Chamber	District	Dates of Service	Legislatures	Party	City/County	Counties in District
H	70	Jan 9, 2001 - Jan 14, 2003	77th	Democrat	Knox City / Knox	Borden, Fisher, Garza, Howard, Jones, Kent, King, Knox, Lynn, Nolan, Scurry, Stonewall
H	70	Jan 12, 1999 - Jan 9, 2001	76th	Democrat	Knox City / Knox	Borden, Fisher, Garza, Howard, Jones, Kent, King, Knox, Lynn, Nolan, Scurry, Stonewall
H	70	Jan 14, 1997 - Jan 12, 1999	75th	Democrat	Knox City / Knox	Borden, Fisher, Garza, Howard, Jones, Kent, King, Knox, Lynn, Nolan, Scurry, Stonewall
H	70	Jan 10, 1995 - Jan 14, 1997	74th	Democrat	Knox City / Knox	Borden, Fisher, Garza, Howard, Jones, Kent, King, Knox, Lynn, Nolan, Scurry, Stonewall
H	70	Jan 12, 1993 - Jan 10, 1995	73rd	Democrat	Knox City / Knox	Borden, Fisher, Garza, Howard, Jones, Kent, King, Knox, Lynn, Nolan, Scurry, Stonewall
H	78	Jan 8, 1991 - Jan 12, 1993	72nd	Democrat	Knox City / Knox	Cottle, Fisher, Garza, Jones, Kent, King, Knox, Lynn, Nolan, Scurry, Stonewall, Taylor
H	78	Jan 10, 1989 - Jan 8, 1991	71st	Democrat	Knox City / Knox	Cottle, Fisher, Garza, Jones, Kent, King, Knox, Lynn, Nolan, Scurry, Stonewall, Taylor
H	78	Nov 29, 1988 - Jan 10, 1989	70th ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾	Democrat	Knox City / Knox	Cottle, Fisher, Garza, Jones, Kent, King, Knox, Lynn, Nolan, Scurry, Stonewall, Taylor

(1) In Senate, Steven Carriker, in special election 8/13/1988, sworn 8/25/1988, succeeded K. Ray Farabee, resigned 3/4/1988. Carriker's first Senate session was 71st Regular. In House, David Counts, in special election 11/8/1988, sworn 11/29/1988, succeeded Steven A. Carriker, elected to Senate 8/13/1988. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(2) Sworn 11/29/1988. Oaths of Office.

Biographical Notes and Resources top

Selected Newspaper articles

Resolutions and Journal entries

71st Legislature, 1st C.S., HR 141. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
72nd Legislature, 3rd C.S., HR 51. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
72nd Legislature, 4th C.S., HR 35, honoring the members of the House of Representatives who have served in the military forces of the United States. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
76th Legislature, R.S., HR 913, commemorating Armed Forces Day 1999 and honoring the members of the Texas House of Representatives who are military veterans. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
81st Legislature, R.S., HR 282. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.

Biographical Sketches

Photo and biographical sketch, p. 4, Winter 2006. Texas Mason.

Military Service Notes

National Guard, Captain. 72nd Legislature, 4th C.S., HR 35. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
Texas Army National Guard, Colonel (Retired). "A graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Mr. Counts joined the Texas Army National Guard and retired as a colonel after more than three decades of service," 81st Legislature, R.S., HR 282; 76th Legislature, R.S., HR 913. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary

Other Resources

Obituary, Walter David Counts Jr., born 7/14/1936, died 8/18/2023. Smith Family Funeral Homes.
Notice of death (updated), 8/21/2023. Speaker of the House.
Counts, Walter David. Texas State Cemetery.

Texas Monthly's Best and Worst Legislators

Named one of 'The Worst'. Best and Worst Legislators 1993.

Photographs

Photograph. David Counts, 77th Legislature, Members of the 77th Legislature Texas House of Representatives (CD-RW)
Photograph. David Counts, 77th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. David Counts, 76th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. David Counts, 75th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. David Counts, 74th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. David Counts, 73rd Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. David Counts, 71st Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph, Flip Book Photographs: Texas House of Representatives, 74th Legislature, 1995.

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

70th session composite photo of House members (Ground floor corridor, east wall. GW.L1). State Preservation Board.
71st session composite photo of House members (Ground floor corridor, east wall. GW.L1). State Preservation Board.
72nd session composite photo of House members (Ground floor corridor, north wall. GW.C1). State Preservation Board.
73rd session composite photo of House members (Ground floor corridor, north wall. GW.C1). State Preservation Board.
74th session composite photo of House members (Ground floor corridor, north wall. GW.C1). State Preservation Board.
75th session composite photo of House members (Ground floor corridor, north wall. GW.C1). State Preservation Board.
76th session composite photo of House members (Ground floor corridor, north wall. GW.C1). State Preservation Board.
77th session composite photo of House members (Ground floor corridor, north wall. GW.C1). State Preservation Board.

Committee Information top

77th R.S. - 2001 Electric Utility Restructuring, Legislative Oversight Natural Resources (Chair) Redistricting State Affairs State Bond Revenues, Select Water Resources (Co-Chair)
76th R.S. - 1999 Electric Utility Restructuring, Legislative Oversight Natural Resources (Chair) Redistricting Rural Development, Select State Affairs
75th R.S. - 1997 Natural Resources (Chair) State Affairs Water Resources Development and Management, Interim
74th R.S. - 1995 Insurance Military and Veterans Affairs, Select Natural Resources (Chair) TNRCC Funding, House Joint (Co-Chair)
73rd R.S. - 1993 Insurance Natural Resources (Chair) Qualified Providers, Interim (Co-Chair) Rate and Policy Form Regulation, Select Redistricting
72nd R.S. - 1991 Appropriations Insurance Insurance Subcommittee on Budget and Oversight (Chair)
71st R.S. - 1989 Auto Theft and Uninsured Motorists, Special (Chair) Elections Human Services Insurance Insurance Regulation, Special Insurance Subcommittee on Budget and Oversight

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