Campaign News
10/23/2019

7 New Candidates and Endorsement News for October 23

TXElects

Early voting continues for the November 5 constitutional amendment, general and special elections.

HD36: Mission insurance agent Abraham Padron re-established his campaign committee for a potential Democratic primary rematch against Rep. Sergio Muñoz Jr. (D-Mission). Padron spent nearly $400K on an unsuccessful 2016 primary challenge, losing to Muñoz, 60%-40%.

HD76 open: El Paso council member Claudia Ordaz Perez announced she would seek the seat being vacated by Rep. Cesar Blanco (D-El Paso), who is running to succeed the retiring Sen. Jose Rodriguez (D-El Paso). By announcing, Ordaz Perez has resigned her council seat, though she will continue to serve until a successor is chosen in a special election.

Ordaz Perez won a four-way 2014 special election outright (65%) before being elected to a full term in 2015 (73%). She was re-elected in 2018 (72%). Just eight of the 45 precincts comprising HD76 are located within Ordaz Perez’s council district, representing about 18% of votes cast in HD76 in the 2018 general election. She faces Elisa Tamayo, a former aide to Blanco who has been endorsed by most of the El Paso legislative delegation.

HD126: Houston petroleum field service technician Pete Salas established a campaign committee for a potential challenge of Rep. Sam Harless (R-Spring) as a Libertarian.

HD138 open: Houston conservative media executive Claver Kamau-Imani established a campaign committee for a potential run for the seat being vacated by Rep. Dwayne Bohac (R-Houston). Kamau-Imani is the founder and chief executive of Raging Elephants Radio. A press release announcing his exploratory committee listed about four dozen supporters including Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood), Reps. Steve Toth (R-The Woodlands) and James White (R-Hilister), Republican National Committee member Robin Armstrong, Grassroots America-We the People’s Jo Ann Fleming, Gallery Furniture owner “Mattress Mack” McIngvale, True Texas Elections’s Laura Pressley and four State Republican Executive Committee members. Texas Right to Life PAC has endorsed him.

SEN: The campaign of Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) expects to announce the endorsements of Sens. Carol Alvarado (D-Houston) and John Whitmire (D-Houston); Reps. Alma Allen (D-Houston), Harold Dutton (D-Houston) and Ron Reynolds (D-Missouri City); U.S. Rep. Al Green (D); and former Court of Appeals Judge Morris Overstreet at a Texas Southern Univ. rally on Friday.

CD7: Houston resident Kenny Lim established a campaign committee for a potential challenge of Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-Houston) as a Republican. We were unable to identify him conclusively.

CD17 open: Austin resident Masroor Ahmad Adnan established a campaign committee for a potential run for the seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Bill Flores (R-Bryan) as a Republican. The committee is named Ahmad Bans Money in Politics. We were unable to identify him conclusively.

CD22 open: Houston vaping business owner Schell Hammel established a campaign committee for a potential run for the seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Pete Olson (R-Sugar Land) as a Republican. She is at least the 13th Republican who has taken a formal step toward the race.

Houston: Gov. Greg Abbott (R) endorsed District E council member Dave Martin for re-election.

©2019 Texas Election Source LLC

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#43 - Wes Benedict: Bridging Policy and Community with Texans for Reasonable Solutions
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Welcome to Episode #43 of Bills & Business. In this episode, Laura Carr, Co-Founder of USLege, sits down with Wes Benedict, Grassroots Manager at Texans for Reasonable Solutions.

Wes brings years of advocacy experience and a steady, practical approach to community engagement. The conversation explores how Texas communities can navigate political tension, build cross-partisan coalitions, and create space for meaningful dialogue in an increasingly polarized environment.

They dive into the organization’s focus on key statewide issues including housing, infrastructure, water, and the evolving relationship between local and state governments. Wes breaks down why these policies matter for both everyday Texans and the business community, and how reasonable, bipartisan solutions can move conversations forward.

The episode closes with insights on how individuals can get involved, what success looks like in grassroots policy work, and what Texans should be watching as the special session unfolds.

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Texas Political Spotlight
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Michael and Susan Dell’s unprecedented $6.25 billion pledge to expand federal “Trump Accounts” aims to boost long-term savings for 25 million American children. In Lubbock, Texas Tech’s new classroom restrictions on race, gender identity, and sexuality have ignited an immediate clash over academic freedom and curriculum control. And in Northeast Texas, Rep. Gary VanDeaver’s decision not to seek reelection opens a pivotal Republican primary.

We hope you enjoyed today’s read!

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USLege’s ‘Best in Government Affairs Awards’ Celebrates Heroes of the Texas Capitol with State’s First Peer-Nominated Government Affairs Honor
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Texas Political Spotlight
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Welcome back, friends

Michael and Susan Dell’s unprecedented $6.25 billion pledge to expand federal “Trump Accounts” aims to boost long-term savings for 25 million American children. In Lubbock, Texas Tech’s new classroom restrictions on race, gender identity, and sexuality have ignited an immediate clash over academic freedom and curriculum control. And in Northeast Texas, Rep. Gary VanDeaver’s decision not to seek reelection opens a pivotal Republican primary.

We hope you enjoyed today’s read!

Stay connected with TXLege News on X and LinkedIn!

Texas Political Spotlight
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Welcome back, friends

Texas voters approved one of the largest property tax relief packages in state history on Tuesday, raising the homestead exemption to $140,000 and granting new tax breaks for seniors, people with disabilities, and small businesses. In Austin, residents rejected Proposition Q, a plan to fund public safety, homelessness programs, and city facility initiatives through a property tax hike, forcing city leaders to rework the budget and brace for service cuts. Meanwhile, Bexar County voters narrowly passed Propositions A and B, greenlighting up to $311 million in tourism-funded support for a new downtown Spurs arena and upgrades to the Freeman Coliseum grounds.

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Texas Political Spotlight
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Former Vice President Dick Cheney, one of the most influential and controversial figures in modern American politics, has died at 84, remembered by former President George W. Bush as a “patriot” whose intellect and conviction shaped decades of U.S. policy. In Texas, the Education Agency announced a sweeping takeover of Fort Worth ISD, the state’s second-largest intervention, citing years of academic underperformance and plans to install new local managers. And in Washington, a United Airlines flight was evacuated after a bomb threat, prompting an FBI investigation that later found no explosives, allowing operations to resume safely.

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