The latest Texas House of Representatives news from The Texas Tribune.
The runoff between John Frullo and Mark Griffin shares one important characteristic with the adjacent race in HD-83: It pits inside-the-tent Lubbock Republicans against a coalition of social and libertarian conservatives who are distinctly unhappy with government in Washington and Texas. In that frame, Frullo's the insurgent and Griffin represents the establishment. Full Story
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Delwin Jones, who was first elected to the Texas House in 1964 after two unsuccessful attempts, says he has handed out 765,000 promotional emery boards since his start in politics. His tenure and those files weren't enough to win a bruising primary outright last month, though, and the veteran legislator now finds himself in a runoff against Tea Party organizer Charles Perry, who's capitalizing on voter anger at incumbents. Full Story
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State Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, and former state Rep. Paul Moreno, D-El Paso, will endorse challenger Naomi Gonzalez over incumbent state Rep. Norma Chavez, D-El Paso, in the April 13 runoff that will decide the winner of the House District 76 seat, according to the El Paso Times. Full Story
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Brian McCall will apparently be the next chancellor of the Texas State University System. The board of regents picked the state representative, a Plano Republican, as the sole finalist to replace Charles Matthews in that job. They made the announcement on Monday. Full Story
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A recount showed state Rep. Al Edwards lost his primary race by eight votes, but Edwards wants to be absolutely sure. He's filed an election contest in district court. Full Story
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Two Republicans are battling for the chance to win back a Williamson County legislative seat from first-term state Rep. Diana Maldonado, D-Round Rock. They differ more in style than substance. One says he has deeper ties to the district. The other touts more than a decade's worth of experience as a Capitol insider. Full Story
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Residency requirements tripped up Brian Birdwell's previous effort to enter the Texas Legislature, and it looks like they will again. Full Story
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Primary night was humming along swimmingly for Humble school board president Dan Huberty, and after the early vote he seemed headed to victory. Then the numbers dipped and his fortunes changed, and now he's in a heated GOP run-off with Dr. Susan Curling. As another Election Day draws closer, the contest is getting personal. Full Story
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Grissom on the 1.2 million Texans who've lost their licenses under the Driver Responsibility Act and the impenetrable black box that is the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, Ramshaw and Kraft on nurses with substance abuse problems and rehabilitation that can get them back to work, M. Smith finds it's not easy being Rick Green, Stiles on counting Texans (and everybody else), Rapoport on the State Board of Education's war with itself and the runoff in SBOE District 10, Thevenot's revealing interview with a big-city superintendent on closing bad schools, Aguilar on the tensions over water on the Texas-Mexico border, Hamilton on the new Coffee Party, Hu on Kesha Rogers and why her party doesn't want her, Philpott on the runoff in HD-47, Ramsey on Bill White and the politics of taxes, and E. Smith's conversation with Game Change authors Mark Halperin and John Heleimann: The best of our best from March 15 to 19. Full Story
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Republicans in southwest Travis County still need to choose between Paul Workman and Holly Turner before setting their sights on State Rep. Valinda Bolton, D-Austin, in November. Ben Philpott, covering the 2010 elections for KUT News and the Tribune, filed this report. Full Story
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Who will represent Houston's HD-146 in the Texas House next session is still in question. State Rep. Al Edwards, D-Houston, filed for a recount after perennial foe and former state Rep. Borris Miles beat him by just eleven votes. Full Story
Census Bureau questionnaires arrive at 8.4 million Texas homes this week. "Fill that sucker out," the bureau's regional director says, "so we don't have to come and knock on your door." Full Story
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One candidate lost on Tuesday by 11 votes out of more than 10,000 cast. Others lost by fewer than 200 votes. Anyone up for a recount? Full Story
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Mark Griffin and John Frullo appear headed for a runoff next month to claim the GOP nod in the race for HD-84. Full Story
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Muñoz defeats Rodriguez in the race to replace state Rep. Ismael "Kino" Flores. Full Story
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Freshman incumbent Tara Rios Ybarra, D-South Padre Island, lost her bid for re-election on Tuesday to Kingsville businessman J.M. Lozano. Full Story
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The AP calls the HD-20 race for state Rep. Dan Gattis' seat for orthopedic surgeon Dr. Charles Schwertner, who outspent the three other candidates. Full Story
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Rep. Betty Brown, R-Terrell, is 121 votes behind Lance Gooden — a former aide — with two precincts left to count. Full Story
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Griffin holds an early lead in his bid to replace Lubbock County's Carl Isett. Full Story
Rep. Vicki Truitt, R-Southlake, was holding off three primary challengers in early returns, trying to stay out of a runoff as she defends a seat she's held since 1999. Full Story
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