SC6: Justice Jane Bland (R) was sworn in today (Wednesday) to succeed former Justice Jeff Brown (R), who was sworn in as a federal district judge. Bland must face the voters in 2020 to serve the remaining four years of Brown’s term.

HD132: Former two-term Rep. Mike Schofield (R-Katy) is expected to announce soon that he will seek a a rematch against Rep. Gina Calanni (D-Katy). She ousted Schofield by 113 votes in 2018.

SEN: M.J. Hegar is the only Democratic candidate polling in double digits (11%) in a new Univ. of Texas/Texas Tribune poll. Two out of three respondents either “haven’t thought about it enough” or don’t know who they will support in the Democratic primary. Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) is second at 5%, within the margin of error of five other named candidates (12% collectively) and “someone else” (3%). Only about one if five respondents have “heard of” Hegar, West and former U.S. Rep. Chris Bell (D-Houston). Others were less known.

CD12: Decatur resident Lisa Renea Welch established a campaign committee for a potential challenge of U.S. Rep. Kay Granger (R-Fort Worth) as a Democrat.

CD20: San Antonio real estate agent Dominick Dina established a campaign committee for a potential challenge of U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-San Antonio) as a Republican.

PRES: A pair of new polls produce very similar results for the Democratic primary in Texas. A new Univ. of Texas/Texas Tribune poll of “Democratic voters” shows Joe Biden (26%), Elizabeth Warren (18%), former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke (14%) and Bernie Sanders (12%) leading the field. Kamala Harris is fifth at 5%, followed by Pete Buttigieg (4%), Julián Castro (3%) and everyone else. Meanwhile, a new Quinnipiac Univ. poll shows Biden (28%), Warren (18%), O’Rourke (12%) and Sanders (12%) leading the Democratic field among “Democratic voters and independent voters who lean Democratic.” Kamala Harris is fifth at 5%, and no other candidate is above 3%.

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