The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - May 29, 2024

Episode Date: May 29, 2024

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Howdy folks, today is Wednesday, May 29th, 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, Speaker Dade Phelan will return to the Texas House in January after being pushed to a runoff against Trump-endorsed David Covey but emerging victorious last night. Ultimately, the speaker won by 366 votes after running up the score in his home of Jefferson County. Phelan is the first incumbent state lawmaker since the mid-1990s to win a runoff after finishing second in the primary. In a statement, Covey said that Phelan had, quote, stolen this election from the hardworking people of our district and added

that the Texas GOP must close its primaries to prevent Democrats from voting in them. Next up, the winner of the Republican runoff election for Senate District 30 is Brent Hagenbue. Hagenbue received 56.9% of the vote, and Jace Yarbrough received 43.1%, according to unofficial totals. Just days before the voters headed to the polls, Yarbrough handed over documents to newly elected Texas GOP Chairman Abraham George, requesting administrative action against Hagenbue. Yarbrough, who has previously challenged Hagenbue's residency in the district, requested George to declare him ineligible due to alleged evidence of him not living in SD30. After that, as many GOP incumbents lost to pro-school choice challengers in Tuesday's

runoff elections, Governor Greg Abbott is celebrating the notion that he may be able to get his priority legislation across the finish line next legislative session. Quote, The Texas legislature now has enough votes to pass school choice, Abbott wrote in the aftermath of the runoff elections Tuesday night. Katrina Pearson ousted incumbent Representative Justin Holland, Alan Schoolcraft defeated Representative John Kempel, and Helen Kirwan took down Representative Dwayne Burns.

After the March 5th primary set the stage with multiple anti-school choice incumbents losing or stepping into open seats, the floor was set for the trend to continue in the runoffs. In other news, in the runoff election for Texas' 23rd congressional district, incumbent Congressman Tony Gonzalez defeated challenger Brandon Herrera. Gonzalez picked up 50.7% of the vote, while Herrera garnered 49.3%, a difference of just over 400 votes in the end. The lead-up to the runoff between Gonzalez and Herrera was one of the more interesting races to follow, as each candidate exchanged jabs on social media over their respective campaigns. Herrera, a YouTuber known as The AK Guy, ran various attack ads poking fun at Gonzalez

and his voting record. Gonzalez touted his big name endorsements, hitting the campaign trail with both Governor Greg Abbott and US House Speaker Mike Johnson. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has also publicly supported Gonzalez. State Representative Sean Thierry lost a Democratic

primary runoff election to union organizer Lauren Ashley Simmons after a heated battle over medical gender transition procedures for children under the age of 18. According to unofficial election results from Harris County, Simmons took almost 65 percent to Thierry's 35% out of just over 6,500 ballots cast in Texas House District 146 in South Houston. Seeking a fifth term, Theory had largely voted with her party in previous sessions, but last year, she and three other Democrats broke ranks to vote for Senate Bill 14, which banned providing puberty-blocking medication, hormone therapy, or surgery to children for the purpose of imitating a preferred gender. Also, State Representative Craig Goldman will succeed longtime Congresswoman Kay Granger in the open Tarrant County congressional seat

after defeating John O'Shea in the primary runoff on Tuesday. Goldman earned 44% of the vote in the primary, coming close to avoiding a runoff but still a chunk short. O'Shea finished a distant second place at 26%, but succeeded in pushing Goldman to a second round. Goldman served in the Texas House since 2013, during which time he ascended to a leadership role under Speaker Dade Phelan, something that was used against him in the primary and runoff, but which didn't do nearly enough to knock him off course. Last but not least, the Texas Education Agency has released a new curriculum and instructional support that Commissioner Mike Marath says is going to, quote, provide a resource to significantly improve both the quality and rigor in a classroom that is

really returning to the fundamentals. Visit thetexan.news for the details of our conversation with Marath about what the new curriculum has in store. Thanks for listening. To support The Texan, please be sure to visit thetexan.news and subscribe to get full access to all of our articles, newsletters, and podcasts.