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As of today, 10 days remain for people to get on next year's party primary ballots. To help you keep track, here are a couple of tables with an up to date list of candidates who have filed for positions in the Texas House and Senate.

We list first the incumbent for each seat, his or her party affiliation and whether the incumbent is retiring. Beyond that, we have the candidates who have filed with separate columns for each party primary.

We'll update the list next week.

Here's the candidate filings for the Texas House:

^{Sources: Texas Secretary of State, Republican Party of Texas, Texas Weekly Research}

And here's the candidate filings for the Texas Senate:

^{Sources: Texas Secretary of State, Republican Party of Texas, Texas Weekly Research}

Enlarge Todd Wiseman

State Rep. Byron Cook, R-Corsicana, on the House floor, May 7, 2015.

A rival campaign mistakenly revealed its plans Wednesday for an attack ad against state Rep. Byron Cook, R-Corsicana.  

Cook is facing a challenge from Corsicana businessman Thomas McNutt in House District 8. McNutt's political consultant, Luke Macias, is also working for state Rep. David Simpson of Longview in the Republican primary to replace state Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler. 

In an email to reporters on behalf of Simpson's campaign, Macias inadvertently attached a script for the ad, which appears to feature the father of a 15-year-old boy who killed himself last year in Cook's district. In the spot, the dad accuses Cook, the chairman of the House State Affairs Committee, of being an impediment to the passage of a suicide prevention bill during the most recent legislative session.

The legislation passed and with enough of a majority that it became immediately effective after the governor signed the legislation. 

The father says in the script: "Seeing the political process will make anyone sick, but I can tell you I saw Byron Cook for what he is, a self-centered politician who doesn’t care about the end result. He just wants the credit."

After the script surfaced, McNutt's campaign announced the endorsement of the dad, a Fairfield coach named Kevin Childers. McNutt's campaign touted the endorsement as especially notable because Childers was recently featured in a newsletter Cook sent to constituents. 

“Representative Cook’s arrogance nearly cost us the passage of the bill," Childers said in a news release. "After meeting with Thomas McNutt several times, I’m convinced that he is the right choice for the voters of Freestone County. Thomas will put his constituents above his self-interest and pride, unlike the current incumbent."

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Mission Realtor Dolly Elizondo announced Thursday her candidacy for the Congressional District 15 seat that is open following the announcement from Ruben Hinojosa that he is not running for re-election.

Elizondo was the first woman to be elected to lead the Hidalgo County Democratic Party and she would be the first Texas Latina in Congress if elected, according to her campaign.

Texas Weekly noted last month that EMILY’s List, a political action committee that helps elect pro-choice Democratic women to office, has already signaled interest in becoming involved in the race.

*****

There's a new name in the running for the South Texas HD-40 seat.

The Hidalgo County Young Republicans reported that Maricela De León, a former chief of staff for state Rep. Aaron Peña, announced her candidacy during a stop at the KURV radio station. 

The seat is currently held by Terry Canales, D-Edinburg.

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GOP presidential candidate Carly Fiorina is receiving a boost from a prominent Texas Republican as she rolls out her top policy proposals. 

Former Comptroller Susan Combs on Wednesday was among the Fiorina supporters touting her Blueprint To Take Our Country Back, which calls for overhauling the tax code, repealing Obamacare and defeating the Islamic State terrorist group, among other things. 

Combs said in a statement: “I’m sure more people will see that Carly is presidential material as they look at her blueprint. She’s laid out a course for our economy, foreign policy and federal government. Carly has specific ideas on how to unlock the potential of this nation. There is no better leader for the Oval Office than Carly Fiorina, and her blueprint is more proof of that.”

The former comptroller is leading the Texas leadership team for CARLY For America, a super PAC working to elect the former Hewlett-Packard CEO. The team includes more than two dozen other Texas Republicans backing Fiorina, an Austin native.

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Ted Cruz's campaign presidential continues to wrangle with Iowa's ethanol lobby two days after a renewable fuels group launched an attack ad against him.

The U.S. senator from Texas is taking heat from the organization, America's Renewable Future, for his opposition to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which sets a minimum amount of biofuels that must be blended into the gasoline supply. The group is calling the GOP candidate a hypocrite for wanting to get rid of the standard while preserving oil subsidies; Cruz's campaign wants the ad taken down, arguing that it's false because he supports eliminating all energy subsidies.

The proof is in Cruz's tax proposals, his campaign said Thursday. 

"We appreciate America's Renewable Future's focus on fairness and market competition and welcome their endorsement of Ted Cruz's Simple Flat Tax Plan which eliminates all energy subsidies, specifically the ones America's Renewable Future seems to find so offensive," Cruz spokesman Rick Tyler said in a statement.

The latest response from the Cruz campaign came a day after America's Renewable Future dug in its heels on the ad, saying it does not plan to yank it. The group claimed Cruz is misrepresenting the extent of his commitment to nixing oil subsidies, noting he "personally introduced legislation to repeal the RFS, but none to repeal the billions in subsidies to the oil industry."

"This attempt is yet another example of Cruz lying to Iowans, only this time he’s been caught," read a statement from Eric Branstad, the son of Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad who is leading the pro-ethanol effort.

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The Cruz campaign also on Thursday named more than 100 prominent backers in a state deep into the primary calendar: New Jersey. 

The 121 supporters include county chairs in all 21 counties in the Garden State, an organizational feat for the June 7 nominating contest. Cruz's campaign has already announced county chairs in all 171 counties that make up the first four early voting states.

Leading Cruz's efforts in New Jersey is Steve Lonegan, who is perhaps best known for his 2013 U.S. Senate campaign against Democrat Cory Booker. 

*****

Cruz is returning to Iowa to unveil a group of supporters focused on gun rights. 

The Republican presidential candidate will announce his National 2nd Amendment Coalition on Friday at a gun range in Johnston, according to an email to supporters sent Tuesday. The invitation promises Cruz will be joined by "special guests as he discusses the rights of Americans to keep and bear arms."

The trip to Iowa, which also includes an appearance Sunday at FreedomWorks' Rising Tide Summit in Cedar Rapids, will be Cruz's seventh trek to the early voting state in eight straight weeks. He finished a three-day, 14-stop tour of Iowa on Monday night.

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Railroad Commission Chairman David Porter.

Texas Railroad Commission Chairman David Porter says he’s concerned about what he calls a “witch hunt” against ExxonMobil amid New York’s probe into whether the energy giant lied to the public and investors about the business risks of climate change.

“Radical environmentalist ideology is increasingly masquerading as scientific fact and causing a chilling effect on credible climate science and free speech,” the Republican wrote to Attorney General Ken Paxton in a letter dated Monday.

Earlier this month, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman subpoenaed the company, according to media reports, seeking information about whether it publicly downplayed risks of man-made climate change — even as ExxonMobil’s own scientists warned company executives of the phenomenon’s consequences and published research along those lines.

The subpoena followed a series of reports by the Los Angeles Times and Inside Climate News revealing inconsistencies in the ways the company approached climate change in-house and publicly.

ExxonMobil has denied any wrongdoing and called the news reports "deliberately misleading."

Porter’s letter did not mention those news reports, and claimed that Hillary Clinton “gave Schneiderman political cover to launch a climate change witch hunt against Exxon Mobil” when she called for a Department of Justice investigation into the matter in October. 

The New York Times broke the story on Schneiderman’s probe, and reported that his office began investigating a year ago.

“I am extremely concerned about these recent reports that are intended to damage the U.S. and Texas oil and gas industries and to further the left’s radical green effort,” Porter wrote.

Porter’s letter comes amid another hot-button climate change investigation — one launched by U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, who has tried to refute the overwhelming consensus that human activity helps drive climate change.

Smith — the Republican chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology — has subpoenaed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, seeking the internal deliberations of scientists involved in a landmark study contradicting claims that global warming had “paused” in recent years. (The administration says those deliberations are confidential.)

Texas Weekly asked Porter's office whether he thought that Smith's investigation, too, would cause the “chilling effect” on science that he fears with Schneiderman’s would. It's a charge scientists and other critics have levied on Smith.

Mary Bell, a spokeswoman, said Porter views Smith's investigation differently and "commends" the effort.

"We don't see the correlation," she wrote in email.

"Chairman Smith is gathering information pertinent to his committee oversight function from government-paid researchers to help him understand if they altered or changed data to fit their predetermined agenda," the email said. "Chairman Porter is criticizing politically motivated legal actions taken by state attorneys general."

Porter is facing a primary challenge in 2016 from John Greytok, a longtime Republican activist, attorney and lobbyist.

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The Texas General Land Office is spreading its footprint around San Antonio’s Alamo Plaza.

The agency on Wednesday announced that it purchased three historically significant buildings across from the Alamo Complex: the Woolworth, Crockett and Palace buildings.

The $14.4 million purchase will add nearly 100,000 square feet of building space to the state’s holdings. Some of the new space overlaps the original grounds of the Alamo Mission, built in 1724. This includes the spot where Lt. Col. William B. Travis penned his famous letter calling for reinforcements 179 years ago.

“The purchase of these buildings caps an extraordinary year in the history of the Alamo,” Land Commissioner George P. Bush said in a statement, calling the plaza-adjacent buildings "irreplaceable."

Bush said nothing will change for the tenants of the buildings, but handing ownership to Texas will help the state with its plans to improve the experiences of those who visit the Alamo.

In October, the land office, San Antonio leaders and the Alamo Endowment Board signed an agreement to develop a master plan for the Alamo Historic District and Complex.

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Bush is facing criticism after he was quoted comparing his land commissioner job to that of a “dog catcher.”

"There's no better experience than getting involved in a presidential race because you truly do absorb so much more information than say, running for dog catcher like I did in Texas,” the Republican reportedly said Wednesday.

That’s according to a Houston Chronicle account of a supporters-only videoconference with backers of his dad Jeb Bush’s presidential bid. 

Democrats seized on the quote, suggesting that the first-year office holder is using his versatile agency as a political launching pad.

“George P. Bush has long been accused of preparing to use his office as a stepping stone, now he has essentially admitted it. He clearly has no respect for Texas, its people, and the office he holds, Gilberto Hinojosa, the chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, said in a statement Thursday.

A GLO spokesman said in response, “Commissioner Bush was obviously using self-deprecating humor, which he often does in speeches and remarks. The fact is, he’s very proud of the incredible year of accomplishments that we’ve had at the General Land Office. He closed the deal on the Alamo Plaza buildings and stood up to protect Texans’ land just this week. Perhaps the commissioner should work on his comedic delivery though.”

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For this week’s nonscientific survey of insiders in government and politics, we asked first about the attribute in a candidate that is most prized by voters.

We gave four possible responses, which many of our insiders noted was far from an exhaustive list. Of the options supplied, the insiders split evenly between "able to get things done" (23 percent) and "stands up to political adversaries" (22 percent). "Tells the truth" was favored by 12 percent while "experience" was identified as a desirable attribute by just 2 percent.

More than 40 percent, though, opted to supply their own attribute. Many of those were quite perceptive or humorous or both. And one used an emoticon in the response, the first such use that we are aware of in the history of Texas Weekly.

With the next question, we asked about the influence that third party fact checkers have, if any, on voters' perceptions of candidates. This question also largely split the insiders with 49 percent saying fact checkers don't have an influence and 41 percent saying that they do.

We spent time with the last two questions in an attempt to unpack what larger implications the attack on the Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic last week might have on the ongoing political conversation on free speech and gun rights.

We asked first about whether the attack signaled that lawmakers should cool the rhetoric on abortion or act to control access to guns by the mentally ill. Exactly one-third said lawmakers should move ahead on both fronts and exactly one-third said they shouldn't move ahead on either front.

Another 14 percent favored action on cooling the rhetoric and 13 percent thought action on access to guns was the better option.

We closed by asking whether the attack would have any effect on Texas lawmakers' approach to First and Second Amendment rights. On this, the insiders were nearly unanimous. Nearly nine in 10 said, "Don't count on it."

We collected comments along the way, and a full set of those is attached. Here’s a sampling:

Enlarge Emily Albracht

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Which attribute do you think voters prize the most in a candidate for elected office?

• "Purity of Essence."

• "Likability/personality — whether they think that matters or not, that's who they'll vote for. Just go chat with elected officials you know. They almost all have good personalities and are pretty good folks whether you agree with their politics or not."

• "Agrees with me... is obnoxious to others who don't."

• "Fighting spirit seems to trump everything else — experience, truth telling, competence."

• "Are you kidding me? It's political affiliation. Every stat tells us we are blind partisan voters."

• "Authenticity — even if it's faked."

Enlarge Emily Albracht

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Do fact checkers from third parties and organizations influence what voters think about candidates?

• "Trying to avoid being too cynical this morning, but thinking voters use the fact checkers (if they bother to read them) to confirm what they already believe; and they probably don't change any minds."

• "Only wonks read fact checks. Unless the four Pinocchios becomes a TV ad."

• "The story of this cycle has been the inability of media to change the electorate's perceptions through the unearthing and airing of negative information. See Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton."

• "No. To GOP politicians, PolitiFact is a total joke. Any Republican who cooperates with PolitiFact, and lends respectability to its left-wing agenda, is guilty of political malpractice."

• "Fact checkers are not trusted sources."

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What’s the overriding message of the Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic attack for politicians?

• "I don't think they draw any particular new conclusion from the attack. It just reaffirms their position (whatever it is)."

• "You could almost predict this was going to happen and that silence would ensue. Sadly on all accounts."

• "The message should be about mental health, but abortion is a much sexier topic. Nobody is talking about the perpetrator — typical liberal response. Don't blame the criminal, blame others for causing the perpetrator to behave in such a manner."

• "I am pro-life and pro-gun but using one to enforce your belief is no better than ISIS."

• "The message should be everyone needs to chill out. But that one won't be well received."

Enlarge Emily Albracht

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Does the Colorado attack change how Texas lawmakers talk about First Amendment and Second Amendment rights?

• "No. Not at ALL. They just say, 'if someone in the clinic had a gun they could have saved all those killed.'"

• "If the abortionist had guns, this would not have happened. A modest proposal..."

• "Rhetoric isn't to blame, which is your underlying assumption. The real issue is DEFENSE. Defense of innocent life. Defense of our Bill of Rights."

• "Maybe we should change how the Texas Tribune talks about rights. Maybe they should have their speech regulated. To muzzle citizens or lawmakers, the press must first take a dose and see how they like it."

• "Will efforts to put guns everywhere also apply to the inside of abortion clinics?"

Our thanks to this week's participants: Gene Acuna, Cathie Adams, Brandon Aghamalian, Brandon Alderete, Clyde Alexander, Jay Arnold, Charles Bailey, Dave Beckwith, Andrew Biar, Allen Blakemore, Tom Blanton, Chris Britton, Raif Calvert, Lydia Camarillo, Kerry Cammack, Snapper Carr, Corbin Casteel, Elna Christopher, Randy Cubriel, Beth Cubriel, Curtis Culwell, Denise Davis, June Deadrick, Tom Duffy, Richard Dyer, John Esparza, Dominic Giarratani, Bruce Gibson, Stephanie Gibson, Eric Glenn, Daniel Gonzalez, Jim Grace, Clint Hackney, Wayne Hamilton, Bill Hammond, Susan Hays, Ken Hodges, Deborah Ingersoll, Mark Jones, Robert Kepple, Richard Khouri, Tom Kleinworth, Sandy Kress, Nick Lampson, Pete Laney, Dick Lavine, James LeBas, Luke Legate, Leslie Lemon, Ruben Longoria, Vilma Luna, Matt Mackowiak, Jason McElvaney, Steve Minick, Mike Moses, Gardner Pate, Robert Peeler, Jerry Philips, Wayne Pierce, Allen Place, Gary Polland, Jay Propes, Patrick Reinhart, David Reynolds, Carl Richie, A.J. Rodriguez, Jeff Rotkoff, Grant Ruckel, Jason Sabo, Barbara Schlief, Stan Schlueter, Robert Scott, Bruce Scott, Steve Scurlock, Ben Sebree, Nancy Sims, Ed Small, Martha Smiley, Larry Soward, Dennis Speight, Jason Stanford, Colin Strother, Sherry Sylvester, Sara Tays, Trey Trainor, Corbin Van Arsdale, Ware Wendell, David White, Seth Winick, Peck Young, Angelo Zottarelli.

Enlarge Todd Wiseman

Friday, Dec. 4

• Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders' campaign holds rally after filing paperwork to get on the Texas ballot; 1100 Congress Ave., East Side of Texas Capitol, Austin (11 a.m.)
• National Center for Policy Analysis luncheon with Mayors Beth Van Duyne (Irving), Betsy Price (Fort Worth) and Nelda Martinez (Corpus Christi); 14901 Dallas Parkway, Dallas (12-1:30 p.m.)
• Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton fundraiser; Home of Henry and Imelda Cuellar, Laredo (4-6 p.m.)

Saturday, Dec. 5

• Conservative Leaders Gala with keynote speaker Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick; 1501 Gaylord Trail, Grapevine (7 p.m.)

Tuesday, Dec. 8

• State Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, fundraiser; 110 E. Ninth St., Austin (4:30-6 p.m.)
• State Rep. Harold Dutton Jr., D-Houston, fundraiser; 701 Congress Ave., Austin (5:30-7:30 p.m.)

Wednesday, Dec. 9

• HD-117 Democratic candidate Philip Cortez fundraiser; 218 Produce Row, San Antonio (5-7 p.m.)

Texas has taken its fight against the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the state to federal court, filing suit against the federal government and a refugee resettlement nonprofit. The suit argues that the federal government and group have not fulfilled their contractual obligations to consult with state officials.

Two sets of attorneys who believe their client doesn't belong on death row are fighting not only the state of Texas but also each other as his case arrives at the U.S. Supreme Court. Robert Leslie Roberson III was sentenced to death for killing his two-year-old daughter in 2002. Because the jury didn't hear from a defense expert who thought Roberson might suffer from mental lapses caused by a brain injury, his attorneys have since asked state and federal courts to throw out his conviction.

Seeking to reduce the number of child abuse fatalities in Texas, a group of medical, law and child welfare experts recommended Wednesday that the state create a new advisory board, as well as review teams to examine child abuse cases in each county.

In a lawsuit filed Wednesday afternoon in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton claims the federal government and the International Rescue Committee — one of about 20 private nonprofits that have a state contract to resettle refugees in Texas — are violating federal law by moving forward with the planned resettlement of two Syrian families. After unsuccessfully demanding that private resettlement groups stop helping Syrian refugees move to Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott's administration is now insisting that the federal government turn over medical, security screening and other background information on them.

Energy Future Holdings, mired in bankruptcy, has agreed to pay up to $2 million to help clean up long-abandoned uranium mines in New Mexico — a sum far lower than the federal government originally sought.

In a letter sent Wednesday to University of Texas System Chancellor Bill McRaven, state Sen. John Whitmire joined a growing number of legislators asking the UT System to pause and reconsider its plans to open a branch campus in his hometown of Houston.

Nonprofit workers in the Rio Grande Valley say they’ve seen an increase this year in the number of rip-off artists charging Texans for help signing up for health insurance — a service they are eligible to get for free.

While Gov. Greg Abbott hasn't called for the outright repeal of the United States' decades-old trade embargo with Cuba, he made clear to Cubans Tuesday that Texas is ready to jump at the business opportunity if it happens.

The Obama Administration won a small but significant battle on Tuesday when the U.S. Supreme Court denied Texas’ request for an extra 30 days to respond to the White House’s petition for review of a controversial immigration case.

Early education advocates on Tuesday urged the Texas Education Agency to ensure that a diverse group of school districts will be able to apply for funding through a new state grant program designed to bolster the quality of pre-kindergarten.

As U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz's stock rises in Iowa, he is increasingly finding himself in the crosshairs of one of the corn-growing state's most powerful lobbies: the ethanol industry. And Cruz's campaign is aggressively pushing back, asking radio stations in the early voting state to take down an attack ad that labels him a "hypocrite" for his unapologetic opposition to an ethanol-friendly fuel standard.

The Texas land commissioner on Tuesday asked to joined seven North Texas families in a federal lawsuit that accuses the U.S. Bureau of Land Management of perpetuating an “arbitrary seizure” of land along the Red River.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz on Monday offered a spirited defense of Republicans on women's health issues, accusing Democrats of creating a phony "war on women" based on claims that his party wants to restrict access to birth control.

Experts warn that a lack of safety on Texas roads is not just killing thousands of people each year. It's taking an even greater — if less visible — toll on life expectancy, due to a lack of safe options for pedestrians and cyclists.

Rice University is the latest private college in Texas to announce that it would opt out of the state's new campus carry law.

House Speaker Joe Straus will see a shakeup in his office next year with chief of staff Jesse Ancira stepping down in the spring and other shifts in his office's leadership, Straus’ office confirmed Monday. Patricia Shipton, currently a strategic legislative advisor in Straus’ office, will replace Ancira as chief of staff.

A Texas veterinarian who offered pet-care advice online lost a battle against state regulators on Monday after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his case.

After more than a decade of hype, the Panama Canal is scheduled to open an expanded channel next year. For the first time, massive ships the length of four football fields will be able to pass through the canal, quickly traveling between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. Roughly 2,000 miles north, the historic event is renewing a debate: Is Texas properly prepared to capitalize on the canal expansion, or is it letting a huge opportunity sail by?

Disclosure: Rice University was a corporate sponsor of the Tribune in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Energy Future Holdings was a corporate sponsor of The Texas Tribune in 2012. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.

Gov. Greg Abbott has named Josh McGee of Houston, Stephanie Leibe of Austin and Ernest Richards of Irving to the State Pension Review Board for terms to expire Jan. 31, 2021. McGee, who was additionally named the board’s presiding officer, is a vice president at the Laura and John Arnold Foundation where he leads the foundation’s “nationwide efforts to improve retirement security.” His appointment has drawn criticism from labor groups.

Abbott named Carol Ann Bonds and Darrell Coleman to the Texas Military Preparedness Commission for terms set to expire Feb. 1, 2019.

Abbott appointed nine people — Neva Fairchild of Carrollton, Susan May of Austin, Lonny Matthew “Matt” Berend of Abilene, James M. “Jim” Brocato of Beaumont, JoAnne Fluke of Lumberton, Paul Hunt of Austin, Crystal Stark of College Station, Casey Hertel of Abilene and Troyon Myree of Houston — to the Rehabilitation Council of Texas.

Abbott has named Ronald M. “Ronnie” Richards of Clear Lake Shores and Kiran Shah of Richmond to the Manufactured Housing Board for terms to expire at the end of January 2017 and January 2019, respectively.

House Speaker Joe Straus has accepted a leadership position with the Republican Legislative Campaign Committee, which is the only national level group working to elect Republicans to statehouses across the country. Straus was named the group’s incoming chairman for 2016 on Tuesday. Straus replaces Iowa Speaker of the House Kraig Paulsen in the position.

Walter Fisher, whose stint as senior adviser to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick was just the latest stop in a long career in state government and in the lobby, announced on Wednesday that he is retiring. Fisher, who was the Senate parliamentarian from 1996 to 2004, was brought on board as part of Patrick’s transition team prior to his taking over as the Senate’s presiding officer in January.

Houston Mayor Annise Parker has endorsed state Rep. Sylvester Turner in the race to succeed her. The term-limited Parker announced her support for Turner, a Democrat, during a news conference Thursday morning at City Hall in Houston. Turner also received endorsements this week from former Houston Mayor Lee Brown and City Councilman C.O. "Brad" Bradford.

Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Mike Sullivan is backing Bill King in the Houston mayoral race, citing his belief that King will best "tackle serious financial challenges."

Former Gov. Rick Perry has endorsed the candidacy of state Rep. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, for Senate District 1, citing Hughes’ work to secure borders and “protect life and East Texas values.” Hughes also picked up an endorsement from state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, who said Hughes will help end sanctuary cities and called Hughes's record on anti-abortion issues "second to none."

Steve Hotze, the founder of Conservative Republicans of Texas, endorsed Tom Oliverson's campaign for HD-130, saying Oliverson is "the pro-life, pro-family, pro-business, pro-gun, anti-tax candidate in the race." Oliverson is running against Kay Smith for the open seat.

GOP HD-126 candidate Kevin Roberts announced Tuesday that he has won the endorsement of state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, in his run for the open seat. And on Thursday he won the endorsement of Texas Values Action, the advocacy arm of Texas Values.

GOP HD-33 candidate Lorne Liechty announced Tuesday an endorsement from Dallas Cowboys legend Roger Staubach in his run for the open seat.

Bonny Cain, who chairs the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC), on Wednesday offered up her personal endorsement of GOP SD-24 candidate Dawn Buckingham.

Texas Alliance for Life announced Monday that it is presenting state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, with a "Courageous Defense of Life Award" for his work during the 84th legislative session, particularly for his work on the judicial bypass law, which goes into effect Jan. 1.

State Rep. Elliott Naishtat, D-Austin, received a lifetime community service award Thursday afternoon. He was given the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the AmeriCorps/Volunteers in Service to America 50th Anniversary Spotlight event at the LBJ Library.

Texas Central Partners, LLC, the group working to build a high-speed rail spanning between North Texas and Houston, announced on Monday the hiring of Holly Reed as managing director for external affairs, Doug Jones as managing director for the design build program and Lori Willox as chief financial officer.

Prominent geopolitical forecaster George Friedman announced plans to launch a new online publication, Geopolitical Futures, after stepping down as chairman of Stratfor, the company he founded in 1996.

Deaths: David Hartman, 79, died last Tuesday. He was prominent in Republican circles as a donor, a leader with Associated Republicans of Texas and, in 1994, was the last GOP nominee for state treasurer. He also founded the Lone Star Report in 1996, which covered the state Capitol as a conservative voice for 15 years.

Forrest Roan Jr., 70, died Saturday. A well known lawyer and lobbyist in the Austin political community, Roan ran his own law firm in recent years. Prior to that, he was partner at Winstead PC and, before that, at Cantey, Hanger, Roan & Autrey.

Disclosure: The Laura and John Arnold Foundation is a major donor to The Texas Tribune. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.