(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)
Six incumbent legislators were defeated in their respective primaries this week.
Rep. Kent Grusendorf (R-Arlington), Chair of the Public Education Committee, was defeated by Diane Patrick.
Two of the so-called Leininger Five (incumbents whose opponents were financed largely by voucher proponent Dr. James Leininger of San Antonio) lost. They were Reps. Carter Casteel (R-New Braunfels) and Roy Blake (R-Nacogdoches).
Long-time Sen. Frank Madla (D-San Antonio) lost to Rep. Carlos Uresti (D-San Antonio). Reps. Jesse Jones (D-Dallas), who serves on the Higher Education Committee, and Elvira Reyna (R-Mesquite), Chair of the Local and Consent Calendars Committee, also were defeated.
Rep. Glenn Hegar (R-Katy) won a three-way race for a chance to replace Sen. Ken Armbrister (D-Victoria). In the race to replace Hegar, John Zerwas (25.18 %) will face Mike Baldwin (15.22 %) in a run-off.
It appears that Rep. Al Edwards is headed for a run-off with Borris Miles.
Several area incumbents faced serious and not so serious challengers and were elected by large margins. They were Rep. Garnet Coleman (77 %), Charlie Howard (67 %), Joe Crabb (59 %), Dora Olivo (60 %), and Kevin Bailey (70 %).