Filing for a place on the 2018 continues until 6 p.m. local time on December 11. Please see our Crib Sheets for candidates’ filing status.
SC2: Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced he would appoint his general counsel Jimmy Blacklock to succeed Justice Don Willett (R) upon his expected Senate confirmation. Willett, whose nomination to the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is pending, is up for re-election in 2018. Former Rep. Rick Green (R-Dripping Springs) is campaigning for the seat. Abbott said he would support Blacklock’s bid for a full term.
Former Rep. Rick Green (R-Dripping Springs) has been campaigning for the seat, assuming Willett’s confirmation, but withdrew following Abbott’s announcement. “I’ll be supporting Jimmy Blacklock,” Green said in a Facebook post. “It’s a win/win because the seat will remain conservative AND I get to continue growing the conservative movement” [emphasis his]. Green said he considered running for the open HD45 seat, but “I just couldn’t get peace that it was where God wanted us.”
HD8 open: Streetman college dean Linda Timmerman announced she would run for the seat being vacated by Rep. Byron Cook (R-Corsicana) as a Republican. Timmerman was appointed by former Gov. Rick Perry to help oversee the Dept. of Family Protective Services and twice to the board of the Trinity River Authority. We previously reported that she was considering the race and established a campaign committee.
HD45 open: Cypress Mill oil and gas business owner Amber Pearce filed for the seat being vacated by Rep. Jason Isaac (R-Dripping Springs) as a Republican. Her campaign team includes Cody Davis, a former political director of the state Republican Party, and John Drogin, who previously managed the U.S. Senate campaign of Ted Cruz (R) and was recently hired as the state party’s senior political advisor. We previously reported that Pearce had established a campaign committee for the race.
HD109: We are not aware of any news from Rep. Helen Giddings (D-Dallas) regarding her plans for 2018. Yesterday, she indicated she would release a statement today.
HD116: Former Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer (D-San Antonio) indicated in a press advisory that his December 2 “special announcement” would take place in the “heart of District 116.” He is widely believed to be preparing to run for his former seat against his successor, Rep. Diana Arévalo (D-San Antonio), who defeated Martinez Fischer’s endorsed candidate in the 2016 Democratic primary.
HD124: San Antonio accountant and 2016 Democratic primary candidate Sergio Contreras said in a Facebook post that he was “seriously thinking about jumping into the representative race again.” Contreras lost that primary to Rep. Ina Minjarez (D-San Antonio), 71%-29%.
Wichita Falls: Early voting is underway for the December 9 runoff election for an at-large council position. Bobby Whitely received 49%, just missing an outright win, in the general election. Penny Miller finished second with 22%.
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