HD83: Snyder actress and transgender activist Addy Perry-Franks established a campaign committee for a potential challenge of Rep. Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) as a Democrat.
CD16: El Paso substitute teacher Jorge Artalejo established a campaign committee for a potential primary challenge of U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-El Paso). Artalejo received less than 1% of the vote in the 2013 and 2017 El Paso mayoral elections. He received 3% of the vote in a 2011 race for city council D8. He received 14% of the vote in a 2010 race for El Paso Co. Democratic Party chair. In 2008, he received just under 20% of the vote in the Democratic primary against then-U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-El Paso). He formed a campaign committee for a 2006 race against Reyes but did not appear on the ballot. He received 4% of the vote in the 1992 Democratic primary for CD16.
CD18: Houston resident Jerry Ford Sr. established a campaign committee for a potential primary challenge of U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Houston), making him at least the fourth person to take a formal step toward a primary challenge.
CD32: Dallas police officer Tre Pennie amended his campaign committee for a potential challenge of U.S. Rep. Colin Allred (D-Dallas) as a Republican. Last week, Pennie formed a committee for a challenge of Jackson Lee using a Houston address.
Judicial Elections: The Senate approved legislation that would establish a Texas Commission on Judicial Selection and require an interim study on the method by which certain trial and appellate judges are selected. House Bill 3040 by Rep. Todd Hunter (R-Corpus Christi) would abolish the commission after it issues its report by December 31, 2020. Texas is one of five states that initially selects its district and appellate judges by partisan election and then requires them to seek re-election in partisan elections, joining Alabama, Louisiana, New Mexico and Pennsylvania. Five other states – Indiana, Kansas, New York, North Carolina and Tennessee – elect and re-elect some of their judges through partisan elections. Illinois initially elects its judges through partisan elections, but they face retention elections to remain on the bench.
Paper Trails: The Senate amended provisions of Senate Bill 9 related to requiring electronic voting machines to have paper backups onto House Bill 2909 by Rep. Stephanie Klick (R-Haltom City), an election “clean up” bill. Those provisions were stripped out of Senate Bill 9 by Klick’s committee last week.
San Antonio: The Texas Organizing Project endorsed Mayor Ron Nirenberg.
©2019 Texas Election Source LLC
