Political People and their Moves

Put Denise Davis and Lisa Kaufman on the short-timers list. The two top-level aides to House Speaker Joe Straus both plan to leave by the end of the year. Both have been with Straus since shortly after he was elected speaker in January 2009. Davis, a former parliamentarian who also worked in private practice as a lawyer, is his chief of staff; Kaufman, who worked for Sen. Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock, and for the Texas Civil Justice League before joining the speaker, is special counsel.

Texas Transportation Commissioner Deirdre Delisi submitted her resignation to Gov. Rick Perry on Thursday. Delisi, a close adviser and former chief of staff to Perry, is currently serving as a policy and strategy director on his presidential campaign. She had said she'd leave when the agency hired a new executive director, and the board voted last week to hire Phil Wilson, another former Perry employee.

Marina Garcia Marmolejo, appointed to a federal judgeship in the Southern District of Texas, won unanimous confirmation from the U.S. Senate. She's a former federal prosecutor who has been in private practice since 2007.

Gov. Rick Perry's appointments this week include:

John Steen III of Houston to the Texas Racing Commission. Steen is director of commercial development for Lone Star NGL LLC.

Connie Ware of Marshall to the Stephen F. Austin State University Board of Regents. Ware is president and CEO of the Marshall Chamber of Commerce, and vice president of Ware Machine and Supply Inc.

Scott Tidwell will spend four months in jail. Tidwell, the Winkler County Attorney, was found guilty of using his position to retaliate against two nurses who complained to the Texas Medical Board about a local doctor. He was also ordered to pay $6,000 in fines. A related case cost Sheriff Robert Roberts his job earlier this year.