2010: What's on the Special?

Voters in Central Texas, Dallas and Plano will get to vote for the third month in a row in May, in special elections for the Texas House and Senate. Three officeholders — Sen. Kip Averitt, R-Waco, and Reps. Terri Hodge, D-Dallas, and Brian McCall, R-Plano — resigned before their terms were up. Today was the deadline for candidate filing. The lineups:

SD-17

Gayle Avant, D-Waco
Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury
David Sibley, R-Waco
Darren Yancy, R-Burleson

Averitt won the GOP primary and then resigned his seat, setting up the special election. He hasn't taken his name off of the November ballot, but is expected to do so. At that point, the Republican Party chairs from the ten counties in the district will get together and name a replacement candidate. They're not legally bound to do anything but name a candidate who meets state requirements, and could go with the winner of the May election, or not. It's entirely up to them. The Democrats, who didn't have a candidate in the primaries, get the same opportunity the Republicans have — to name a candidate for the November ballot — if and when Averitt resigns.

HD-66

Mabrie Jackson, R-Plano
Van Taylor, R-Plano

The two are in a runoff now. Early voting continues through Friday, and the election is on April 13. The winner of the runoff will be on the November ballot for a full term in the office. No Democrats are running, but there will be a Libertarian and an independent candidate on the ballot.

HD-100

Eric Johnson, D-Dallas

Johnson won the Democratic primary in March and has no opposition on the November ballot.