(This legislative update is produced by the UH System Office of Governmental Relations and the UH Division of University Advancement as a service to the UH System community, our alumni, and our friends)
Monday, January 2, was the filing deadline for state and federal office.
A number of senior members and committee chairs are not seeking re-election to the Texas Legislature. Sens. Ken Armbrister (D-Victoria), Gonzalo Barrientos (D-Austin) and Jon Lindsay (R-Houston) are retiring. Sen. Todd Staples (R-Palestine) is running for Agriculture Commissioner.
In the House, the following chairs are retiring or running for other office: Ruben Hope (R-Conroe), Ray Allen (R-Grand Prairie), Mary Denny (R-Flower Mound), Peggy Hamric (R-Houston), Suzanna Hupp (R-Lampasas), Terry Keel (R-Austin) and Joe Nixon (D-Houston). Hamric and Nixon are running for the Senate seat being vacated by Jon Lindsay, and Hope is running for judge. In addition, Rep. Glenn Hegar (R-Katy) is running for Sen. Armbrister’s seat. Rep. Carlos Uresti (D-San Antonio) is running against long-time incumbent Sen. Frank Madla (D-San Antonio). Reps. Bob Hunter (R-Abilene), Pete Laney (D-Hale Center) and Juan Solis (D-Harlingen) are retiring from public office.
A couple of races will bear watching. Rep. Mando Martinez’s soon-to-be ex-wife is running against him in the Democratic primary in Weslaco. Closer to home, Frank Sinatra Jr.’s wife is running against U.S. Congressman Ron Paul (R-Surfside). Of note as well, a father and son will both serve in the next legislature. Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. (D-Brownsville) will be joined in the House by his son Eddie Lucio III, who is running unopposed.
Three former members of the “Dirty Thirty,” a group of “reform-minded” House members in the early 70s, are running for statewide office: Bob Gammage (D-Llano) is running for Governor, Ben Z. Grant (D-Marshall) is running for Lt. Governor and Fred Head (D-Athens) is running for Comptroller. Interestingly, Speaker Tom Craddick was also a member of that coalition.
In the seat vacated by Sen. Barrientos, former Austin Mayor Kirk Watson (D-Austin) has no major party opponent. Seven senators are unchallenged and assured of re-election: Kevin Eltife (R-Tyler), Florence Shapiro (R-Plano), Rodney Ellis (D-Houston), John Whitmire (D-Houston), Kyle Janek (R-Houston), Kip Averitt (R-Waco) and Elliot Shapleigh (D-El Paso).
The following area representatives also fall into that category: Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham), Fred Brown (R-Bryan), Rob Eissler (R-Magnolia), Allan Ritter (D-Nederland), Joe Deshotel (D-Port Arthur), Craig Eiland (D-Galveston), Larry Taylor (R-League City), Dennis Bonnen (R-Angleton), Geanie Morrison (R-Victoria), Wayne Smith (R-Baytown),Corbin Van Arsdale (R-Houston), Alma Allen (D-Houston), Bill Callegari (R-Houston), Gary Elkins (R-Houston), Sylvester Turner (D-Houston), Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston), Harold Dutton (D-Houston), Rick Noriega (D-Houston), and Jessica Farrar (D-Houston).
Former House Appropriations Chair Talmadge Heflin (R-Houston) is seeking the seat he lost to Rep. Hubert Vo (D-Houston) in the last election.
Typically, we provide you with a complete list of candidates. However, we continue to find a number of errors on various lists. As soon as the respective parties have gathered complete information from all of the counties we will send a final list. For the moment, here are links to candidate lists from each party: