Now that Rick Perry has said he won’t run for re-election, Attorney General Greg Abbott is all but certain to announce his bid for the governor’s mansion. After that happens, most likely on Sunday, state Rep. Dan Branch is widely expected to officially launch his candidacy for Abbott’s position.
So the real question is, who will make a run at the District 108 seat in the Legislature, which the Republican from University Park has held for 10 years?
Chart Westcott, 28, was riding on a float in last week’s Park Cities Fourth of July Parade that bore a “Chart Westcott for Texas” sign. When asked what specific office he’s seeking, Westcott said he’s interested in Branch’s job, assuming all the dominoes fall as expected.
Westcott, who is single, said he grew up attending Highland Park ISD schools but graduated from Greenhill. He has a law degree from SMU, and he works for Westcott LLC, an investment firm founded by his father, Carl.
A recent appointee to the Texas Real Estate Commission and the founder of a political action committee called the Conservative Values Coalition, Westcott is rumored to have amassed more than $700,000 in donations. Legislators and candidates must file semi-annual campaign-finance reports by Monday.
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Another potential candidate is Court Alley, executive director of a political action committee called Brighter Dallas. His Twitter profile description includes #District108.
Alley, 33, said he is also interested in running for Branch’s position, assuming it comes open. A graduate of Highland Park High School, he is the president of Caruth Marketing, which he named after his favorite childhood park.
Alley and his wife, Mary Clare, a clinical psychologist, live in Devonshire with their 1-year-old son.
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