Correction: In yesterday’s post, we overlooked the fact that 2014 Libertarian gubernatorial nominee Kathie Glass also visited all 254 of the state’s counties during her campaign. We regret the error and have updated that post.
Early voting concludes tomorrow (Tuesday) for June 16 runoff elections.
CD27 open: Early voting for the June 30 special election begins on Wednesday to fill the unexpired term of former U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Corpus Christi), who resigned amid a congressional ethics probe. In addition to general election nominees Michael Cloud (R), Eric Holguin (D) and Daniel Tinus (L), six other candidates filed:
- Roy Barrera (D), a Corpus Christi security officer who lost the Democratic runoff to Holguin, 62%-38%
- Bech Bruun (R), a former Texas Water Development Board chair who lost the Republican runoff to Cloud, 61%-39%, and is not campaigning for this election
- Judith Cutright (I), a Corpus Christi communications consultant
- Marty Perez (R), a Corpus Christi physician
- Chris Suprun (I), a Dallas paramedic and “rogue elector” who flirted with a run for CD32; and
- Mike Westergren (D), a Corpus Christi attorney who unsuccessfully ran for the state Supreme Court in 2016.
Cutright, Perez, Suprun and Westergren could conceivably still become write-in candidates for the general election. A runoff is likely, and it would occur in September, which gives the winner either a three-month seniority boost over the rest of the incoming freshman class or a three-month term.
Campaign finance reports are due June 18, covering contributions received and expenditures made beginning either May 2 for runoff participants or April 1 for everyone else and June 10.
Kleberg Co.: Former Democratic justice of the peace candidate Ofie Gutierrez is contesting his 6-vote runoff loss to longtime incumbent Cheque De La Paz, alleging more than six votes were cast by voters who live outside the precinct and that eligible voters were prevented from voting.
McAllen ISD: The school board voted unanimously to call a special tax ratification special election for September 8. Early voting will begin August 22.
Voter Interest: A national NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds that Hispanic/Latino voters are “significantly less engaged now than they were during the 2006 election” and young voters have the lowest interest in the mid-term elections. Just 43% of Hispanic/Latino voters and 30% of young voters have “high interest” in the November general election, the lowest of any groups specifically identified by the poll. Seniors (67%) and Democratic women (65%) were, as a group, the most interested in the election. However, only 900 registered voters nationwide were contacted, so the margin of error for individual groups is well above the poll’s overall stated margin of error of ±3.3%.
©2018 Texas Election Source LLC
