-session/congratulations-rep-elect-john-kuempel-his-special-election-victory-002251|title=Congratulations to Rep.-Elect John Kuempel on His Special Election Victory|date=December 16, 2010|publisher=texasgopvote.com|accessdate=December 22, 2010}}</ref> Munisteri also cited political consultant Keats Norfleet of the Eppstein Group for its "overseeing a quick and efficient campaign organization."<ref name=munisteri/>
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuempel, John}}
[[Category:Texas]]
[[Category:Business People]]
[[Category:Politicians]]
[[Category:Republicans]]
[[Category:Lutherans]]
| name=John Langston Kuempel
|image=John Kuempel of TX.jpg
|nationality=[[United States|American]]
|office=[[Texas]] State Representative for<br>District 44 (Guadalupe, Gonzales, and Wilson counties)
|party=[[Republican Party|Republican]]
|term_start=December 15, 2010
|term_end=
|preceded=Edmund Kuempel
|succeeded=[[Incumbent]]
|residence=Seguin, Guadalupe County, Texas
|birth_date=May 11, 1970
|birth_place=
|occupation=Salesman
|spouse= Michelle Kuempel (married 1999)
|children=Will and Sam Kuempel<br>
'''Parents''':<br>
Edmund and Roberta "Birdie" Blumberg Kuempel
|alma_mater=Seguin High School<br>
[[University of Texas]]
|religion=[[Lutheran]]}}
'''John Langston Kuempel''' (born May 11, 1970) is a salesman for Commercial Metals Company in Seguin, [[Texas]], and a [[Republican Party|Republican]] state representative for District 44 in Guadalupe, Gonzales, and Wilson counties.
A former [[football]] player, Kuempel graduated in 1998 from Seguin High School and the [[University of Texas]]. He and his wife, Michelle, a former city librarian, have twin sons, Will and Sam Kuempel (born c. 2004). Kuempel coaches his sons' [[Little League]] [[baseball]] team. The family is active in the Faith [[Lutheran]] Church in Seguin. He is a member of Rotary International, the Texas [[Farm Bureau]], the [[National Rifle Association]], and the capital campaign committee of the Guadalupe Valley Medical Center.<ref>"Edmund Kuempel passes away," ''Seguin (Texas) Gazette-Enterprise'' November 8, 2010, p. 1.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://johnkuempel.com/about|title=About John Kuempel|publisher=johnkuempel.com|accessdate=December 22, 2010}}</ref>
==Political life==
Kuempel's father, Edmund Kuempel, had held the seat in the heavily [[Republican Party|GOP]] district since the retirement in 1983 of previous Representative Bennie Bock, a Republican, and had won reelection to the House in 2010 without opposition. However, two days after his 2010 re-election, on November 4 Edmund Kuempel died, thus requiring a December 14, 2010 [[special election]] to full the position.
Kuempel was the only candidate in the field openly committed to the retention of [[Moderate Republican]] [[Joe Straus]] of [[San Antonio] as the Texas House Speaker. Edmund Kuempel had also been a Straus backer in 2009, when Straus deposed the more [[conservative]] former Speaker [[Tom Craddick]] of [[Midland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.texasmonthly.com/blogs/burkablog/?p=8702|title=Paul Burka, "Huge Lead for John Kuempel"|publisher=''Texas Monthly''|date= December 14, 2010|accessdate=December 17, 2010}}</ref> Kuempel also secured the backing of [[Houston Astros]] baseball great [[Nolan Ryan]], who relocated into District 44.<ref>"Ryan endorses Kuempel," ''The Dallas Morning News,'' December 2, 2010.</ref>
Kuempel and eight other opponents faced off in a special election, which Kuempel won with 66 percent of the vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gonzalesinquirer.com/news/article_0bc14b34-099b-11e0-9623-001cc4c002e0.html|author=Daniel Elizondo|title=Kuempel elected to succeed father in District 44
|publisher=''Gonzales (Texas) Inquirer''|date=December 15, 2010|accessdate=December 17, 2010}}</ref> The second place candidate, with 10 percent of the ballots, was another Republican, Gary Inmon, a school board member from Schertz in County. Others in the field were two candidates defeated earlier by the Democrat [[Henry Cuellar]] of [[Texas's 28th congressional district|District 28]] in the [[United States House of Representatives]], Ron Avery (born 1947), a retired architect from Seguin who ran in 2006, and Jim Fish (born 1957), a small business owner from Cibolo, who ran for Congress in 2008. Avery and Fish filed as Republicans for the special legislative election, but Avery had previously been a [[Constitution Party]] candidate for Congress.
Still another candidate, Robin Walker, had lost in the March 2, 2010, Republican primary to the elder Kuempel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/politics/entries/2010/12/14/john_kuempel_wins_late_fathers.html|title=John Kuempel wins late father's seat|date=December 14, 2010|publisher=''The Austin American-Statesman''|accessdate=December 22, 2010}}</ref>
At the time of Kuempel's House election, two [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] representatives, Aaron Pena of Edinburg and [[Allan Ritter]] of Nederland, switched affiliation to the Republican Party. Their defections increased the Republican total to one hundred members, thus giving the GOP a supermajority in the Texas House at least on paper.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ramparts360.com/uncategorized/two-democrats-defections-give-republicans-supermajority-in-texas-house/|title=Two Democrats' defections give Republicans supermajority in Texas House, December 14, 2010|publisher=ramparts360.com|accessdate=December 22, 2010}}</ref>
Kuempel's victory brought the number of Republicans in the Texas House to a record 101 members in January 2011, with Democrats]] holding the remaining 49 of the 150 total seats in the body.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/12/john-kuempel-coasts-to-victory.html|title=John Kuempel coasts to victory in special Texas House election|date=December 2010|publisher=trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com|accessdate=December 17, 2010}}</ref>
==Campaign issues==
Kuempel cited conservative issues in his campaign, including:
*Lower taxes and limited government
*Balancing the state budget by cutting wasteful spending
*Requiring valid Texas photo identification to vote
*Blocking implementation of the health-care plan signed in March 2010 by then [[U.S. President]] [[Barack Obama]]
*Stronger border security measures; namely, citizenship background checks on jail inmates, banning "[[sanctuary city]]" policies, tougher penalties for employers who knowingly hire [[Alien (law)|illegal aliens]], and opposition to [[amnesty]] for those in the United States illegally
*Restricting [[abortion]] rights at the state level
*Defense of [[Second Amendment to the United States Constitution|Second Amendment]] rights
*Requiring [[eminent domain]] reform to protect private property owners from government confiscation of their holdings
*Protecting [[states' rights]] from intrusion by the [[U.S. government]].
*Quality public education
*Protection of local water sources<ref>{{cite web|url=http://johnkuempel.com/issues|title=Kuempel for State Representative: Issues|publisher=johnkuempel.com|accessdate=December 22, 2010}}</ref>
Texas State Republican Chairman [[Steve Munisteri]] of [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] described Kuempel's victory as "a strong testament to the legacy and patriotism of the entire Kuempel family."<ref name=munisteri>{{cite web|url=http://texasgopvote.com/2011-legislative-session/congratulations-rep-elect-john-kuempel-his-special-election-victory-002251|title=Congratulations to Rep.-Elect John Kuempel on His Special Election Victory|date=December 16, 2010|publisher=texasgopvote.com|accessdate=December 22, 2010}}</ref> Munisteri also cited political consultant Keats Norfleet of the Eppstein Group for its "overseeing a quick and efficient campaign organization."<ref name=munisteri/>
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuempel, John}}
[[Category:Texas]]
[[Category:Business People]]
[[Category:Politicians]]
[[Category:Republicans]]
[[Category:Lutherans]]