Correction: We mischaracterized a Wichita Falls ISD election in two recent reports. It was a tax ratification election, not a bond election. We relied on several local news reports that referred to it as a bond election. Since we were more interested in the nature of the opposition – local Tea Party activists and the Arlington-based Texans for Freedom PAC – than in the subject matter of the election, we didn’t do enough research to get it right. We have updated those reports and regret the error.
Mayor Eric Johnson
Dallas/HD100: Former Rep. Eric Johnson (D-Dallas) submitted a letter of resignation to Gov. Greg Abbott (R) a few hours before being sworn in as the new mayor of Dallas. Johnson defeated council member Scott Griggs, 56%-44%, in a June 8 runoff. Johnson’s seat will be filled by a special election, likely coinciding with the November constitutional amendment election.
Early voting continues through tomorrow (Tuesday) in most jurisdictions holding runoff elections on June 22 and began today (Monday) in most jurisdictions holding runoff elections on June 29.
Contribution Moratorium: Today (Monday) was the first day legislators and statewide elected officials could begin raising money (in case your inbox hadn’t already noticed). The moratorium on contributions during the legislative session expired on Sunday, which was the last day Gov. Greg Abbott (R) could sign or veto legislation.
CD16: El Paso videographer and Republican precinct chair Anthony Agüero established a campaign committee for a potential challenge of U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-El Paso) as a Republican. “Conservative Anthony” calls himself an independent journalist working for Border News Network, which features videos of asylum seekers, including some shot and broadcast live on Facebook. He was among a group called Border Patriots who disrupted Escobar’s May 11 town hall meeting in Canutillo.
Gerrymandering: The U.S. Supreme Court dismissed a challenge to Virginia’s court-ordered legislative districts because the Republican members of the Assembly lacked standing. The 5-4 ruling had an unusual alignment: conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Neal Gorsuch join Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s majority opinion, while more liberal Justice Stephen Breyer joined in Justice Samuel Alito’s dissent. The decision allows the results of primary elections held last week to stand. Three other gerrymandering cases await decisions, likely in the next week.
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