Dear Subscriber,
A few things we wanted to share with you today:
Fletcher Leaving HD130 Open. Rep. Allen Fletcher (R-Tomball) announced he would not seek re-election in 2016 and would instead run for Harris Co. sheriff. He said he has made the necessary calls to the Harris Co. commissioners to be a candidate to replace Adrian Garcia, who resigned yesterday to enter the Houston mayoral race. Fletcher and Harris Co. Constable Ron Hickman are considered the frontrunners for the appointment. The commissioners court’s next meeting is Tuesday, May 12. The agenda has not been publicly released but should be posted sometime tomorrow. Another meeting is not scheduled until June 2, but the court could call a special meeting to vote on Garcia’s replacement.
Meanwhile, Cypress anesthesiologist Tom Oliverson appears to be readying a campaign to succeed Fletcher, either via a special election or in the 2016 Republican primary. He has been described as “an unapologetic defender of life and a small government conservative.”
Houston Mayor. Democratic mega-donors Amber and Steve Mostyn endorsed Rep. Sylvester Turner.
Lehmberg Gets Challenger. Travis Co. prosecutor Gary Cobb said he would challenge Travis Co. District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg in the 2016 Democratic primary. It will be his second race for the office. He finished third in the 2008 primary (22%) and supported Lehmberg in the runoff. Lehmberg’s office currently contains the Public Integrity Unity, which investigates and prosecutes public officials, although the Legislature is considering several proposals to take those functions from Travis Co.
Meanwhile, Travis Co. Commissioner Ron Davis said he would not seek re-election. He has represented northeast Travis Co. since 1998.
New CTAs. No new campaign treasurer appointments (CTAs) of interest have been filed since our last report.
Thank you for being a Texas Election Source subscriber!
