Nationality American Party Republican Party Name John Otto | Residence Dayton, Texas Political party Republican | |
 | ||
Preceded by Daniel Parker "Dan" Ellis Spouse(s) Nancy Whitman Otto (married 1969) Children Bryan Otto
Jason Otto
Three grandchildren Role Texas State Representative Office Texas State Representative since 2005 Education Dayton High School, Texas A&M University | ||
John Clifford Otto (born 1948) is a Certified Public Accountant and a former Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 18, which encompasses Liberty County and nearby San Jacinto and Walker counties. He was first elected to the seat in 2004 and left office in January 2017 after declining to seek re-election in 2016.
Contents
Background
Otto graduated in 1966 from Dayton High School. In May 1970, he procured his Bachelor of Business Administration accounting degree from Texas A&M University in College Station. In his senior year, he was the head drum major in the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band. He is also a past president of the Texas Aggie Band Association. Otto received his commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army and reported to Fort Benjamin Harrison near Indianapolis, Indiana, for finance officer training.
Formerly in private CPA practice, Otto is the director of business development for the tax consulting firm Ryan. In December 1969, prior to his last semester at TAMU, he married his childhood sweetheart, the former Nancy Whitman. They are United Methodists and sing in their church choir. They have two sons, Bryan Otto of College Station and Jason Otto and wife Brandee of Kyle in Hays County, Texas, and three grandchildren.
Political life
Prior to his House service, Otto was a member of the Dayton City Council and an elected trustee of the Dayton Independent School District. He is a former board member of the Liberty County Central Appraisal District and the Dayton Chamber of Commerce. He is a former director of the Dayton Community Development Corporation and has been engaged as well in fund-raising for the Dayton City Library.
In his first election to the House in 2004, Otto unseated the three-term Democratic incumbent, Daniel Parker "Dan" Ellis (born c. 1959) of Livingston in Polk County, which is no longer in District 18. Otto polled 26,337 votes (54.6 percent) to Ellis's 21,925 (45.4 percent). No Democrat challenged Otto in 2006, when he defeated the Libertarian Party nominee, Kris A. Overstreet (born c. 1955) of Cleveland, also in Liberty County, 19,153 (76 percent) to 6,048 (24 percent).
In 2012, Otto secured his fifth term in the House without general election opposition. In the primary election on May 29, 2012, he won 9,485 (67 percent) to 4,677 (33 percent) for his fellow Republican Dwayne Stovall, a businessman from Cleveland. On March 4, 2014, Stovall was a third-place primary candidate for the Republican nomination for the United States Senate seat held by John Cornyn. U.S. Representative Steve Stockman of Texas's 36th congressional district, which includes Liberty County, finished second in the balloting, but Cornyn easily won nomination to his third term with more than 59 percent of the votes cast.
Otto is vice chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and sits as well on the Appropriations and Conference committees. In 2005, he was named "Freshman of the Year" by the House Republican Caucus, "Rookie of the Year" by Texas Monthly magazine, and "Most Valuable Freshman" by Capitol Inside. In 2008, as the chairman of the House Select Committee on Property Tax Relief and Appraisal Reform, Otto worked to secure passage of property tax reforms. For this endeavor he earned the "Legislative Achievement Award" from the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association. Otto is a member of the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
In the Republican primary held on March 4, 2014, Otto defeated Terry Holcomb, 8,547 (62 percent) to 5,275 (38 percent).