It’s filing deadline day
By 6 p.m. today, Texans will know which Republicans and Democrats in the state are — and are not — running for office in 2018.
Expect today to be a frenzy as state parties submit paperwork that will eventually show up on the Texas Secretary of State's website — and keep an eye out for any last-minute competition or retirement news.
Who has filed so far?
There doesn't appear to be a lot of mystery at the top of the statewide ticket so far.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is running for a second term, and Texas Democrats saw their first big name candidate enter the race last week when Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez announced she is running for governor.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has also announced he's seeking re-election, as are the other Republicans currently holding a major statewide office:
- Attorney General Ken Paxton
- Comptroller Glenn Hegar
- Land Commissioner George P. Bush
- Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller
- Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick.
Patrick, Bush and Miller will face primary challengers, and the Democratic Party has at least one candidate to challenge each of those incumbents, as Patrick Svitek pointed out.
What to watch
Past cycles have shown there's plenty of gamesmanship when candidates choose to file, and this one appears that it won't disappoint in the shock factor department either:
- Last week, state Rep. Leighton Schubert, R-Caldwell, suddenly announced he was not seeking re-election — despite already filing for another term and receiving an endorsement from Abbott.
- On Friday, sources said former Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson had decided to challenge Commissioner George P. Bush in next year’s Republican primary for his old job.
As for retirements, seven congressmen from Texas have already announced they're giving up their seats in 2018. It's not out of the question that more from the 36-member delegation could join that list by the end of today.
One to watch is U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, a Republican from Corpus Christi who has filed for re-election and has come under fire in recent weeks over a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by a former staffer in 2014. The congressman has maintained he plans to push on despite growing pressureand a widening field of challengers.