Vol 31, Issue 34 Print Issue

U.S. Rep. Pete Gallego (left), an Alpine Democrat, is facing a challenge from Will Hurd, a former CIA agent, in the race to represent the 23rd Congressional District.
U.S. Rep. Pete Gallego (left), an Alpine Democrat, is facing a challenge from Will Hurd, a former CIA agent, in the race to represent the 23rd Congressional District.

An Ad War is in the Making in CD-23

Cruz makes some attention grabbing staff changes and a couple of Texas legislative candidates make the cut for GOP push to diversify its slate of candidates.

The Week in the Rearview Mirror

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Wendy Davis released a memoir in which she details the decision to terminate two pregnancies — one for an ectopic pregnancy and the other where the fetus had developed severe abnormalities. GOP rival Greg Abbott questioned Davis' decision to go on tour to promote the book, first asking for a ruling from the Texas Ethics Commission and then filing an ethics complaint.

Attorneys for Gov. Rick Perry on Monday made a second filing to have pending felony indictments against him dismissed. The motion to quash seeks to have the charges ruled unconstitutional.

State Rep. Charles Perry is Texas' newest state Senator. The Lubbock Republican avoided a runoff in the SD-28 special election on Tuesday, taking 53.4 percent of the vote in a six-candidate field. He succeeds Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock, who resigned the seat to take over as chancellor at Texas Tech University. Perry is the second Senator chosen via special election in the past month, joining Conroe Republican Brandon Creighton.

Joe Allbaugh, a former GOP confidante to George W. Bush and Rick Perry, is now serving on the board of a marijuana lab company doing business in states where weed is legal.

Political People and their Moves

Bill O’Neal of Carthage was reappointed Texas State Historian by Gov. Rick Perry for a term to expire two years from the date of his honoring ceremony.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, announced three senior staff changes: Chip Roy shifts from chief of staff to senior advisor with a larger role in political operations; Paul Teller, currently deputy chief of staff, takes over for Roy as chief of staff; and James Christoferson takes over as a deputy chief of staff for operations.

State Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, received his first committee assignments since being sworn in Aug. 26. He will serve on the State Affairs and Open Goverment committees as well as the joint interim committee on judicial selection.

Amanda Robertson has hired on as chief of staff for state Rep. Craig Goldman, R-Fort Worth. Her last day as legislative director for state Rep. Dan Flynn, R-Canton, is Sept. 17.

GOP HD-50 candidate Mike VanDeWalle announced two new members of his campaign team, naming Matt Mackowiak as general consultant and Dallas Reed as campaign manager.