San Antonio: The San Antonio Professional Firefighters Assoc. endorsed challenger Manuel Medina. The group previously endorsed former Sen. Leticia Van de Putte in the 2015 mayoral race against Mayor Ivy Taylor. Medina was also endorsed by local Tea Party leaders Jeff Judson, who ran unsuccessfully against Speaker Joe Straus (R-San Antonio) in 2016, and George Rodriguez. Meanwhile, an internal Taylor poll obtained by the San Antonio Express-News showed Taylor with 53% of the vote, well ahead of council member Ron Nirenberg (16%) and Medina (13%). A spokesman for Nirenberg said his internal poll projects a runoff between Taylor and Nirenberg.
Realtors’ Endorsements: Via a series of tweets, the Texas Assoc. of Realtors’ TREPAC indicated it has endorsed several candidates for local office:
- Alice: challenger Jolene Vanover (Mayor), challenger Michael Wohl (P2), Cynthia Carrasco (P3 open) and challenger Yolanda Sosa Moran (P4).
- Flower Mound: incumbent Jason Webb (P1), incumbent Kevin Bryant (P3) and challenger Claudio Forest (P5)
- Highland Village: Daniel Jaworski (P7 open), who is running unopposed; and
- Lewisville: Bob Troyer (P1 open) and incumbent TJ Gilmore (P3)
Fort Bend Co.: Republican chair Mike Gibson has resigned. Gibson did not intend to seek a new term and wanted to give his successor a “head start.” Precinct chairs are expected to meet early next week to elect a new chair.
This is the fourth time since 2007 that the county’s Republican chair has resigned during a term. Former chair Gary Gillen resigned in 2007, citing infighting between groups of Republican activists. He was succeeded by Rick Miller (R-Sugar Land), who resigned In 2011 to “pursue other interests and opportunities unavailable to me while” being chairman. Miller ran for an open House seat in 2012, which he currently represents. Miller’s successor, Sharon Roberts, resigned less than a year later, citing clashes between groups of Republican activists.
Fort Bend Co. has one of the highest rates of straight-party voting in the state (and the country). In 2016, more than 77% of Fort Bend Co. voters used the “single-punch” option to vote a straight-party ballot. Democrats had an advantage in straight-party voting for only the second time since 1992. Hillary Clinton won the county over Donald Trump, 51%-45%, but Republican candidates narrowly won the remaining statewide, judicial and contested countywide offices.
