Two Texas politicians are reported to be in the running to become the next Texas Tech University (TTU) System chancellor.
U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington from Lubbock and state Sen. Brandon Creighton from Conroe are in the list of candidates though TTU spokesperson Kristina Butler declined to confirm or release additional information about the finalists other than to say the board has developed a pool of potentials rather than hire a search firm.
Arrington, a Republican who was first elected to Congress in 2016, is among the most powerful Texans in Congress. A fiscal hawk who advocates for steep federal spending cuts, Arrington is poised to lead the effort for a second Republican budget reconciliation bill if he remains in Congress. His candidacy for the Texas Tech job was first reported by Punchbowl News.
Concerning the selection of chancellor for TTU leadership, Arrington said, “As a proud Red Raider, former Texas Tech Vice Chancellor and lifelong West Texan, I can tell you unequivocally and from experience: the same thing that makes West Texas the best place on earth is what makes Texas Tech the greatest university system in all the land — our people and our values. I’m confident Chairman [Cody] Campbell and the Regents will select the right person to lead the Texas Tech University System.”
Arrington received his bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration from Texas Tech in the 1990s, and went on to work for George W. Bush when he was governor and then as a senior adviser in the Bush White House. He later returned to Texas Tech, first as the university system’s chief of staff in 2006 and then as the vice chancellor for research and commercialization in 2011. Creighton, a staunch conservative with close ties to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, has served in the Texas Senate since 2014.
In a statement to the Texas Tribune, Creighton said, “Out of respect for the process, I will not comment on the important decisions the Texas Tech Regents have ahead of them. What I can say is that the Texas Tech University System is the tip of the spear for the future of higher education, both in academics and athletics. The nation will soon better understand the solutions and innovations that will come from these efforts as Texas Tech’s potential is truly unmatched.”
Creighton currently chairs the Senate Education K-16 committee and has carried major public and higher education legislation in the upper chamber in recent years, including the state’s newly approved school voucher program, the ban on diversity, equity and inclusion programs and offices in Texas public colleges and universities, and legislation that increases state oversight of public universities while eroding faculty’s influence on campuses.
He was also instrumental in passing legislation that allowed college athletes to receive compensation for their name, image, and likeness in 2021. This year, he carried legislation allows universities to directly pay players.
Before he was elected to the State Senate, Creighton served for seven years in the Texas House of Representatives. If selected for the Texas Tech position, he would be new to Raider country. Creighton is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and earned his law degree from Oklahoma City University.