A New (But Familiar) Name Crops Up in SD-24 GOP Race

Ryan Downton, the former House Redistricting counsel, is seriously kicking the tires on a run in the open Senate primary to succeed outgoing state Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay.

We last heard from Downton when he unsuccessfully challenged Paul Workman in the Republican primary for HD-47 in 2012.

Downton now lives in Salado and is president of the Belton-based Little River Healthcare.

If he gets in, he’d have a shot at consolidating a base of support in Bell County, which accounts for nearly 40 percent of the population in SD-24. He’s expected to announce a candidacy sometime in the next few weeks.

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According to an article in the Denton Record-Chronicle, Denton criminal defense attorney Rick Hagen plans to run for the House seat being vacated by Myra Crownover, R-Denton.

Read King previously announced his intent to seek the GOP nomination for the HD-64 seat.

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Former President George W. Bush took some time on Thursday to write a fundraising appeal for his brother, Jeb.

After noting that “I rarely send emails like this,” Bush goes on to assure the reader that “My brother will be a tremendous President. … He's got a tough road ahead -- take it from someone who's been there. With his strengths and your support, he will succeed.”

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Houston mayoral candidate Bill King rolled out a long list of business leaders who have agreed to host a fundraiser for him on Oct. 6. Real estate developer and former state transportation commissioner Ned Holmes will host the event at his home.
Others on the host committee include former Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, Texans for Lawsuit Reform co-founder Dick Weekley, and Bracewell & Giuliani firm chairman Pat Oxford, among others.

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Elena Villaseñor Sullivan has announced a run for the 131st District Court in Bexar County. She is a partner at the Jackson Walker law firm.

An announcement distributed Tuesday stated that she is a Democrat and that she "does not currently have an opponent."
The seat is currently held by Democrat John D. Gabriel, who has served since 1993. He last won re-election in 2012 when he prevailed with 54.2 percent of the vote.

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Found in our inbox: an invitation from HD-17 GOP candidate Brent Golemon to a presentation next month in Bastrop from Rick Green, the former state legislator, former Texas Supreme Court candidate and current traveling speaker for David Barton’s WallBuilders organization.

Green’s presentation, according to the invite, “explains how men and women of faith need to embrace the challenges facing liberty in America. The fight has only begun and the prize is the heart and soul of the greatest nation in history.”

Golemon is challenging incumbent John Cyrier in next year’s party primary, which would be a rematch of their special election showdown from earlier this year where the two Republicans were separated by 328 votes.