Nov 13, 2017 | Campaign News
Gov. Greg Abbott endorsed Republican primary challenger Susanna Dokupil, a Houston business owner and former assistant solicitor general, over Rep. Sarah Davis (R-Houston). “Susanna worked alongside me to defend Texas values when I was attorney general,” Abbott said...
Jun 28, 2017 | House Race Analyses, Straight-ticket Voting
In a recent tweet, Rep. Jason Villalba (R-Dallas) said, “The Ds have the long knives out for me” upon learning that a second Democrat had taken formal steps toward challenging him in November. Dallas attorneys Rockwell Bower and John Turner have formed campaign...
Jun 18, 2017 | Senate Race Analyses, Straight-ticket Voting
What a difference a single envelope can make. On January 23, 2013, Texas state senators chose envelopes, one-by-one, that determined their fate for a decade. Inside those envelopes were slips of paper numbered one through 31. An odd number gave senators a four-year...
Jun 4, 2017 | House Race Analyses, Straight-ticket Voting
In a state where single-punch, straight-party voters continue to gain influence in determining election outcomes, it was the voters who work their way through the whole ballot that swung HD115 last year. By just over a thousand votes, Rep. Matt Rinaldi (R-Irving) won...
Jun 1, 2017 | Legislation
Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law bills that conform the state’s Voter ID law to recent judicial rulings and end the option to cast a single-punch, straight-party ballot after the 2018 general election. Senate Bill 5 by Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston) codifies a process...
May 29, 2017 | Legislation
This post had been updated to reflect Gov. Abbott’s subsequent actions on these bills. The 85th Legislature, Regular Session has adjourned sine die. While there are rumors of a special session in the air, one is not likely to include election-related issues....
May 20, 2017 | Legislation, Straight-ticket Voting
JThe House concurred in the Senate’s amendment to House Bill 25 by Rep. Ron Simmons (R-Carrollton), sending the measure to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk. The bill would end the practice of voting for all of a party’s candidates using a single punch, mark or other action....
May 18, 2017 | Campaign News
Single-punch Elimination: The Senate gave final passage to House Bill 25 by Rep. Ron Simmons (R-Carrollton), sponsored by Sen. Kelly Hancock (R-North Richland Hills), to end the practice of single-punch, straight-ticket voting in the state. None of the chamber’s...
May 17, 2017 | Campaign News
Single-punch Elimination: By a 20-10 party-line vote, the Senate tentatively approved a bill that would end single-punch voting for all a political party’s candidates. Sen. Kelly Hancock (R-North Richland Hills), sponsor of House Bill 25 by Rep. Ron Simmons...
May 14, 2017 | Legislation
The 85th Texas Legislature, Regular Session is down to its final two weeks. We have already passed two of the session’s most significant end-of-session deadlines: the last day a House committee may report a House bill (May 8) and the last day the House may consider a...
May 11, 2017 | Legislation
The Senate Business & Commerce Committee heard testimony on, and ultimately approved, a bill that would end single-punch, straight-ticket voting in Texas: House Bill 25 by Rep. Ron Simmons (R-Carrollton). It passed the House last week on a near party-line vote....
May 9, 2017 | Campaign News
Registration Deadline: Thursday, May 11 is the deadline to register to vote for any runoff election being held June 10. Rep. RonSimmons Single-punch Elimination: House Bill 25 by Rep. Ron Simmons (R-Carrollton) will be heard in the Senate Business & Commerce...
