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| image=Stuart Spitzer of TX.jpg

| image=Stuart Spitzer of TX.jpg

| nationality=[[United States|American]]

| nationality=[[United States|American]]

| office=[[Texas]] State Representative<br> for District 4 (Kaufman andf Henderson counties)]]

| office=[[Texas]] State Representative<br> for District 4 (Kaufman<br> and Henderson counties)

| party=[[Republican Party|Republican]]   

| party=[[Republican Party|Republican]]   

| term_start=January 13, 2015

| term_start=January 13, 2015

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center}}

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center}}

'''Stuart Keith Spitzer''' (born September 11,  1967) is a general surgeon from Kaufman, [[Texas]], who served a single two-year term from 2015 to 2017 as a [[Republican Party|Republican]] state representative for District 4, which encompasses Kaufman and Henderson counties<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylife.com/stuart-spitzer/stuart_spitzer?fname=stuart&lname=spitzer&|title=Stuart Spitzer (Keith)|publisher=Mylife.com|accessdate=February 6, 2021}}</ref> east of [[Dallas]].

'''Stuart Keith Spitzer''' (born September 11,  1967) is a general [[surgeon]] from Kaufman, [[Texas]], who served a single two-year term from 2015 to 2017 as a [[Republican Party|Republican]] state representative for District 4, which encompasses Kaufman and Henderson counties<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylife.com/stuart-spitzer/stuart_spitzer?fname=stuart&lname=spitzer&|title=Stuart Spitzer (Keith)|publisher=Mylife.com|accessdate=February 6, 2021}}</ref> east of [[Dallas]].

==Background==

==Background==

In 2012, Spitzer ran for the House but lost the party nomination to the then incumbent [[Lance Gooden]]. Spitzer polled 5,545 votes (46.5 percent) to Gooden's 6,385 votes (53.5 percent).<ref>Texas Secretary of State, Republican primary election returns, May 29, 2012.</ref> Gooden was then unopposed in the November 6, 2012 [[general election]] for his second term as a state representative.

In 2012, Spitzer ran for the House but lost the party nomination to the then incumbent [[Lance Gooden]]. Spitzer polled 5,545 votes (46.5 percent) to Gooden's 6,385 votes (53.5 percent).<ref>Texas Secretary of State, Republican primary election returns, May 29, 2012.</ref> Gooden was then unopposed in the November 6, 2012 [[general election]] for his second term as a state representative.

In his second bid for the office on March 4, 2014, Dr. Spitzer unseated Gooden in the Republican primary. Spitzer polled 8,421 votes (51 percent) to Gooden's 8,079 (49 percent).<ref>Secretary of State, Republican primary election returns, March 4, 2014.</ref> [[Speaker]] [[Joe Straus]] of [[San Antonio]] made a campaign stop for Gooden's behalf in Forney in Kaufman County, a month before the primary election. Accompanying Straus to Forney was state Senator [[Bob Deuell]], a [[pediatrician]] from Greenville] in Hunt County.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forneypost.net/Story.aspx?ArticleID=2984|author=Denise Be|title=Texas Speaker of the House Straus Visits Forney to Endorse Rep. Gooden|date=February 4, 2014|publisher=''The Forney Post''|accessdate=March 6, 2014}}</ref> A few weeks later Duell was himself unseated in the May 27 runoff election by the [[Tea Party]] movement choice, Bob Hall of Van Zandt County.

In his second bid for the office on March 4, 2014, Dr. Spitzer unseated Gooden in the Republican primary. Spitzer polled 8,421 votes (51 percent) to Gooden's 8,079 (49 percent).<ref>Secretary of State, Republican primary election returns, March 4, 2014.</ref> Then [[Speaker]] [[Joe Straus]] of [[San Antonio]] made a campaign stop for Gooden's behalf in Forney in Kaufman County, a month before the primary election. Accompanying Straus to Forney was state Senator Bob Deuell, a [[pediatrician]] from Greenville] in Hunt County.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forneypost.net/Story.aspx?ArticleID=2984|author=Denise Be|title=Texas Speaker of the House Straus Visits Forney to Endorse Rep. Gooden|date=February 4, 2014|publisher=''The Forney Post''|accessdate=March 6, 2014}}</ref> A few weeks later Duell was himself unseated in the May 27 runoff election by the [[Tea Party]] movement choice, Bob Hall of Van Zandt County.

Spitzer lost a rematch with Lance Gooden in the Republican primary on March 1, 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=

Spitzer lost a rematch with Lance Gooden in the Republican primary on March 1, 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=

https://www.texasgop.org/filing-period/|title=2016 Filed Primary Candidates|publisher=texasgop.org|accessdate=December 28, 2015}}</ref> Gooden polled 14,500 votes (51.8 percent) to Spitzer's 13,502 (48.2 percent).<ref>Texas Secretary of State, Republican primary election returns, March 1, 2016.</ref> In 2020, Gooden, a staunch supporter of former [[U.S. President]] [[Donald Trump]] was elected for his second term to the District 5 seat in the [[United States House of Representatives]].

https://www.texasgop.org/filing-period/|title=2016 Filed Primary Candidates|publisher=texasgop.org|accessdate=December 28, 2015}}</ref> Gooden polled 14,500 votes (51.8 percent) to Spitzer's 13,502 (48.2 percent).<ref>Texas Secretary of State, Republican primary election returns, March 1, 2016.</ref> Despite his previous association with [[Moderate Republican]]s such as Joe Straus, Gooden is also a staunch supporter of former [[U.S. President]] [[Donald Trump]]. Gooden was elected for his second term to the District 5 seat in the [[United States House of Representatives]] on November 3, 2020.

Spitzer was a sponsor of a [http://www.texasmonthly.com/burka-blog/dr-spitzer-may-abstain-but-teens-in-his-district-dont/] budget amendment seeking to remove $3 million from the state's [[HIV]] prevention services and adding the funds to teach abstinence-only education. Spitzer cited his [[Christian]] belief that everyone should remain abstinent from sexual activity until marriage. During floor debate in the Texas House of Representatives, Spitzer claimed to have been abstinent until marriage at the age of twenty-nine and that he believed abstinence is the only way to prevent pregnancy and [[STD]] infection.<ref>http://www.dallasobserver.com/news/texas-house-strips-3-mil-from-hiv-prevention-to-promote-abstinence-is-incredibly-dumb-7134777</ref><ref>https://www.texastribune.org/2015/03/31/abstinence-funding-devolves-uncomfortable-debate/</ref>

Spitzer successfully sponsored a budget amendment in 2015 that removed $3 million from the state's [[HIV]] prevention services to provide funds for the teaching of abstinence-only education. Spitzer cited his [[Christian]] belief in  abstinence from sexual activity until marriage. During floor debate in the Texas House of Representatives, Spitzer said that he was abstinent until marriage at the age of twenty-nine, and he considers abstinence the only way to prevent unwanted pregnancies and [[STD]] infections.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dallasobserver.com/news/texas-house-strips-3-mil-from-hiv-prevention-to-promote-abstinence-is-incredibly-dumb-7134777|title=Texas House Strips $3 Million from HIV Prevention to Promote Abstinence, Is Incredibly Dumb (biased headline)|author=Eric Nicholson|date=April 2, 2015|publisher=''The Dallas Observer''|accessdate=February 6, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2015/03/31/abstinence-funding-devolves-uncomfortable-debate/|title=Tense Debate as House Shifts HIV Funding to Abstinence Education: Some of the most emotional, and uncomfortable, debate on the House budget Tuesday came when a state representative asked fellow lawmakers to move money from HIV and STD prevention to abstinence education|author=Eva Hershaw|publisher=''The Texas Tribune''|date=March 31, 2015|accessdate=February 6, 2021}}</ref>

==References==

==References==