SD14 special: As widely expected, Rep. Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin) announced he would run in the special election to succeed Sen. Kirk Watson (D-Austin), whose resignation is effective April 30.

Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has not yet ordered a special election. Section 203.004, Election Code provides that “a special election [for a legislative vacancy] shall be held on the first uniform election date occurring on or after the 36th day after the election is ordered.” If Abbott orders an election by March 27, then that special election would coincide with the May 2 uniform election date. If he orders it any time after March 27, the special election would coincide with the November 3 general election.

Section 141.033, Election Code prohibits a candidate from filing for a place on the ballot for more than one office that “are to be voted on at one or more elections held on the same day.” A November special election would preclude Rodriguez from continuing to seek his House seat. He would need to withdraw by August 21 so that a replacement nominee could be named pursuant to Section 145.036, Election Code. In this case, the replacement nominee would be chosen by the district executive committee, which is comprised of Democratic precinct chairs in HD51.

SD27: Third-place finisher and State Board of Education member Ruben Cortez endorsed Sara Stapleton-Barrera in the Democratic runoff over Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. (D-Brownsville).

CD24 open: Rep. Michelle Beckley (D-Carrollton) endorsed Kim Olson in the Democratic runoff over Candace Valenzuela.

Dallas Co. Recount: Election Administrator Toni Pippins-Poole is asking a district court to authorize a manual recount after her office discovered ballots from 44 tabulating machines were not included in the county’s election results, reported the Texas Tribune’s Alexa Ura. The staff discovered the error when it could not reconcile the number of voters who checked in to cast ballots and the number of ballots counted. It is unclear which precincts, and thus which races, could be affected.

©2020 Texas Election Source LLC