Six individuals filed applications and signatures with the Secretary of State for congressional and legislative offices.
- CD3 open: Jeff Simmons
- CD5: Phil Gray
- CD16 open: Sam Williams
- CD29 open: Johnathan Garza
- HD109 open: Casey Littlejohn
- HD138: Demetrius Walker
Later this month, the Secretary of State will certify the candidates whose applications and signatures meet the statutory requirements.
According to his web site, Simmons is a constitutional conservative Republican. It appears he intended to run in the Republican primary, which was won by Sen. Van Taylor (R-Plano), according to content in the web site’s side bar. His web site also shows his photo alongside Gov. Greg Abbott (R), U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R) and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R). It also includes a “Message from Gov. Abbott,” which reads like a standard “thank you” note.
Gray was the Libertarian nominee for CD1 in 2016, receiving 2% of the vote. Williams’s Facebook page indicates he is a conservative retired military veteran who served in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. We were unable to locate definitive information about Garza online.
We previously reported Littlejohn’s announcing his application has been certified. Walker’s web site describes him as a “serial entrepreneur, author, public speaker and DJ.” Walker announced he would challenge Rep. Dwayne Bohac (R-Houston) and established his campaign committee after the filing deadline for partisan candidates.
Our Crib Sheets have been updated to reflect the filed petitions. Once the Secretary of State certifies write-in candidates, the ballot for the general election will finally be set.
Primary Turnout: Alaska and Wyoming held primary elections today (Tuesday). Preliminary returns indicate at least 30% of registered voters turned out in Wyoming. Alaska’s polls had not closed as of press time. With Wyoming’s results, primary turnout in Texas falls to 35th out of the 42 states that have held primary elections and reported results.
Harris Co.: Early voting has concluded for Saturday’s special bond election to address flooding following Hurricane Harvey. Just under 93K have cast ballots in person (54K) or by mail (40K), representing just 4% of registered voters. Another 28K ballots by mail have not been returned.
Austin: Council candidate Lewis Conway Jr. will be on the November ballot. The city clerk and city attorney reviewed documents provided by Conway and concluded he was eligible to run a day after rejecting his application. He served an eight-year prison sentence for a felony conviction. Section 141.001(a)(4), Election Code, provides that a candidate cannot have been “finally convicted of a felony from which the person has not been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disabilities.” That last phrase is legally untested, and it’s meaning is unclear. Another candidate seeking the D1 office would have to sue to try to remove Conway from the ballot.
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