Deadlines: Tomorrow (Tuesday) is the deadline for Texans to register to vote for the general election and for general election candidates to file 30-day-out campaign finance reports. We will begin updating our Crib Sheets on Wednesday morning and analyze the numbers, starting with the most competitive races, later that day.
AG: On Friday, U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant III granted Ken Paxton’s motion to dismiss a civil lawsuit filed against him by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The judge gave the commission two weeks to amend and refile its allegations. The judge’s decision does not directly impact the criminal charges Paxton is facing.
CCA: The Houston Chronicle endorsed Democratic incumbent Lawrence Meyers (CCA2), Democratic challenger Robert Burns (CCA6) and Republican Scott Walker (CCA5 open). We missed these endorsements when they were made last week.
CD23: In a new ad, former U.S. Rep. Pete Gallego (D-Alpine) argues that U.S. Rep. Will Hurd (R-San Antonio) “waited until it was too late” to say that he would not endorse Donald Trump.
Pete's never hesitated to put country before party or to summon the political courage to speak out against those seeking to divide us. #TX23 pic.twitter.com/dHVoDgOFqB
— Pete Gallego (@petegallego) October 10, 2016
Midland ISD: Voters rejected a tax increase to help close the school district’s budget gap, 63%-37%. Fewer than 9% of registered voters cast ballots in the October tax ratification election (TRE). According to the Midland Reporter-Telegram’s Stewart Doreen, turnout was lower than for “any major bond election (Midland ISD, college or hospital district) in recent memory,” and more people voted in the 2003 and 2005 constitutional amendment elections and a 2009 special proposition election. The MISD school board president said an October date was chosen so voters could focus on education issues apart from the presidential campaign. Far more voters would at least have gone to the polls had the TRE coincided with the general election. In a blog post, Empower Texans said the vote “showed that Midlanders are paying attention and holding the district accountable.” The Reporter-Telegram ran an editorial written by the group last month opposing the TRE, saying it “is attended with all the standard vestiges of cronyism and attempts to escape accountability.”
Travis Co. Tax Assessor-Collector Bruce Elfant said the county will surpass its goal of registering more than 90% of eligible voters, an increase of at least 8% from 2012. Elfant said his office has about 11K applications yet to process, not counting any it receives by the end of tomorrow (Tuesday). About 65% of newly registered voters are under 35 years old.
