John Frullo made the run-off for State Representative HD-84 in the Lubbock area. The first place finisher was business-man, and Texas Tech regent Mark Griffin. Frullo was a complete political unknown. But he represents a growing hard right insurgency. He owns a print shop. His campaign signs simply read "Frullo for State Representative; Conservative Republican."

From the Texas Tribune, April 5:

The contest shares one important characteristic with the adjacent race in HD-83: It pits inside-the-tent Lubbock Republicans against a coalition of social and libertarian conservatives who are distinctly unhappy with government in Washington and Texas. In that frame, Frullo's the insurgent and Griffin represents the establishment.

"I feel a little like Don King," jokes Chris Winn, chairman of Lubbock County's GOP, but he downplays the ideological splits. "In Lubbock, what you have are people who espouse limited government, freedom and liberty. Those values have been the cornerstone of the Republican Party back as far as Goldwater and Reagan," he says.

"What it comes down to right now are which individuals show they are experienced to work in Austin for what's best for Lubbock," Winn says.

Griffin was a backer of Kay B. Hutchison for Governor. Frullo has Gov Rick Perry on his campaign website. Though, Perry has not made any official endorsements in the race.

Notably, Frullo has the endorsements from the Young Conservatives of Texas (Rand Paul was Chairman of this group for many years in the 1980s), and the libertarian-leaning Empower Texas.

Reached by Libertarian Republican, Frullo had this to say:

I want to thank everyone who has supported my campaign in the pursuit of smaller government. I believe that individual freedom is the cornerstone of our government and I want to do my best to defend it.