Deployment To The Middle East
Isett is a commissioned officer in the United States Naval Reserve: a commander attached to Commander Logistics Western Pacific. In October 2006, he returned home from deployment in Kuwait and Iraq. His former wife Cherie served as his legislative proxy while he was away, a procedure allowed in Texas. Similarly, a colleague, Frank Corte, Jr., a Republican from San Antonio, also designated his wife, Valerie Ryder Corte, as his legislative proxy while Corte served in 2006 in the Iraq War.
A month after returning from the Middle East, Isett in 2006 won his sixth term in the state House. He received 15,751 votes (66.1 percent) to 8,068 (33.9 percent) for his Democratic opponent, the Lubbock educator Pearlie Mayfield (born August 24, 1952). Isett was unopposed in 2008, as Republicans again prevailed in Lubbock County.
Former Speaker Tom Craddick said that Isett's sudden retirement is "a real loss for West Texas, and more so for the Legislature." Isett's expertise regarding finance and spending will be missed, Craddick added. Though Isett rarely spoke on the House floor, Craddick explained: "When he did get up to say something, people listened, because they knew he was informed on the issues. . . . A lot of people really listened to what he had to say. That's what you need when you're a legislator; you need a following by the other members if you're ever going to accomplish anything."
In the 2010 primary, two Republicans were headed to a runoff election on April 13, 2010, to fill Isett's seat. Mark Griffin (born July 27, 1954) led the three-candidate field with 5,652 votes (48.7 percent) and faced John Frullo (born August 1, 1962), who received 4,992 votes (43 percent). The third candidate, Ysidro Gutierrez, a former Democratic member of the Lubbock County commissoner's court, polled the remaining but critical 952 votes (8 percent). Turnout on primary day was so small that the majority of the ballots were cast during early voting. In the runoff election, Frullo, endorsed by Gutierrez, defeated Griffin, a former Texas Tech regent who carried the backing of State Senator Robert L. Duncan. Frullo then handily defeated Democrat Carol Morgan, a retired Lubbock educator, in the special election and general election.
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