Rep. Cuellar Forced Into Runoff With Progressive Opponent

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Incumbent Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar and progressive Jessica Cisneros are heading to a runoff in late May in Texas' 28th District, after neither candidate cleared the 50% mark in their highly contentious primary race on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. 

Cuellar, who has represented the district since 2005, recently had his home raided by the FBI in January, as part of an investigation related to Azerbaijan and several U.S. businessmen. 

(Full story HERE.)
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Texas Congressman Taylor Concedes Runoff After Affair Revealed

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U.S. Rep. Van Taylor, R-Plano, has decided to end his reelection campaign after he was forced into a primary runoff amid 11th-hour allegations of infidelity.

Taylor made the stunning announcement Wednesday, hours after he finished his five-way primary with 49% of the vote, just missing the cutoff for winning the primary outright. The runner-up was former Collin County Judge Keith Self.

(Full story HERE
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AG Paxton Faces Runoff With Bush

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is headed toward a primary runoff against Land Commissioner George P. Bush.

Paxton, the two-term incumbent, boasted the largest campaign war chest and the support of former President Donald Trump. But in a field of four candidates, he was unable to secure more than 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff election, setting the embattled attorney general on the defensive in the biggest fight of his political life.

Bush narrowly managed entry into the runoff by edging passed Judge Eva Guzman Tuesday night. Bush and Guzman traded barbs near the end of the campaign about each other's commitment to building a wall on the southern border.

Bush has been heard during campaign events calling Paxton an "indicted felon," although he has not been convicted of any crime. Paxton's 2015 indictment on corruption charges has been a focus of Bush's campaign. Paxton says the indictment had been politically motivated, and has successfully delayed any prosecution attempts.

Opponents of Bush have raised the issue of his handling of the Alamo and plans to move the near-sacred cenotaph monument at the Alamo site, and to  "reimagine" the visitor's center there to enhance the Mexican side of the formative Texas 1836 battle.

Democrats also are facing a runoff in the attorney general's race, with Civil Rights Attorney Rochelle Garza gaining 43% of the core, and former Galveston mayor Joe Jaworski and civil rights attorney Lee Merritt both coming in around 19%. 

(Full story HERE.)
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Abbott To Face O'Rourke In November In Governor's Race

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday staved off Republican primary challenges from far-right opponents, setting up a closely watched general election clash against Democratic nominee Beto O'Rourke.

Abbott drew 66% of the vote, while opponents Allen West and Don Huffines garnered around 12% each in the eight-way race.

(Full story HERE.)
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Republicans Choose Among 8 Candidates For Governor

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Republicans and Democrats throughout the state today are choosing primary candidates for federal and state offices who will face candidates of the opposite party in the general election in November.

Eight candidates are running in the Republican primary election for governor of Texas.

Governor since 2015, Abbott previously served as the 50th attorney general of Texas from 2002 to 2015 and as a member of the Texas Supreme Court from 1996 to 2001.  Facing a challenge from his right flank in the Republican primary, Abbott is looking to silence his critics with a strong showing in the primary.

Polls show Abbott with a comfortable lead over his closest competitors, former Rep. Allen West and former state Sen. Don Huffines. (Although West and Huffines have produced what are thought to be unscientific "internal polls" showing them both doing substantially better than scientific polls done by media outlets and Universities.)

West, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, served as Texas Republican Party chairman before stepping down from the post and entering the race. Previously, he served as a congressman in South Florida from 2011 to 2013. West has attacked Abbott for the governor's 2020 mask mandate and closure of churches across Texas during the pandemic, as well as his failure to close the border with Mexico.

Huffines has been relentless in his attacks on Abbott for failing to act fast enough to close the Southern border. Huffines has proposed eliminating property taxes and closing the border to trade, both economically questionable tactics, but proposals well designed to stir up populist voters in the primary. Still, his campaign has struggled to gain traction.

Chad Prather is an American conservative political commentator, comedian and internet personality known for a series of YouTube videos in which he comments on life, right-leaning politics and current events. He is polling in single digits in the governor's race.

Also running in the primary are Paul Belew, Daniel Harrison, Kandy Kaye Horn, and Rick Perry (not the former governor.)

(Full story HERE.)
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Governor Acts Against Possible Russian Cyber Attacks

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In light of enhanced potential for Russian cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure and private businesses in the United States, Gov. Greg Abbott has sent a letter to the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) directing both agencies to use every available resource to safeguard the state’s critical infrastructure and to assist local governments and school districts in Texas with their needs. 

(Full story HERE.)
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Another Poll Shows Abbott Far Ahead Of GOP Challengers, O'Rourke

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Gov. Greg Abbott (R) tops his primary challengers and leads Democrat Beto O'Rourke in the Lone Star State's  2022 gubernatorial race, according to a new poll released Thursday. 

A poll from The Hill/Emerson College Polling found that 61 percent of likely voters in Texas support Abbott's reelection campaign in the Republican primary. 

His closest challenger, Republican Allen West, has registered 12 percent support in the primary, according to the survey. 

Abbott, who has been governor for seven years, is also leading in the poll's general election matchup against Democratic frontrunner O'Rourke.

(Full story HERE
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Perry Criticizes Psaki Over Cybersecurity Threat

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Former Trump Energy Secretary and former Texas Governor Rick Perry slammed White House press secretary Jen Psaki on "Fox & Friends" Wednesday for denying a cybersecurity threat from Russia as President Vladimir Putin prepares to invade Ukraine. 

Perry also argued the Biden administration is hurting their climate change agenda by creating an energy production void being filled by Russia.  

"Anyone who is sitting at the White House, being the spokesperson for the president of the United States, and basically saying that there is no threat for cybersecurity needs to step away from the microphone and quit doing any more harm to America," said Perry.

(Full story HERE.)
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AG Candidates Bush And Guzman Trade Barbs Over Border Wall

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With the contentious 2022 Republican primary for Texas attorney general just days away, opponents George P. Bush and former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman are attacking each other’s commitment to border security. 

Bush, who has served as commissioner of the Texas General Land Office since 2015, aired a campaign ad this week claiming that Guzman, a Republican, "opposes George P. Bush’s plan to finish Trump’s wall, calling it a ploy." 

(Full story HERE.)
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West Won't Be Charged In Airport Mask Altercation

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Republican gubernatorial candidate Allen West will not be prosecuted over a face mask-related altercation at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, an official said. 

A Grapevine Municipal Court administrator said Monday that West would not be charged in connection to a confrontation with a man who called him out for being unmasked last year, according to The Dallas Morning News.

Any altercation over not wearing a mask can only help West with Republican voters, who have been hostile to mask mandates and public mask-wearing in general, and especially hostile to those who attempt to shame those who don't choose to wear masks.

(Full story HERE.)
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Railroad Commission Candidate's Semi-Nude Social media Video Raises Eyebrows

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Oil and gas attorney Sarah Stogner, 37, decided her race against incumbent Wayne Christian wasn’t getting enough coverage, so she drummed up her own — minus the coverage part. 

For a short TikTok video, Stogner climbed atop a pump jack wearing nothing but pasties and panties, urging people to vote early and noting on Twitter: “They said I needed money … I have other assets.” The reaction has ranged from shock and shaming to a Twitter user asking “How many times can I vote?”

(Full story HERE.)
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