Early Voting continues for the November 6 general and constitutional amendment election. Turnout continues to be very light across most of the state. Fewer than 64K of the 9.8M registered voters (0.65%) in the state’s 15 most populous counties voted early in person or by mail through Wednesday, the third day of the early voting period. This is half the turnout from the first three days of the 2015 general election.
GOV: Former Balch Springs Mayor Cedric Davis re-established a campaign committee for a potential challenge of Gov. Greg Abbott (R). We previously reported that Davis had announced plans to run as a Democrat. Davis won one of five races for mayor, claiming an unexpired term in a 2008 special election (53%). He lost a 2007 race (20%) and, following his election to mayor, lost three consecutive races to Carrie Gordon (39%, 38% and 23%). Davis unsuccessfully ran for open HD110 in the 2012 Democratic primary (24%) and unsuccessfully challenged Rep. Helen Giddings (D-Dallas) in the 2006 Democratic primary (10%).
HD6: Tyler rabbi Neal Katz established a campaign committee for a potential challenge of Rep. Matt Schaefer (R-Tyler), likely as a Democrat. Katz is on the board of the Texas Freedom Network, and federal campaign finance records show made several contributions to the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign.
HD121: San Antonio political consultant and former council member Carlton Soules announced he would seek the seat being vacated by Speaker Joe Straus (R-San Antonio). Soules lost a 2014 race for county judge to incumbent Nelson Wolff (D), 52%-44%. He won a pair of D10 council races in 2011 (50%) and 2013 (76%).
CD7: Houston energy executive Michael Skelly, who unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Rep. John Culberson in 2008 (42%), endorsed potential challenger Alex Triantaphyllis.
CD15: Seguin resident Dale Brueggemann re-established a campaign committee for a potential challenge of U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-McAllen) as a Republican. He ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2012 (37%).
CD23: Former Sen. Leticia Van de Putte (D-San Antonio) endorsed Gina Ortiz Jones in the Democratic race to challenge U.S. Rep. Will Hurd (R-San Antonio).
San Patricio Co.: Portland Mayor David Krebs announced he would run for County Judge as a Republican. Krebs, who has spent 20 years as a council member and mayor, will complete his mayoral term, which ends in May, and not seek re-election. Incumbent Terry Simpson (R) is expected to seek re-election but has made no formal announcement.
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