CD2 open: Humble merger and acquisition firm partner Justin Lurie established a campaign committee for a potential run for the seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Ted Poe (R-Humble) as a Republican.
Rep. Lance
Gooden
CD5 open: Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Terrell) announced he would seek the seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Dallas), becoming the fourth sitting legislator to seek a U.S. House seat. All of Gooden’s House district – most of Henderson and all of Kaufman Cos. – lies within CD5.
“I am not running for re-election,” Gooden told a crowd of supporters. “I’m running to be your representative in the United States House of Representatives.”
Meanwhile, Dallas educator Charles Lingerfelt filed in the Republican primary for the seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Dallas). Lingerfelt ran unsuccessfully for CD30 against U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson in 2016 (19%) and unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for CD30 in 2010 (13%).
CD6 open: Arlington information technology manager Shannon Dubberly established a campaign committee for a potential run for the seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Ennis) as a Republican.
CD10: Austin attorney Mike Siegel filed in the Democratic primary to challenge U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Austin). Siegel is an assistant city attorney for the city of Austin and was involved in litigation over Senate Bill 4, the sanctuary cities bill.
CD21 open: Austin oil and gas executive Foster Hagen filed in the Republican primary, becoming at least the 10th person to file and 13th to take a formal step toward seeking the Republican nomination to succeed the retiring U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-San Antonio). Please see our Crib Sheet for a list of these candidates.
CD27: Corpus Christi mediator Jerry Hall filed in the Republican primary to challenge U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Corpus Christi). Meanwhile, former Bastrop County Judge Ronnie McDonald filed in the Democratic primary.
CD29 open: Former Harris Co. Sheriff Adrian Garcia (D) announced he would challenge Harris Co. Comm. Jack Morman (R) for the P2 seat on the commissioner’s court. Garcia had been considering running for open CD29. Had he entered the race, he would have been the fourth Garcia in the Democratic primary. In 2016, he unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Rep. Gene Green (D-Houston) in the Democratic primary (38%).
Meanwhile, Houston attorney Phillip Aronoff filed in the Republican primary for the seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Gene Green (D-Houston). He is the Honorary Consul General of Hungary.
CD31: A poll conducted for the M.J. Hegar campaign (PDF) shows the Democrat trailing U.S. Rep. John Carter (R-Round Rock) by six points. The Public Policy Polling survey of 613 “TX-31 voters” appears to have been conducted by interactive voice response and was in the field November 28-29. The poll’s sample appears to lean more Democratic than the district as a whole. Just 3% more respondents said they were Republicans (39%) than said they were Democrats (36%). Donald Trump received support from 48% of poll respondents, and Hillary Clinton received 39%. Trump carried the district, 53%-40%.
Interestingly, Hegar had a statistically insignificant lead over Carter (46%-44%) among the 59% of respondents who said they were “very excited” to vote in 2018. “Somewhat excited” and “not too excited” voters preferred Carter by more than 20 points. Carter won re-election in 2016 by 22 points. Hegar has at least three primary opponents standing between her and a general election contest with Carter.
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