Longtime Travis County Commissioner Ron Davis Dead At 75

AUSTIN, TX — Longtime Travis County Commissioners Court member Ron Davis died Tuesday, according to reports. He was 75.

Davis was first elected to represent Precinct 1 encompassing the northeastern portion of Travis County in 1998. Last year, he succeeded Sam Biscoe who emerged from retirement to serve as interim county judge after former Judge Sarah Eckhardt resigned to run for a Texas Senate seat she ultimately won.

Tributes began pouring in as news of Davis's death spread. Among those reacting to the news was Mayor Pro-Tem Natasha Harper-Madison, who represents District 1 on the Austin City Council. Her district covers the same part of the city for which Davis long advocated, and the area where Harper-Madison was born and reared.

"Absolutely heartbreaking news," Harper-Madison wrote on Twitter. "Commissioner Davis was a force of nature when it came to advocating for communities in the Eastern Crescent. When it comes to fighting for environmental justice, I'll always look to his tireless service as the gold standard."

Travis County Commissioner Jeff Travillion also expressed condolences on Twitter:"Commissioner Davis spent decades fighting for the people of eastern Travis County, working to improve the quality of life in the Eastern Crescent. He was a trailblazer whose love for the Eastern Crescent was only surpassed by his love for his family. I offer my sincere condolences to Commissioner Davis' family and friends."

The cause of death was a heart attack, the Austin American-Statesman reported.