Mark Keough

Mark James Keough (born September 30, 1953) is a businessman and a Christian pastor, radio host, and educator from The Woodlands, Texas, who has been serving as the Montgomery County County Judge[lower-alpha 1] since January 2019. He previously served as a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 15 in suburban Montgomery County north of Houston. On May 31, 2017, Keough announced that he would not be running for re-election in 2018 to the Texas House but would instead contest the office of County Judge. On November 6, 2018, Keough defeated Democrat Jay Stittleburg by a three-to-one margin.[1]

Mark James Keough
County Judge, Montgomery County, Texas
Incumbent
Assumed office 2019
Preceded by	Craig Doyal
Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 15th district
In office January 13, 2015 – January 8, 2019
Preceded by	Steve Toth
Succeeded by	Steve Toth
Personal details
Born	September 30, 1953 Place of birth missing
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Kimberly Sparks Keough
Children	Four children
Residence	The Woodlands, Texas
Alma mater	Cedarville University Dallas Theological Seminary Grace Theological Seminary
Occupation	Christian pastor, radio host, educator Automobile sales manager

Background

Keough received a bachelor's degree from Cedarville University, a private institution in Cedarville, Ohio. He obtained master's degrees from Dallas Theological Seminary and Grace Theological Seminary in Winona Lake, Indiana. He also attended the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio. For more than two decades, Keough was engaged in automobile sales, including fourteen years as the general sales manager of Northside Lexus in north Harris County. He left the automobile business to establish Mark Keough Ministries, which includes the Pathfinders Fellowship of The Woodlands. In addition to his continuing work as a pastor of The Woodlands Bible Church and radio host, he has been the headmaster of a private Christian school.[2]

Political life

Texas House district 15

On March 4, 2014, Keough won the Republican nomination to replace one-term Representative Steve Toth. Keough polled 57% of the vote against his intraparty opponent, Bruce Tough, who was the chairman of The Woodlands township board of directors, who received 43%.[3] Keough was then unopposed in the heavily Republican district in the November 4, 2014, general election.

Keough is a vocal opponent of separation of church and state, a concept that he does not find in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.[4]

In 2015, Keough introduced legislation to establish statewide victim-offender mediation for punishments with the goal of reducing recidivism in prisons. A member of the National Rifle Association, Keough opposed gun-free zones in schools and churches. He would allow licensed gun owners to carry weapons in such zones. Keough worked to repeal of margins taxes on small businesses. He worked to upgrade the penalties for the possession of child pornography from a third-degree to a second-degree felony. He proposed the abolition of sanctuary cities, those in which municipalities forbid the use of any local funds to enforce national immigration laws.[4]

Keough was unopposed in either the 2016 Republican primary or the 2016 general election, winning another two year term to the Texas legislature.[5]

Montgomery County Judge

Keough announced on May 31, 2017, he would not seek re-election to the Texas House but instead run against incumbent Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal.[6][7] Doyal and others in Montgomery County were indicted on June 24, 2016, on the charge of conspiring to circumvent the Texas Open Meetings Act.[6][7] Doyal has also been accused of misusing county funds to support his re-election and recording campaign videos in county offices in violation of state law.[6][8] Doyal also has multiple accusations of nepotism, conflicts of interest, and mismanagement pending against him. On March 6, 2018, Keough defeated Doyal in the Republican primary, 57% to 42%.[9] Keough defeated Democrat Jay Stittleburg in the general election held on November 6, 2018, 75% to 25%.[10][1]

Keough was sworn in as County Judge on January 2, 2019 and in the first court meeting after he took office he reduced his own salary by 12% as he promised to do during his election campaign.[11]

Personal life

Keough and his wife, the former Kimberly "Kim" Sparks, have four children.[12]

Note

1. In Texas, the position of county judge is a county's elected chief executive officer, not a judicial role.

Election results

2018 general election for Montgomery County, Texas County Judge

General election results, November 6, 2018[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Mark Keough	139,804	74.64
	Democratic	Jason "Jay" Stittleburg	47,499	25.36
Total votes			187,303	100

2018 Republican primary election for Montgomery County, Texas County Judge

Republican primary election results, March 6, 2018[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Mark Keough	27,245	57.85
	Republican	James C. "Craig" Doyal	19,852	42.15
Total votes			47,097	100

2014 general election for Texas 15th district state representative

Republican primary election results, March 4, 2014[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Mark Keough	8,292	57.39
	Republican	Bruce C. Tough	6,157	42.61
Total votes			14,449	100

References

1. Cumulative Report — Unofficial — Joint Election, Montgomery County, Texas, November 6, 2018.
2. "Pastor Mark Keough enters state race for District 15". yourhoustonnews.com. December 3, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
3. "Republican primary election returns, March 4, 2014". Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
4. "State Rep elect Keough offers legislative plan at Woodlands church". yourhoustonnews.com. October 22, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
5. "Race Summary Report: 2016 General Election". Texas Secretary of State. Austin, Texas. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
6. Svitek, Patrick (May 31, 2017). "State Rep. Mark Keough not running for re-election in 2018". Texas Tribune. Austin, Texas. Retrieved May 31, 2017. State Rep. Mark Keough, R-The Woodlands, is not running for re-election in 2018 and instead vying to become Montgomery County judge.
7. Dominguez, Catherine (May 31, 2017). "State Rep. Keough challenging Doyal for Montgomery County judge". Conroe Courier. Conroe, Texas. Retrieved May 31, 2017.
8. Yollick, Eric (May 30, 2017). ""Video-Gate": Doyal Should Face Consequences; Benchmarking Law Enforcement". The Golden Hammer. The Woodlands, Texas. Retrieved June 1, 2017. In May, 2017, Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal faces criminal charges for "abuse of power" (Section 39.02, Texas Penal Code) and for violating Texas Election Code Section 255.003. Doyal filmed a political advertisement in his official County Office.
9. Reed, Reagan. Keough announces bid for County Judge, Toth to run for old House seat, Empower Texans, June 1, 2017.
10. Dominguez, Catherine (August 23, 2017). "Democratic county judge candidate touts fiscally conservative views". The Courier of Montgomery County. Conroe, Texas. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
11. Dominguez, Catherine. New Montgomery County judge trims salary almost 12 percent, Houston Chronicle, January 8, 2019.
12. "Mark Keough's Biography". votesmart.org. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
13. Cumulative Report — Official Montgomery County, Texas — Joint Election — November 06, 2018
14. Republican Party Cumulative Report — Official — Montgomery County, Texas, March 6, 2018

External links

• Campaign website
• State legislative page
• Mark Keough at the Texas Tribune