# Federal Candidate News for November 16 | USLege

> Campaign news from November 16, 2017 covering federal candidate updates including Senate and Congressional District races in Texas.

Canonical: https://www.uslege.ai/news/federal-candidate-news-for-november-16

---

[News](/news)/[News](/news)

Archive

# Federal Candidate News for November 16

TXElects November 16, 2017

This article is preserved from the TXElects archive. For current coverage, read [The Political Spotlight](/newsletters).

**SEN:** North Richland Hills television executive Bruce Jacobson Jr. announced he would challenge U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R) in the primary. We previously reported that he was “prayerfully considering” the race.

**CD2 open:** Houston businessman David Balat filed in the Republican primary for the seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Ted Poe (R-Humble). Balat had been a candidate in CD7 but switched to this race today.

**CD15:** Selma pastor Tim Westley filed for a rematch of the 2016 general election against U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-McAllen), who defeated Westley, 57%-38%. Westley won the 2016 Republican primary runoff over former Rio Grande City Mayor Ruben Villarreal, 52%-48%, despite being outspent more than 6-to-1.

**CD16 open:** El Paso hotelier and gubernatorial appointee Alia Garcia-Ureste established a campaign committee for a potential run for the seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-El Paso) as a Republican. Former Gov. Rick Perry appointed Garcia-Ureste to the Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission in 2014, and Gov. Greg Abbott reappointed her in 2016.

**CD18:** Houston counselor Richard Johnson filed to challenge U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Houston) in the Democratic primary. Johnson was chief of staff to Rep. Jarvis Johnson (D-Houston) during the 2017 legislative session. Richard Johnson ran unsuccessfully for Harris Co. Dept. of Education trustee in 2012 as a Republican (37%) and included former Rep. Debbie Riddle (R-Spring) and Steven Hotze, head of Conservative Republicans of Texas, [among his endorsers](https://web.archive.org/web/20240813095856/https://bigjolly.com/harris-county-republican-party-know-your-candidates-richard-johnson/). For this race against Jackson Lee, Johnson [touted the endorsement](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1671003579587399&set=a.103578326329940.7342.100000333187926&type=1&theater) of boxing legend George Foreman.

**CD21 open:** Boerne medical supplier Matt McCall, who unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith in the 2014 (34%) and 2016 (29%) Republican primaries, filed for the seat Smith is vacating. Meanwhile, Austin educator and author Ricardo Turullols-Bonilla established a campaign committee for a potential run for CD21 as an independent.

‍

![Vicente Gonzalez](/assets/news/4ef1a5b79fdd_68ef9888bb6136bfccec7f60_vincente_gonzalez.jpg)

U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez

‍

![Tim Westley](/assets/news/cf1080028b9f_68ef98c69ee2156c4955e4ed_tim_westley.jpg)

Tim Westley

‍

_©2017 Texas Election Source LLC_

## More from _News._

[TXBIZNEWS Walmart Synthetic Dyes Elimination News October 8, 2025](/news/txbiznews-walmart-u-s-moves-to-eliminate-synthetic-dyes-across-all-private) [TXBIZNEWS Texas Cyber Command Chief Appointed: New Initiatives October 2, 2025](/news/txbiznews-icymi-governor-abbott-appoints-first-texas-cyber-command-chief) [TXBIZNEWS Rice's Arc: Boosting Houston Innovation Corridor September 30, 2025](/news/txbiznews-rice-universitys-arc-to-boost-houston-innovation-corridor)

While you're here

## The platform behind the _coverage._

USLege is the AI legislative intelligence platform for all 50 states plus federal: bill tracking, live hearing video, full transcripts, and cited AI answers.

[Book a demo](/demo)