Legislative Services

Runoff Elections Bring More Change to House of Representatives

Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) narrowly defeated challenger David Covey on May 28 to avoid being the first Speaker in 52 years to lose a primary election. The battle for House District 21 was the most expensive House race ever, with more than $5 million spent by the two campaigns; outside groups spent millions more. With no Democrat on the Nov. 5 general election ballot, Phelan is sure to return to the House. To retain the gavel, he will need majority support from House members when they elect their leader in January, soon after the 89th Legislature convenes. Reps. Tom Oliverson (R-Cypress) and Shelby Slawson (R-Stephenville) have already declared their candidacy, with others likely to follow.

Phelan's victory cut against the grain. Rep. Gary VanDeaver (R-New Boston) fended off challenger Chris Spencer, but the other seven incumbents pushed to a primary runoff lost by margins of 10 or more percentage points. Incumbent Representatives who lost their runoffs:

• Rep. Justin Holland (R-Rockwall), House District 33
• Rep. John Kuempel (R-Seguin), House District 44
• Rep. DeWayne Burns (R-Cleburne), House District 58
• Rep. Frederick Frazier (R-McKinney), House District 61
• Rep. Lynn Stucky (R-Denton), House District 64
• Rep. Stephanie Klick (R-Fort Worth), House District 91
• Rep. Shawn Nicole Thierry (D-Houston), House District 146

Senate District 15 Special Election Decided

Emergency room nurse and political activist Molly Cook bested Rep. Jarvis Johnson (D-Houston) by 14 percentage points in the May 4 special election for Senate District 15. The seat had sat vacant since January when former Sen. John Whitmire was sworn in as Houston Mayor. Cook will fill the remainder of Whitmire's unexpired term.

She and Johnson faced off again in the May 28 primary runoff election to decide who will appear as the Democratic candidate on the Nov. 5 general election ballot. With 98.7% of runoff election votes tallied as of May 31, Cook held a narrow lead over Johnson.

Speaker Issues House Interim Charges

On May 8, Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) directed House committees to study specific subjects and provide written reports of their findings to the House. Several of the study items overlap with the interim charges issued to the Senate by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on April 11. Committees in both chambers have conducted or scheduled public hearings to gather testimony on the various study topics. A full list of the House interim charges is available here.

Several committees have already concluded their work and issued reports, viewable here.

West Texas County Judges and Commissioners Conference

The West Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association recently held its 95th annual conference in Amarillo. The legislative update featured Reps. John Smithee (R-Amarillo) and Four Price (R-Amarillo), who highlighted initiatives from the last legislative session that will impact the region, including funding for the construction of a state hospital in Amarillo. Smithee and Price praised the county judges in attendance for their emergency response efforts and the testimony they provided to an investigative committee on the Panhandle wildfires. They predicted that the wildfires will be a significant focus of next year's legislative session.

Additionally, new board members for the West Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association were named. They are:

• Oldam County Commissioner Roger Morris, President
• Lamb County Judge Mike DeLoach, First Vice President
• Mason County Commissioner Reggie Loeffler, Vice President
• Hutchinson County Judge Cindy Irwin, Immediate Past President
• Wichita County Commissioner Jeff Watts, Director
• Scurry County Judge Dan Hicks, Director
• Wise County Judge J.D. Clark, Director

Finally, Parmer County Commissioner Kirk Frye received the Official of the Year award and Swisher County Judge Harold Keeter received the Sam D. Seale Award of Excellence.

Legislative Exchanges

TAC Legislative Services staff members recently hit the road again for back-to-back Legislative Exchanges in Cameron and El Paso counties. They gained valuable insights into each region's priorities and identified areas where they can provide legislative assistance based on regional needs.

Sen. Morgan LaMantia (D-South Padre Island) and Reps. Janie Lopez (R-San Benito) and Erin Gámez (D-Brownsville) were featured as special guests at the Cameron County Legislative Exchange. They shared their priorities for the upcoming legislative session and listened to local officials' concerns about water supply and infrastructure needs due to population growth. Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino, Chairperson for the Texas Conference of Urban Counties, provided his perspective on how counties can build better relationships with legislators to accomplish their legislative goals.

El Paso County's Legislative Exchange was a great success as well. Participants focused on water availability, land-use regulations for border communities, and immigration issues and the associated costs that are borne by local taxpayers.

El Paso County Commissioner David Stout is highly engaged in the legislative process and well versed on what is likely heading the region's way in the upcoming legislative session. He said he anticipates another immigration-focused session and urged attendees to share with lawmakers the impact such legislation has on their counties. Hudspeth County Judge Joanna "JoJo" Mackenzie echoed many of Stout's concerns, highlighting the financial strain on her county. Presidio County Commissioner David Beebe called for counties to come together and work as a unit to ensure a stronger voice in the Legislature.

For more information about this article, please contact Katy Estrada or Pete Winckler.