A Texas businesswoman won many conservatives earlier this year after keeping her salon open despite government mandates that “non-essential” companies like themselves remain closed amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, she is running for the state Senate of Texas, according to the Texas Tribune.
Shelley Luther announced Saturday that she will run for Texas Senate District 30 in a special election. The seat was held by Pat Fallon, who is heavily in favor of defeating Democrat Russell Foster in November in a bid to represent the state’s 4th District in the U.S. House. John Ratcliffe had been at that location before joining the Trump administration in May as director of national intelligence.
Luther announced her bid Saturday at a “Back the Blue” rally in Denton, Texas, held in support of lawmakers. Nearby were protesters showing their support for Black Lives Matter, the reported Denton Record-Chronicle, with some members from two sides debating with each other.
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“For the place of the First Chamber to open where I live, in Pilot Point, you better bet I put my hat in the ring,” Luther told the crowd, according to the local newspaper. “I will fight to keep our Texas values.”
Luther made headlines earlier this year when she refused to close her salon in North Texas during the pandemic. A Dallas judge has sentenced her to seven days in prison and $ 7,000 in fines for contempt of court for violating a temporary restraining order. Grassroots support for Luther soon followed, including a GoFundMe campaign that raised more than $ 500,000.
Soon the state Supreme Court intervened, confirming Luther’s release after two nights, and Governor Greg Abbott rewrote an executive order to overturn prison sentences.
In May, U.S. Republican Senator Ted Cruz visited her establishment for his first capsule in three months. The day before, Luther was released early from her seven-day prison sentence.
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“We are happy to be with you and know that the entire state of Texas is with you, so thank you for your courage,” Cruz told Luther during his visit, according to KTVT.
Many thanks to Shelley Luther and the team at Salon a la Mode for giving me my first haircut in 3 months & more importantly for standing up for freedom and common sense. Your courage helped pave the way for more #TX reopening companies and for more people to work back today. pic.twitter.com/R66rZsqxFN
– Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) May 8, 2020
Hints that Luther could run for office came earlier this month, when she wrote on her Facebook page:
“With the victory of Sen. Pat Fallon in this weekend’s special election, dozens of you called, texted, or emailed me asking about running in the upcoming special election in Senate District 30. I’m not a politician. “But as a Conservative business owner, I’m immensely envious of the direction of our state. Please pray for my family as we consider our next steps.”
The geographically large Texas Senate District 30 includes Archer, Clay, Cooke, Erath, Grayson, Jack, Montague, Palo Pinto, Parker, Wichita, Wise and Young counties – as well as parts of Collin and Denton counties.
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