Filing Deadlines: Monday is the deadline for write-in candidates to file for a place on the general election ballot. It is also the deadline for municipal, school board and other local candidates to file for offices on the general election ballot.
HD109 open: Glenn Heights resident Casey Littlejohn, whose campaign indicates he is running as a Republican, has been certified as a write-in candidate by the Texas Secretary of State. He faces former DeSoto Mayor Carl Sherman Sr., who won the Democratic runoff.
TSTA Endorsements: The Texas State Teachers Assoc. PAC released its list of general election endorsements (PDF), including 74 Democratic candidates and 28 Republicans. Most of the endorsed candidates are incumbents or an open-seat candidate of the same party as the incumbent. The group endorsed a number of Democratic challengers:
- Statewide challengers Lupe Valdez (GOV), Mike Collier (LTGOV) and Justin Nelson (AG)
- Senate challengers Beverly Powell (SD10), Nathan Johnson (SD16) and Rita Lucido (SD17)
- House challengers Vikki Goodwin (HD47), Ana-Maria Ramos (HD102), Terry Meza (HD105), Joanna Cattanach (HD108), Brandy Chambers (HD112), Julie Johnson (HD115), John Bucy (HD136) and Adam Milasincic (HD138); and
- House open-seat candidates Erin Zwiener (HD45), James Talarico (HD52), Rhetta Bowers (HD113), John Turner (HD114).
Most of the Republicans endorsed by the group were targeted by movement conservative groups in the primary election.
Dallas Co.: County Judge Clay Jenkins (D) filed suit to prevent the Dallas Co. Republican Party from replacing its nominee for his office. Former Rowlett Mayor Todd Gottel withdrew last month. He was appointed to a precinct chairmanship, which is typically elected by primary voters. The party intends to replace him on the ballot with Justice of the Peace Brian Hutcheson, whose own re-election bid was halted when a judge ruled his application lacked sufficient valid signatures. Section 145.036, Election Code allows a party’s executive committee to replace a nominee who has been appointed to fill a vacancy in another elective office. Jenkins’s suit contends that a precinct chair is not an office triggering that provision.
Austin: Former council member Laura Morrison filed to challenge Mayor Steve Adler. She announced her intention to challenge him back in January.
Laredo: Mercurio “Merc” Martinez III, a real estate agent and son of former Webb County Judge and current Laredo College trustee Mercurio Martinez, filed for open city council D3. He joins at least five other candidates. Incumbent Alex Perez Jr. has not filed for re-election after unsuccessfully challenging Webb Co. Comm. Wawi Tijerina in the 2018 Democratic primary.
Palmview: Mayor Jerry Perez announced he would not seek re-election. Most of the city council had already thrown its support to council member Rick Villarreal.
Voter Fraud: “Disgusted that nothing is being done to stop” non-citizens from voting, dozens of movement conservative and Tea Party groups signed onto a letter (PDF) to Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to require the Secretary of State to verify citizenship of registered voters.
The letter was released on the same day Direct Action Texas claimed that 280K non-citizen legal residents are registered to vote “even though they are not legally eligible” and as many as 4 million other voter registrations “do not match” the Texas Dept. of Public Safety’s “database.”
Direct Action Texas is an assumed name of Grassroots Groundgame LLC, of which Dallas hotelier Monty Bennett is listed as its director.
Also released at the same time was a statement from Sen. Don Huffines (R-Dallas) promising “election integrity” legislation in 2019. “We must make sure our citizens’ voices are heard without being drowned out by the votes and voices of non-citizens or illegal immigrants,” Huffines said. “Whether it’s the Russians overseas or non-citizens here in Texas, my message is clear and consistent: ‘Don’t mess with Texas elections!’”
©2018 Texas Election Source LLC
