Matt Shaheen

Last updated

Matt Shaheen
Member of the TexasHouseofRepresentatives
from the 66th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 13, 2015
Website Campaign website

Matthew Frank Shaheen (born June 8, 1965) is an American politician serving as a member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 66th district. Elected in the November 2014, he assumed office in January 2015.

Contents

Early life and education

Shaheen was born in Virginia. [1] He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business economics from Randolph–Macon College and a Master of Arts in liberal arts from Southern Methodist University. [2]

Career

Shaheen worked as a business executive at Hewlett Packard Enterprise.

Political career

He was also a member of the Collin County Board of Commissioners. [3] On December 2, 2013, Shaheen resigned from his seat on the commissioners court to run for the Texas House of Representatives, replacing Van Taylor who decided to run for the Texas Senate. Shaheen cited a desire to keep Texas business friendly and a good place to raise a family the reason to run for higher office. [4]

Shaheen was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in November 2014 and assumed office in January 2015. During the 2019–2020 legislative session, Shaheen was the vice chair of the House Urban Affairs Committee. Shaheen is the founder of the Texas Freedom Caucus, a legislative caucus in the Texas House modeled after the Freedom Caucus. [5]

During the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries, Shaheen endorsed Senator Ted Cruz. [6]

Shaheen was viewed as a possible candidate for the Texas Senate in 2018, but opted to seek re-election to the House instead. [7]

Along with the other Republican representatives from Collin County, Shaheen voted to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton. [8]

Shaheen supports a ban on Democrats being given committee chairmanships as long as the Republicans hold the majority of seats in the Texas House. [9]

During the 2025 special session of the 89th Texas Legislature, Shaheen filed the house version of a bill to grant the Attorney General of Texas to independently prosecute election crimes without waiting to be invited by a local district attorney, a priority for Attorney General Ken Paxton. [10] He also filed a bill banning any state lawmaker who is absent for the purposes of impeding legislative action from accepting campaign contributions greater than $221, the daily per diem during a regular or special session. According to Shaheen, "members cannot financially benefit from quorum breaking absences." This was in response to the quorum break by Texas House Democrats to unsuccessfully prevent the GOP from passing a new congressional map giving Republicans a five-seat advantage in the 2026 midterm elections. [11]

Electoral history

Republican primary results, 2014
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Matt Shaheen 4,916 48.83
Republican Glenn Callison4,03140.04
Republican Stacy Chen1,12011.13
Total votes10,067 100.00
Republican primary runoff results, 2014
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Matt Shaheen 4,612 54.27
Republican Glenn Callison3,88645.73
Total votes8,498 100.00
Texas House of Representatives, District 66, 2014
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Matt Shaheen 24,631 100.00
Total votes24,631 100.00
Republican hold
Texas House of Representatives, District 66, 2016
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Matt Shaheen 40,368 57.39
Democratic Gnanse Nelson27,24038.73
Libertarian Shawn W. Jones2,7263.88
Total votes70,334 100.00
Republican hold
Texas House of Representatives, District 66, 2018
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Matt Shaheen 34,382 50.29
Democratic Sharon Hirsch33,99149.71
Total votes68,373 100.00
Republican hold
Texas House of Representatives, District 66, 2020
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Matt Shaheen 42,728 49.56
Democratic Sharon Hirsch41,87948.58
Libertarian Shawn W. Jones1,6001.86
Total votes86,207 100.00
Republican hold

References

  1. ↑ "Matt Shaheen's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Rep. Matt Shaheen − profile". Texas State Directory Online. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Rep. Shaheen, Matt District 66". Texas House of Representatives. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  4. ↑ Conrad, Bill (December 2, 2013). "Shaheen formally announces bid for state House". Plano Star-Courier . Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Matt Shaheen". Ballotpedia. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Press Release − 41 Texas Lawmakers Endorse Cruz for President". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  7. ↑ Svitek, Patrick (August 18, 2017). "State Rep. Matt Shaheen passes on Texas Senate run". The Eagle. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Ken Paxton's impeachment hints at shaky support in Collin County, his longtime base of power". Texas Tribune . June 5, 2023. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  9. ↑ Johnson, Brad. The Back Mic: Legislators Opposed to Democratic Chairs Listed, Rep. Moody Quells DA Appointment Rumors, House Rules Discussed, The Texan, December 9, 2022.
  10. ↑ Klibanoff, Eleanor (July 30, 2025). "Texas Senate once again tries to give the attorney general authority to prosecute election crimes". Texas Tribune . Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  11. ↑ Torres, Aaron (September 2, 2025). "Texas House passes bill banning lawmakers from fundraising during quorum break". Dallas Morning News . Retrieved September 26, 2025.
Texas House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the
Texas House of Representatives
from the 66th district
2015–present		Incumbent


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