Scott Sanford

Background

A native Texan, Sanford graduated from Southern Baptist-affiliated Baylor University in Waco, with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a master's degree in Taxation. Formerly with Ernst & Young, Sanford has his own CPA business. Since 1997, he has also been the executive pastor of the Cottonwood Creek Baptist Church in Allen, Texas, formerly the First Baptist Church of Fairview. Cottonwood moved into its current facility in 2002.

Sanford and his wife, Shelly Lee Sanford (born c. 1964), have two children, Ryan and Lauren.

Political life

When Ken Paxton, a candidate for state attorney general in the May 27, 2014 runoff election, left the House District 70 seat in 2012 to run successfully for the District 8 seat in the Texas State Senate vacated by another Republican, Florence Shapiro, two Republicans with backgrounds in the ministry, Scott Sanford of McKinney and Bracy M. Wilson (born c. 1974) of Frisco, filed to run for the open seat. Wilson, a graduate of Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie, Texas, is engaged in providing consulting and support services for charter schools. His Bracy Wilson Ministries, Inc., is a non-profit organization that serves children with autism. Sanford handily outpolled Wilson, 6,018 votes (60.6 percent) to 3,909 (39.4 percent). Sanford was then unopposed in the general election held on November 6, 2012.

Sanford is a member of the House committees on (1) Human Services and (2) Urban Affairs.

Legislative positions

In 2013, Sanford supported the ban on abortion after twenty weeks of gestation; the measure passed the House, 96-49. He co-sponsored companion legislation to increase medical and licensing requirements of abortion providers. These issues brought forth an unsuccessful filibuster in the Texas State Senate from Wendy R. Davis of Fort Worth, who in 2014 is the Democratic nominee for governor. The Texas Right to Life Committee rated Sanford 78 percent favorable on pro-life issues.

Sanford voted against the bill to establish a taxpayer-funded breakfast program for public schools; the measure passed the House, 73-58. He co-sponsored legislation to provide marshals for school security as a separate law-enforcement entity. He also co-sponsored the extension of the franchise tax exemption to certain businesses. He voted against the adoption of the biennium state budget. He voted against the bill to prohibit texting while driving; the legislation passed the House, 97-45. Sanford voted to require testing for narcotics of those receiving unemployment compensation. He voted against the "equal pay for women" measure, which nevertheless passed the House, 78-61.

Sanford sponsored the measure to forbid the state from engaging in the enforcement of federal regulations of firearms. He similarly sponsored legislation to allow college and university officials to carry concealed weapons in buildings and vehicles in the name of campus security. He supported legislation to reduce the time required to obtain a concealed-carry permit. He backed the redistricting bills for the state House, the state Senate, and the United States House of Representatives. Sanford voted against term limits for certain state officials.

Interest group ratings

In 2013, Sanford's rating from Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum, managed in Texas by Cathie Adams, a former state chairman of the Texas Republican Party, was 98 percent favorable, one of the highest scores given by the organization to conservative legislators. The Young Conservatives of Texas ranked him 83 percent. The Texas League of Conservation Voters scored him 46 percent. Another interest group, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, founded by Michael Quinn Sullivan, rated him 98 percent favorable. The Texas Association of Business scored him 87 percent favorable. The National Rifle Association rated him 92 percent.