Eltife Appointed: Gov. Greg Abbott appointed three members to the University of Texas System Board of Regents including former Sen. Kevin Eltife (R-Tyler). Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), who succeeded Eltife in the Senate, support Eltife’s nomination, which requires Senate confirmation. Abbott’s appointees succeed three regents whom the governor declined to reappoint, including Wallace Hall, who is embroiled in a lawsuit against the University of Texas over access to admission records. Hall contributed to several House candidates backed by Texans for Fiscal Responsibility/Empower Texans and other groups critical of Speaker Joe Straus, including Jeff Judson, who challenged Straus in the 2016 primary.

Corpus Christi: Engineer and city Ethics Commission member Larry White announced he would run in the special election to fill the unexpired term of Mayor Dan McQueen, who resigned after serving 37 days in office. He joins council members Joe McComb and, former council and gubernatorial candidate Ray Madrigal and former council members Chad Magill and Mark Scott. Former Mayor Nelda Martinez, who lost a re-election bid to McQueen in November, is considering the race. The city council is expected to accept McQueen’s resignation at its regularly scheduled meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) and set a May 6 special election date.

Updated Jan. 25 to correct erroneous description of candidate Ray Madrigal as a city council member. Madrigal lost the 2016 race for the at-large council position.