A top aide to U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, is joining Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. Carlos Sanchez, Castro's chief of staff, will serve as Clinton's deputy political director. Sanchez will work under national political director Amanda Renteria to manage the campaign's regional political directors.
Also, a speechwriter for U.S. Housing Secretary Julián Castro is joining Clinton's presidential campaign. Greg Bell, Castro's director of speechwriting, will start working for the Clinton campaign later this month, according to a Clinton aide. Bell will serve as a speechwriter under Clinton's director of speechwriting, Dan Schwerin.
State Rep. César Blanco, D-El Paso, is getting a promotion of sorts. The lawmaker, now the interim director of the Latino Victory Project, is stepping up as the group’s president, Cristobel J. Alex, leaves to join the Clinton presidential campaign.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has hired as a senior adviser Sherry Sylvester, who was for 10 years the public face of tort reform advocacy group Texans for Lawsuit Reform.
Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick has been appointed to the National Petroleum Council for 2016-17. Per an announcement from the oil and gas regulating agency, Craddick will advocate for the states during the making of public policy at the federal level.
Leo Lopez has been named the Texas Education Agency’s new chief school finance officer, a post that will put him in charge of the agency’s state funding division. In a previous stint at TEA, he administered for six years the state’s Foundation School Program. He begins his new duties on June 27. The TEA is also promoting Al McKenzie to director of state funding from manager of the Foundation School Support unit.
Dale Laine, the president and chief operating officer of the Texas Cable Association, is stepping down, effective June 30. After leaving the TCA, Laine said, he plans to continue to work with his clients at Laine Strategy Group and practice government affairs consulting.
Deaths: Karen R. Johnson, 72, who in a long career in public service was, among other things, president and CEO of United Ways of Texas for nearly 13 years, president of Entergy Texas, executive director of the State Bar of Texas and, more recently, a board member of the Texas State History Museum Foundation. A memorial service is scheduled for Monday at 1 p.m. at St. David's Episcopal Church in Austin. A reception will be held afterward at the Austin Club.
Disclosure: The Texas Cable Association, United Ways of Texas, the State Bar of Texas, Sherry Sylvester and Karen Johnson have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.