Mike Conaway

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Mike Conaway

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 11th district
In office 2005-present
Preceded by	Chet Edwards
Succeeded by	Incumbent

Born	June 11, 1948 (age 58) Borger, Texas
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Suzanne Conaway
Religion	Southern Baptist

K. Michael Conaway, usually known as Mike Conaway, is a Republican from Texas who represents that state's 11th Congressional district (map). The district is located in West Texas and includes Midland, Odessa, San Angelo, and Brownwood.

He was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2004. He was born June 11, 1948, in Borger, Texas, though he calls Midland, Texas home. He is a 1970 graduate of East Texas State University (now Texas A&M University-Commerce). He is married to Suzanne Conaway and has four children.

Prior to his election to the United States Congress, Conaway served in the United States Army from 1970 to 1972,^[1] was an accountant, a chief financial officer at a bank and at an oil and gas exploration firm operated by George W. Bush. From 1981 until 1986, Conaway was the chief financial officer of Bush's failed Arbusto Energy Inc. He has long been friends with Bush, and the two mixed in many of the same social circles in Midland. He also served on the Midland Independent School District Board from 1985-1988.

Soon after Bush was elected governor of Texas, he appointed Conaway to the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy, which regulates accountancy in Texas. He served on the board as a volunteer for seven years, the last five as chairman.

His first run for elective office came in 2003, when he ran in a special election for the 19th Congressional District, which came open after 18-year Republican incumbent Larry Combest stepped down shortly after winning a 10th term. Conaway lost by 587 votes to fellow Republican Randy Neugebauer. A few months later, the Texas Legislature redrew the state's districts in an effort engineered by then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. Three brand-new districts were created, one of them being the 11th, which was based in Midland. Previously, Midland had been part of the Lubbock-based 19th District. DeLay was particularly keen to draw a district based in Midland, Odessa and the oil-rich Permian Basin in part because Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick was from that area. It was an open secret that the district was drawn for Conaway. This district is heavily Republican--by some accounts, the most Republican district in Texas--and the race was essentially over when Conaway announced his candidacy. He won in November with 77 percent of the vote, one of the largest percentages by anyone facing major-party opposition. He was reelected unopposed in 2006.