Gov. Greg Abbott has reappointed Deeia Beck as public counsel for the Office of Public Insurance Counsel. Her new term expires Feb. 1, 2017. She’s held the post since September 2008.

Abbott has reappointed Jessica Corna of Austin as Injured Employee Counsel. Her new term expires Feb. 1, 2017. She has held the post since October 2014.

Abbott has named Patty Maginnis of Conroe to the bench in Montgomery County’s 435th District Court. Maginnis, already a candidate for the seat, is assured of winning in the November general election after the incumbent resigned and withdrew from his re-election campaign.

Abbott has appointed Wes Tidwell of Paris to fill the vacancy on the 6th District Court, which has jurisdiction in Red River and Lamar counties. Judge Eric Clifford resigned last month, having previously withdrawn from the GOP primary election for the post. Tidwell has a Democratic opponent in November.

Abbott announced Tuesday that he’s reappointed Jim Jeffers of Nacogdoches and David Landis of Perryton to the Texas Municipal Retirement System Board of Trustees. Their terms expire Feb. 1, 2021.

Republican Party of Texas Chairman Tom Mechler announced on Friday that former Republican National Committeeman Ernie Angelo has endorsed his re-election campaign.

Wayne Christian, GOP candidate in the runoff election for the open seat on the Railroad Commission, announced on Wednesday endorsements from former Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams and state Sen. Van Taylor, R-Plano. He followed on Thursday with an endorsement from the political arm of the Texas Association of Business.

The Texas Home School Coalition Association released on Friday its slate of endorsements for the May 24 runoff elections. The list is highlighted by endorsements of Bryan Hughes for the open SD-1 seat as well as Kyle Biedermann and Briscoe Cain, who are challenging sitting incumbents in HD-73 (Doug Miller) and HD-128 (Wayne Smith), respectively. The THSC also chose to endorse Ray Wheless in the runoff for Place 2 on the Court of Criminal Appeals.

Dawn Buckingham announced Monday an endorsement from the advocacy arm of Texas Values in her bid to win the open SD-24 seat. On Tuesday, she received the backing of the political arm of the Texas Farm Bureau. And on Wednesday, she announced the support of the Texas Wildlife Association. She is in a runoff for the Republican nomination against state Rep. Susan King, R-Abilene.

Ernest Bailes, who is in the Republican runoff to succeed John Otto, R-Dayton, in representing HD-18, announced on Wednesday an endorsement from the political arm of Texas Alliance for Life.

The Texas Democratic Party announced this week that it has hired Tariq Thowfeek as the party’s new communications director. He most recently served as digital director for Texas-based consulting firm Y Strategy. He succeeds Javier Gamboa, who left to join the communications shop at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Carmen Ayala has been named the new executive director of the Dallas County Democratic Party. She’s been with the party for four years, having served most recently as the organization’s director of operations.

The Beer Alliance of Texas has hired J.P. Urrabazo as the organization’s vice president of industry affairs. He comes to the Alliance from Longbow Partners, where he represented the group during his four years there.

Disclosure: The Office of Public Insurance Counsel, the Texas Association of Business, the Texas Farm Bureau and the Beer Alliance of Texas are corporate sponsors of The Texas Tribune. The Texas Wildlife Association was a sponsor to the Tribune in 2014. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.