Senate State Affairs: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick appointed Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston) as chair and Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) as vice chair of the Committee on State Affairs, the committee with jurisdiction over election matters. Huffman chaired the committee in 2015 and has served on State Affairs since 2011. Patrick appointed Sens. Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury), Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), Craig Estes (R-Wichita Falls), Eddie Lucio Jr. (D-Brownsville), Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound), Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown) and Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo) to the committee. All are returning to the committee except Lucio.
Ethics Commission: Seana Willing is the new executive director of the Texas Ethics Commission. She has served in the same capacity at the State Commission on Judicial Conduct since 2003.
Corpus Christi: Mayor Dan McQueen has resigned just 37 days into his term. Announcing his decision in a Facebook post, McQueen said, “I step down from my position as Mayor, in order to allow the council and city to regain their focus on success.” McQueen, an Army veteran and engineer, defeated incumbent Mayor Nelda Martinez, 55%-45%, in the November general election. It was a rematch of the 2014 contest. Council member Joe McComb will be acting mayor, assuming McQueen’s resignation is accepted by the city council. Former council members Chad Magill and Mark Scott are planning to run for the special election to fill McQueen’s unexpired term.
