Austin-Senator Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, kicked off his campaign for reelection to Senate District 24 with the second round of stops that will take him to all regions of his Senate district after filing official paperwork in Austin declaring his candidacy.

“The challenges of the next legislative session will be greater than ever before, “Fraser said. “The residents of West and Central Texas deserve a strong voice and a steady hand in the Senate. My experience in Austin puts me in a position to help. I’d like to serve another term, and I’m asking voters for their support.”

“Senate District 24 is both a rural and urban district that stretches from Abilene through the Texas Hill Country and the Highland Lakes all the way to the Killeen-Temple area,” Fraser said. ‘I think my conservative view of government is very compatible with the residents of the district.”

Fraser was first elected to the Senate in 1996 and re-elected in 2000, 2002, and 2004. He serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Business and commerce, which handles legislation relating to telecommunications, electricity, insurance and banking, as well as business regulation and licensing.

“As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Business and Commerce, I recognize that economic development and job creation are the most important issues facing a community,” said Fraser. “I want to continue to use my leadership role in 2009 to fight for the interests of this district so that we continue to grow.”

Fraser also is a member of the Senate Committees on Finance, State Affairs and International Relations & Trade.

In 2006, Fraser was named the top Legislator in the nation by the American Legislative Exchange Council, and association for state legislators, as a result of landmark legislation passed in the areas of telecommunications, electricity deregulation, renewable energy development and property insurance reform.

“As a state senator, my goal is to do my best for not only my constituents but also for the State of Texas,” said Fraser. “To have those efforts recognized nationally is a gratifying acknowledgment of that work.”

In 2003, he was honored as the State Official of the Year by the National Association of Home Builders. He also was recognized in 2003 by Texans for Lawsuit Reform for his contributions to civil justice reform in Texas. In 2004, Fraser was honored by the Association of the United States Army for his exceptional service in support of national defense.

Prior to his election to the Senate, Fraser served three terms in the Texas House of Representatives, from 1988 to 1992. As a member of the Texas House, Fraser was named the 1991 National Republican Legislator of the Year and honored by the Texas State Chamber for his work as cosponsor of the 1989 workers’ compensation reform legislation. He was also named a “Top Ten” conservative legislator by a coalition representing more than 300,000 conservative activists.

Fraser is a longtime business, civic and Republican Party leader. He has served as a chamber of commerce president and as Chairman of the Economic Development Council. He also has been a Little League coach, Rotary president, and was chosen Lions Club Man of the Year.

Fraser is the founder and former chief development officer of Pal-Ex, Inc., an international, publicly traded company and the nation’s largest manufacturer of wooden pallets. Pal-Ex’s predecessor, Fraser Industries, was started by the Fraser family as a small backyard operation in West Texas, and eventually expanded to one of the largest businesses of its kind in the nation.

“As a former business owner and resident of a small town, I understand what it takes to be successful,” said Fraser. “I want to use that knowledge to benefit the residents of District 24 as we debate legislation in the Texas Senate.”

Born August 10, 1949, in Abilene, Fraser was raised in the small West Texas town of Coahoma. He attended Angelo State University and the University of Texas at Arlington. He has been married to his wife, the former Linda Cochran, for 38 years. They have three children and three grandchildren.

Senate District 24 is comprised of 21 counties: Bell, Blanco, Brown, Burnet, Callahan, Coleman, Comanche, Eastland, Erath, Gillespie, Hamilton, Kerr, Kimble, Lampasas, Llano, Mason, McCulloch, Menard, Mills, San Saba, and Taylor.