The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - May 28, 2024
Episode Date: May 28, 2024Want to support The Texan and help us continue providing the Lone Star State with news you can trust? Subscribe today: https://thetexan.news/subscribe/The Texan’s Daily Rundown brings you a quick re...cap of the latest stories in Texas politics so you can stay informed with news you can trust.Want more resources? Be sure to visit The Texan and subscribe for complete access to our in-depth articles, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, videos, podcasts, and more.Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to subscribe and leave a review!
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Howdy folks, today is Tuesday, May 28th, and you're listening to the Texans Daily Rundown.
I'm the Texans Assistant Editor Rob Lausches, and here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics.
First up, today is Election Day for primary runoffs across Texas when Republicans and Democrats compete for their party's nomination to run for office in the November general election.
There are plenty of primary runoffs at the local, state, and federal levels to follow.
Visit thetexan.news for detailed previews on some of the most important races.
The polls close tonight at 7 p.m. Check back at the Texan throughout election night for the latest updates in the state's elections as votes are tallied across Texas, with results compiled by Decision Desk HQ.
The parties have all decamped to their respective corners for the lull before the 12th round of this cycle's arrows over the airwaves and in mailboxes flying to and from the various camps,
things have been rather quiet in the 14 high-profile clashes for the legislature's lower
chamber, 13 Republican and one Democratic. It could be due to having fewer races on the ballot
than in the March 5th election, but even accounting for that, campaigns are focused on getting their
voters out for the runoff, early voting for which began last Monday.
Turnout is the biggest question. Nobody really knows who the more motivated base will be to
show up for this standalone election. With no bigger names at the top of the ticket,
namely Donald Trump and Joe Biden in the presidential race, more casual voters,
motivated by that clash more than anything else, will naturally be less driven to turn out.
The headliner, of course, is Speaker Dade Phelan against David Covey in House District 21.
Covey finished a narrow first place in the primary,
and the race is set to be the most expensive in Texas House history. More than any other, this race will alter the direction of Texas politics for the foreseeable future.
Either an embattled speaker goes down for the
first time in decades, or the establishment strikes back against the incumbent onslaught
of the primary. In other news, former Collin County GOP Chair Abraham George was elected
the next chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, succeeding outgoing Chair Matt Rinaldi,
who endorsed George for the spot. George defeated current party vice
chair Dana Myers, Weston Martinez, Mike Garcia, Ben Armenta, and Travis County GOP chair Matt
Makoviak. George said following the result, quote, I am humbled and honored to have received the
support of thousands of my fellow Republicans and be elected as chairman of the Republican Party of
Texas. After the Senate
District caucuses completed their voting at the convention, George led with 14 votes to Martinez's
and Myers's six apiece, Garcia's two, and Armenta and Makoviak's one each. In the state nominations
committee, which is tasked with submitting a report to the floor with a recommended candidate
for chair, George's total jumped to 16
and Myers gained one vote at Martinez's expense. This was enough to push things to the floor of
the full delegation, at which point George was recommended while Martinez and Myers were
nominated from the floor. Myers was nominated by John Beckmeyer, former RPT executive director
under Rinaldi. Last but not least, a visiting judge has set the date for a
redo of one of Harris County's judicial elections for May 2025, more than two years after the
county's chaotic 2022 general election. Earlier this month, visiting Judge David Peoples declared
that the 2022 election for the 180th State District Court, pitting Democratic incumbent
Judge Deshaun Jones
against Republican challenger Tammy Pierce
was void due to illegal and disqualified votes
that were improperly cast after hours.
On Saturday,
Peebles published a supplemental ruling
ordering the county to hold a new election
on May 3rd, 2025,
and blamed the delay on Jones'
Anti-Strategic Lawsuit Against Public public participation, or SLAP, motion to dismiss and subsequent appeal.
Although anti-SLAP motions are typically used in free speech cases, Jones and his attorney, Oliver Brown,
argued that Pierce's lawsuit infringed on Jones' right to engage in the democratic process.
After Peebles rejected the anti-SLAPP motion as, quote, frivolous and intended solely to delay, in February 2023, Jones appealed to the Texas First Court of Appeals, halting all progress until earlier this year.
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