Political People and their Moves

State Rep. Gary VanDeaver, R-New Boston, announced Tuesday that he’s running for re-election. A former school superintendent, he is in his first term representing House District 1, which encompasses Bowie, Franklin, Lamar and Red River counties.

State Rep. Mike Schofield, R-Katy, announced he’s running for a second term in office. He was elected in 2014 to represent HD-132, located in western Harris County.

Businessman Bill King has won the endorsement of the Kingwood TEA Party in his bid for Houston mayor.

Cliff Walker has been named program director for candidate recruitment and campaign services for the Texas Democratic Party. Walker held positions with the Back to Basics PAC and the Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee before most recently serving as the political director for Battleground Texas.

The TDP has also brought Zach Brigham on board as the party's finance director. He served previously as finance director for the Harris County Democratic Party before serving as comptroller candidate Mike Collier's campaign manager.

Tim Keith of Dallas has been named CEO of Texas Central Partners, the privately funded high-speed rail project looking to build a line between Dallas and Houston. Keith was previously global CEO at RREEF/Deutsche Bank Infrastructure Investments.

Forrest Wilder announced in a column on Wednesday that he's been named the new editor of the Texas Observer.