Voter ID: The House gave final approval to Senate Bill 5, the Voter ID fix, by a party-line 93-55 vote. The bill goes back to the Senate for either concurrence or a request to appoint a conference committee.
LTGOV: Beaumont pastor Michael Cooper announced his candidacy for lieutenant governor at a local event and during a local morning television show appearance. Cooper said he was the first African-American to seek the post in the state’s history. We previously reported he had filed a campaign treasurer appointment but could not determine his party affiliation. Via Twitter, he told us he is running as a Democrat.
Cooper will face Mike Collier, the 2014 Democratic nominee for comptroller, who has previously announced his bid. He may also face former Rep. Allen Vaught (D-Dallas), who filed paperwork for a potential challenge. After Collier announced his intentions, Vaught said in a Facebook post that he did not want a contested primary but was not “closing the door on anything.”
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has a potential primary challenger in Miriam Martinez, an Edinburg television personality who unsuccessfully sought the 2014 Republican nomination for governor, receiving 3% of the vote.
Dallas: The Dallas Morning News reiterated its endorsement of incumbent Tiffinni Young in the D7 council runoff. The paper endorsed incumbent Monica Alonzo in the D6 runoff. The paper previously endorsed Alex Dickey, who failed to make the runoff.
San Antonio: The San Antonio Express-News endorsed challenger Cruz Shaw in the D2 council runoff. The paper previously endorsed challenger Keith Toney, a former council member, who failed to make the runoff.
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