HD125 special: Early voting in person ended Friday. Over the five days, a total of 5,228 people voted in person, exceeding the 12-day total for the February special election, including mail ballots. Bexar Co. does not release the number of mail ballots until Election Day. Just under half of all votes were cast at the Maury Maverick Library. In 2018, Republicans cast 47% of the straight-party votes in the precincts contiguous to and in the precinct where the library is located. Such a turnout pattern stands to benefit Republican Fred Rangel. No Republican has held the seat since it moved to Bexar Co. from Harris Co. in 1993. We’ll have live results beginning at 7 p.m. CDT on Tuesday at txelects.com/live.
HD128: Deer Park resident Joshua Markle established a campaign committee for a potential challenge of Rep. Briscoe Cain (R-Deer Park). We were unable to determine his party affiliation.
Justice Jeff Brown
SC6: President Trump nominated Justice Jeff Brown to be a federal district judge for the Southern District. Brown, who was first nominated to the Texas Supreme Court in 2013, won election to the remainder of an unexpired term in 2014 and was re-elected to a six-year term on the Texas Supreme Court in November. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) would appoint a successor if Brown is confirmed, and that person would serve until the 2020 election, the winner of which would serve the remaining four years of Brown’s term.
SEN: A new poll from Democrat-leaning Public Policy Polling conducted for Democracy Toolbox indicates U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-San Antonio) and former Sen. Wendy Davis (D-Fort Worth) would be the frontrunners for the Democatic nomination. Castro was preferred by 42% and Davis by 19% of the 608 Democratic primary voters interviewed. No one else polled over 4% prior to “a description of each candidate” being read. The poll’s results were driven more by name identification than anything else. Castro (73%) and Davis (71%) were the only polled candidates recognized by more than half of respondents.
Meanwhile, at-large Houston council member Amanda Edwards announced she is considering challenging U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R), reported the Texas Tribune’s Patrick Svitek.
PRES: A new Des Moines Register poll indicates former Vice President Joe Biden (27%) and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (25%) are far ahead of the rest of the Democratic presidential field in the first caucus state. Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-El Paso) was fifth at 5%, trailing U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (9%) and Kamala Harris (7%). The support level for O’Rourke has dropped by half since the paper’s December poll. Former San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro was at 1%. Only 10% of respondents said they had no first choice, and 3% wanted “none of these.”
Houston: Council member Dwight Boykins announced he would seek re-election and thus not challenge Mayor Sylvester Turner.
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