Political People and their Moves

Carol Alvarado picked up endorsements from Rudy Reyes and R.W. Bray, former competitors in the race for SD-6. Here’s a mirror: Sylvia Garcia got an endorsement from Joaquin Martinez, another of the vanquished. Alvarado and Garcia are in a runoff to replace the late Mario Gallegos, D-Houston; the election date isn’t yet set.

Former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison joins the Bracewell & Giuiliani firm (which also employs her husband, bond attorney Ray Hutchison) as senior counsel. She'll advise the firm's clients, but won't be lobbying.

Austin-based Stanford Research and 3rd Coast Research are merging, bringing Jason Stanford and Will Caskey into the same firm doing political and corporate opposition research.

Chuck DeVore is now the vice president for policy at the Texas Public Policy Foundation and Jesse Treviño is now the veep of communications there. 

Rick Bluntzer left NRG Energy to run communications and public affairs at EZCorp, which operates pawn shops and payday lending services under the rubric of “instant cash solutions for consumers.” 

Tis the season of gubernatorial reappointments. Gov. Rick Perry reappointed:

• Austin attorney J. Winston Krause to the Texas Lottery Commission.

Deeia Beck of Austin to the Office of Public Insurance Counsel for a two-year term. She has held that post since September 2008.

Ron Ederer of Corpus Christi and John Steen III of Houston (son of the Texas Secretary of State) at the Texas Racing Commission. Ederer is an attorney and an adjunct professor at Texas A&M Corpus Christi; Steen is vice president of business development for Sage Midstream.

Barbara Cargill to chair the State Board of Education.

Debbie Unruh as independent ombudsman at the Texas Juvenile Justice Department; she was first appointed in November 2010.

• Dr. Kyle Janek, a former legislator, as executive commissioner of the state’s Health and Human Services Commission.

• Major General John Nichols of Spring Branch as adjutant general of Texas commanding the Texas Military Forces. 

Deaths: M.A. Taylor Jr., a former state legislator and Republican Party activist and local chairman from Waco. He was 85.

Former Rep. Frank Cahoon of Midland, at one time the only Republican in the Texas House. He was 78.