Amarillo College Regent John Betancourt is running to be the Panhandle’s next state senator.

This week, Betancourt announced that he will be challenging Sen. Kevin Sparks (R-Midland) for his Texas Senate seat in 2025. Betancourt, a family service manager for Dignity Memorial, is a member of the Amarillo College Board of Regents, and previously served on the Amarillo Independent School District Board of Trustees.

Betancourt previously ran as a Democrat for the State Board of Education in 2020, losing to Republican Jay Johnson.

Betancourt has confirmed to The Amarillo Pioneer that he will be seeking the nomination of the Democratic Party.

Sparks, a Midland energy businessman, won a four-way primary in 2022 to replace Sen. Kel Seliger as the state senator for the Texas Panhandle and West Texas. In that election, Sparks was endorsed by President Donald Trump.