Here’s a quick recap of what happened over the last week:
Republican Party Abandons Censures
The State Republican Executive Committee – the governing body of the state Republican Party – met on Saturday in Austin to consider censures for ten incumbent Republican House members for their alleged lack of conservative credentials. Leading up to the meeting, the SREC had threatened to take action against the members that included a recommendation that they be banned from the Republican primary ballot in March. One of the ten members under consideration for censure was current Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows of Lubbock.
The impetus for the meeting and censures come as many in the party – particularly SREC members – have complained that the members of the legislature are not responsive to the desires of the grassroots activists in the party, hence allowing many of their legislative priorities to die during the legislative session. In contrast, others warned of pushback from the Trump administration to the ballot prohibition since some of the members under consideration for censure have been endorsed by President Trump for reelection.
In the end, the SREC did not follow through on its threat to bar members from the ballot. Instead, they approved milder versions of a censure for five of the 10 that included resolutions to discourage the censured members from running for reelection and authorized the party to spend funds for their opposition in 2026. The members censured were Reps. Gary VanDeaver of New Boston, Jared Patterson of Frisco, Angelina Orr of Waco, Stan Lambert of Abilene, and former House Speaker Dade Phelan of Beaumont. Lambert and Phelan are not seeking reelection in 2026.
Rep. Hinojosa to Challenge Abbott
Austin Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa launched her race for Governor this week. In her announcement, she accused incumbent Republican Gov. Abbott of being beholden to big money donors and fostering an environment of corruption in the state. Hinojosa said, “Our fight is against billionaires and corporations who are driving up prices, closing our schools, and cheating Texans out of health care.”
Hinojosa was first elected to the state House in 2016 after serving on the Austin ISD school board. She has a history of sparring with Abbott, particularly over the private school voucher plan enacted by the legislature earlier this year. She called Abbott out of step with Texans and has been harshly critical of Abbott for accepting millions in contributions from out of state billionaires who are proponents of vouchers.
Hinojosa is clearly the most well-established of the other Democrats in the race that includes Bay City Councilman Benjamin Flores, rancher Bobby Cole, and Andrew White – Houston attorney and son of former Gov. Mark White.
The race is an uphill battle for Hinojosa, who will have to contend with Abbott’s war chest of nearly $100 million. Plus, Hinojosa is not well known outside of the Austin area. Abbott is seeking a record fourth term.
Flood Investigation Committee
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows announced this week the creation of committees that will fully investigate the events surrounding the July 4th Hill Country floods that killed 130 people, including 25 children.
The House and Senate will each appoint their own committees that will meet jointly over the interim to not only study the facts and circumstances surrounding the flooding, but to also identify ways to bolster the state’s preparedness and response to natural disasters.
Camp Mystic – the youth camp that experienced the greatest loss of young lives – has already announced plans to reopen next summer. The camp has said it looks forward to working with the committees to help the public have a better understanding of the facts surrounding the tragedy. State leaders and the families of those lost have expressed dismay and sadness that the camp is already making plans to reopen next year.
Overweight Texas Guard Troops Sent Home
While Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth supported the assignment of Texas National Guard troops to Chicago, he has sent home several of the soldiers that he deemed to be overweight and out of shape. The Texas Military Department – having jurisdiction over the troops – has confirmed a small group of soldiers have been replaced, but the Department did not specify how many or if the troops in question were completely removed from the assignment in Chicago.
Secretary Hegseth has indicated on more than one occasion that he has grown “tired” of seeing “fat troops.” He has said that troops need to be “fit, not fat.” This all began when a picture was snapped of several troops arriving in Chicago that went viral due to their appearance. The federal National Guard Bureau issued a statement in response saying that all troops must meet service height and weight standards, as well as physical fitness standards at all times. Non-compliant members can be pulled from assignments and returned home.
In addition to this negative attention on the mission, a federal judge ruled over the weekend that the troops can stay in Illinois but cannot be activated. This in response to the continuing legal battle between the affected states and the Trump administration regarding the deployment of National Guard troops in California, Oregon, and Illinois to assist US Border and Customs Enforcement agents in their operations to locate and deport undocumented individuals. Since the operation began in Chicago in mid-September, about 1,000 immigrants suspected of being in the country illegally have been apprehended.
And speaking of the National Guard, Gov. Abbott announced yesterday he would deploy troops in Austin to the “No Kings” protests scheduled for Saturday afternoon at the Capitol. Similar protests will take place around the country in to condemn the Trump administration’s policies on deportations of undocumented individuals. Abbott says the deployment is necessary to ensure the safety of Austin residents. According to reports, the protest will begin at 2PM at the Capitol and conclude with a march down Congress Avenue.
Political Notes
With Rep. Hinojosa’s announcement that she will not seek reelection to the state House next year to run for Governor, Josh Reyna became the first announced candidate for the House District 49 seat based in central Austin. Reyna currently serves as chief of staff to Democratic El Paso Senator Cesar Blanco.
Fellow legislative staffer Julio Salinas has jumped into the Democratic primary in the race for House District 41 to succeed retiring Democratic state Rep. Bobby Guerra of McAllen. Salinas joins McAllen City Commissioner Sebby Haddad and Latino rights activist Eric Holguin in the race on the Democratic side. McAllen attorney Sergio Sanchez is the only Republican running so far in a House district that Trump won with 50.3% of the vote. Republicans look at this district as an opportunity to flip to the GOP side.
Former Republican state Rep. Frederick Frazier of McKinney wants his old job back. Frazier was defeated by current Rep. Keresa Richardson in the 2024 Republican primary after serving just one term. Now, Frazier wants to return the favor. He announced this week he would be challenging Richardson in the 2026 Republican primary. Frazier was defeated in part for his conviction of impersonating a public servant during the 2024 campaign. He posed as a city code enforcement officer and demanded businesses remove their political signs supporting his opponents. Frazier accepted a plea deal, and the charges were ultimately dismissed after a deferred adjudication agreement. The district is comprised of parts of McKinney and Frisco in Collin County.
The race for the Republican nomination for Congressional District 10 is starting to take shape. This is the race to succeed retiring Republican Congressman Michael McCaul of Austin. The district was significantly redrawn and now runs from western Travis County east to take in rural counties in deep East Texas. Austin lawyer Chris Gober announced last week, and he has been joined by Bee Cave Mayor Kara King on the GOP side. Even with the redraw, the district remains safely Republican.
Ken Paxton announced this week he raised $1.3 million that he will report for his 3rd quarter fundraising numbers, giving him $3.2 million cash on hand for his challenge to incumbent US Senator John Cornyn. The third member in the Republican primary race, Congressman Wesley Hunt, will report raising $366,000 and has $1.5 million cash on hand. Cornyn has reported a haul of $3.4 million for the quarter and has $6 million cash on hand heading into the last three months of the year.
The nine-day trial over the new Congressional maps has concluded in El Paso and is now in the hands of a three-judge federal panel. At issue is the latest map drawn in special session this summer that attempts to create five new Republican opportunity districts. Plaintiffs have argued the new maps discriminate against minority voters, while the state contends the maps are driven by the desire to increase the Republican partisan advantage in Congress. No timetable on the decision that could determine if the maps are able to be used in the 2026 elections.
And finally, the special election to replace Senator Brandon Creighton – who recently resigned to assume the chancellorship of Texas Tech University System – will take place on May 2, 2026. The winner will serve out the remainder of his term, which ends in December of 2026. Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon is the only announced candidate at this time. The district runs from Montgomery County east to the Louisiana border and is safely Republican.
What’s Next??
The watch continues for the potential a third special session, but as time goes on, the likelihood of a fall special session wanes.
We will also continue to watch the retirements, filings, and other movements regarding the 2026 races for legislative, congressional, and statewide offices.