With House Election, It's Independent's Day in San Antonio

In San Antonio, voters in House District 120 elected (by just 50 votes) an Independent, Laura Thompson, becoming the first Independent to serve since Fort Worth state Rep. Howard Green in the 1959 Legislature.

Thompson, though, didn’t qualify for the general election ballot so her time in office will most likely conclude before lawmakers return next session.

The Legislative Reference Library of Texas lists 31 legislators who were “unaffiliated” with any major party.

Meanwhile, here’s some more information on Green.He served from 1957 until 1966, most of those years as a Democrat. But he identified as an Independent for the 1959 Legislature. And here’s another bit of trivia you probably didn’t know about Green: his grandson is actor Ethan Hawke.

Looking back further, Boerne’s Bodo Holekamp served a singled session as an Independent in the 1933 Legislature. Homer LaKirby Leonard of McAllen, meanwhile, was elected in 1930 as write-in candidate for the Good Government Party. He served as an Independent for as many as four Legislatures before affiliating with the Democrats for his final four terms in office.

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National Democrats are targeting U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-San Antonio, over the attacks by his party's presidential nominee, Donald Trump, on a fallen Muslim soldier's family.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced Thursday it is launching a digital ad campaign tying Hurd to Trump's war of words with the Khan family, whose patriarch, Khizr Khan, blasted Trump in a speech last week at the Democratic National Convention. Trump responded by saying Khzir Khan had "no right" to criticize him the way he did and questioning why his wife, who stood alongside him on the convention stage, did not speak.

"Trump attacked a Gold Star family, and he’s Will Hurd's standard-bearer. What happened to Hurd's standards?" reads the Twitter ad, which also includes a link to an anti-Trump commercial the DCCC is already airing in vulnerable incumbents' districts.

In an interview Tuesday with the El Paso Times, Hurd denounced Trump for attacking the Khans, saying the billionaire "should be like the rest of Americans and respect the sacrifice that the Khan family has made on behalf of this nation." Hurd is currently not supporting Trump as the nominee.

Hurd is up for re-election in November. Pete Gallego, an Alpine Democrat, is running to take back the seat in Texas' 23rd congressional district that he held until Hurd won it two years ago.

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On the final day of the Democratic National Convention last week, Texas Democrats hosted a powerful out-of-state congressman whose sole purpose was to stress to them the importance in picking up the state's only competitive U.S. House district: the Texas 23rd.

U.S. Rep. Steve Israel of New York impressed upon the Texans how pivotal the rematch between Republican U.S. Rep. Will Hurd of San Antonio and Democratic former U.S. Rep. Pete Gallego of Alpine is to the Democrats' national landscape.

Israel formerly ran the House Democratic campaign arm and currently serves in House leadership. He will retire early next year but said he stopped by the Texas breakfast to impress the consequences of the race.

"I'll tell you, DCCC, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, we're going to invest big in this district," he said. "We're going to invest throughout Texas because Texas is so important. But one of the reasons we're going to invest big in this district is the candidate is worth the investment. He is worth the investment."

However, Israel said the DCCC will share ownership of the seat's fate with the state party.

"We need to be your partners. We're not going to drive this from Washington, D.C," he said. "You're going to drive it from Texas. We need you to help with the ground game."

Last week during the Republican National Convention, the National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Greg Walden similarly praised Hurd in an interview with the Tribune.

Presidential, Vice Presidential Hopefuls Come Calling for Cash

Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks at the final session of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio on July 21, 2016.
Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks at the final session of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio on July 21, 2016.

New details are coming out about Donald Trump's fundraiser later this month in Texas.

The Republican presidential nominee is coming to Austin on Aug. 23 to raise money for his campaign, the Texas Tribune reported Friday. On Monday, an invitation went out to potential attendees detailing how much it will cost to get in, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said he will be there.

The invitation asks attendees to give or raise anywhere from $2,700 a person to $100,000 a couple. The invitation, a save-the-date note, does not list any hosts yet.

Patrick emailed supporters Monday evening encouraging them to join him at the fundraiser. Patrick, a former Ted Cruz backer, acknowledged Trump was not his first choice in the presidential race but said he is now "strongly supporting" Trump due to four issues: appointing conservatives to the U.S. Supreme Court, strengthening the economy, securing the border and ensuring Congress stays in GOP hands.

"I am convinced that Donald Trump is committed to making America great again and I am committed to helping him become our next President," Patrick wrote. "I hope you will join me at a reception in his honor on August 23. I know you will enjoy meeting Donald."

Trump’s not the only one on a presidential ticket to come calling for Texas dollars this month. Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine has a trio of fundraisers scheduled for next week — Aug. 9 in Austin and Aug. 10 in Dallas and Fort Worth.

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Mark Montgomery, chairman of the Dallas County GOP, is resigning, he announced Tuesday evening.

Montgomery, who has been on the job for less than two months, said in a statement that he is stepping down due to "some recent changes in my personal life that will inhibit my ability to continue to serve." He plans to resign at the party's next executive meeting — Aug. 18 — where his successor will also be elected.

Montgomery, a tea party activist, won the post earlier this year in an upset victory over incumbent Wade Emmert. Just last month, the party was celebrating the one-month anniversary of Montgomery's chairmanship on social media.

Since then, Phillip Huffines, the brother of state Sen. Don Huffines, announced that he’s seeking the job of party chairman.

In an open letter to Dallas County Republicans sent out Wednesday, Huffines wrote, “We need decisive, conservative leadership in the State of Texas, and it must include a Dallas County Republican Party that is efficient, professional, and most importantly, well-funded. To achieve that, we must immediately prove to Republicans in North Texas that our party is a good investment to advance the Republican cause.”

Six state representatives from Dallas County chose to back a different contender for the job, endorsing lawyer Elizabeth Bingham.

In a letter released Thursday, the lawmakers said Bingham, the party's former vice chair, is "best prepared to immediately make a difference in helping Republican candidates win elections this November." The state representatives are Kenneth Sheets, Cindy Burkett, Rodney Anderson, Linda Koop, Jason Villalba and Angie Chen Button.

After Bingham's endorsements were announced Thursday, another state representative from Dallas County, Matt Rinaldi of Irving, said on Twitter that he is backing Huffines.

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State Rep. Stephanie Klick has been designated 2016 Victory Chair for the Tarrant County Republican Party. The job, according to a release from the party, will have Klick working “closely with local campaigns and elected officials to defend incumbents and take new ground from the Democrats.”

Klick is no stranger to campaign organizing. Prior to her tenure in the House, she served for six years as party chairwoman in Tarrant County.

Inside Intelligence: About Those Party Conventions...

For this week’s nonscientific survey of insiders in government and politics, we asked about those recently concluded conventions in order to get some quick evaluations.

The insiders had a clear preference on which party did a better job peddling its message with its convention. Nearly three in four thought the Democrats did a superior job there.

We then asked how perceptions of each party changed as a result of the conventions. Perceptions of the GOP were mostly split between "no change" (33 percent) and "further conservative" (31 percent). Another 16 percent felt the party moved more toward the middle with the convention.

There was even less consensus on how the Democrats performed with 35 percent saying the party had moved to the middle but 34 percent saying the party was seen as moving further liberal. And 26 percent said there was no change in how the Democrats are perceived after the convention.

With the final question, we asked which candidate came out in the strongest position after the conventions. The Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton was the clear winner here, named by 72 percent of the insiders.

We collected comments along the way, and a full set of those is attached.

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Which party did better in selling its brand with its convention?

• "Despite past actions and speeches over the years, Dems successfully portrayed themselves as pro-American."

• "The VPs were good for both parties (the presidential nominees themselves continue to stink) but the Ds got a bigger boost from theirs. Trump will need a miracle to pull himself out of this hole."

• "To the TV audience at home or to themselves? If to all us folks in TV land, then the D's were more effective exhorting the better angels of our nature. If to conventioneers, then it didn't move the needle one iota. To the 300K undecided in swing states, they are probably still wondering what to do with their vote."

• "Democrats channel Reagan 'morning in America.'"

• "Perhaps more inclusive, and some are more comfortable with Trump — unless he ruins it by saying stupid things. His family was phenomenal."

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How have perceptions of the Republican Party changed since its convention?

• "Yes, it has changed since the convention. The No. 1 issue of concern, security, has increased in perception to the R favor. The perception of the leader has changed. Even worse. The question is, will No. 1 outweigh the other?"

• "The party known for discipline is now seen as disorganized and in disarray."

• "Attacks on the Khan family have severely damaged Trump and the Republican party brand."

• "It's hard to say what the Republican Party is anymore. I don't think we'll know until after the shock of a landslide defeat settles out in a year or so."

• "Trump is neither conservative nor moderate, so I'd say the view is that the party is more radical, but no one can really say in what direction. Anyone's best guess as to how he would actually govern..."

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How have perceptions of the Democratic Party changed since its convention?

• "Common sense, practical — reasonable. A true party of the people — open and accessible to everyone. Not just angry white men."

• "I think it was all pretty transparent, but to the independent voter who is pretty conservative and not for Trump, who knows."

• "The Democratic message has been trending left for some time, and probably will for the foreseeable future. America is becoming increasingly dependent on government (more old folks and minorities) and those demographics will vote their self-interests, as we all tend to do. Demography supports a long-term trend toward both parties becoming more leftist than they have been in the past. If the parties truly want to win elections, that is."

• "Higher corporate and personal taxes, massive entitlement programs, high tariffs, more unionized workers — almost as guaranteed a recession/depression as the Republicans have on offer."

• "This could be a problem for them. The Sanders folks will not let this go."

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Now that both conventions have passed, who’s got the upper hand in this election cycle?

• "The Electoral College. This might be the one year when voters forgive Electoral College members for breaking from the nominee and casting their ballots for someone who is actually qualified to serve."

• "As much as I hate to admit it, but HC has the upper hand considering Trump can't keep his mouth shut without offending someone. His attack on the Khan family would have been a one-day story if he would have let it go, but no, he has to have the last word and that is going to be the demise of his campaign."

• "I long for the day when there is a candidate that I can truly support. This is pathetic!"

• "Columnist David Brooks called Trump a 'moral pygmy.' Good description, except for the insult to pygmies."

• "Noteworthy that Gary Johnson could make a difference in the outcome of the election if he gets more than 5 percent in Florida, Ohio or Pennsylvania. Presumably, his success would make it even harder for Trump to find a way to win these states."

Our thanks to this week's participants: Gene Acuna, Cathie Adams, Brandon Alderete, Clyde Alexander, Jay Arnold, Charles Bailey, Andrew Biar, Allen Blakemore, Tom Blanton, Chris Britton, Raif Calvert, Lydia Camarillo, Kerry Cammack, Elna Christopher, Kevin Cooper, Randy Cubriel, Beth Cubriel, Denise Davis, June Deadrick, Nora Del Bosque, Glenn Deshields, Tom Duffy, David Dunn, Richard Dyer, Gay Erwin, Tom Forbes, Bruce Gibson, Stephanie Gibson, Eric Glenn, Kinnan Golemon, Daniel Gonzalez, Jack Gullahorn, Clint Hackney, Wayne Hamilton, Bill Hammond, Steve Holzheauser, Deborah Ingersoll, Mark Jones, Robert Kepple, Richard Khouri, Tom Kleinworth, Pete Laney, Dick Lavine, James LeBas, Luke Legate, Myra Leo, Ruben Longoria, Vilma Luna, Matt Mackowiak, Jason McElvaney, Larry McGinnis, Steve Minick, Bee Moorhead, Mike Moses, Todd Olsen, Nef Partida, Gardner Pate, Jerry Philips, Tom Phillips, Wayne Pierce, Allen Place, Gary Polland, Jay Pritchard, Jay Propes, Patrick Reinhart, David Reynolds, Grant Ruckel, Jason Sabo, Barbara Schlief, Stan Schlueter, Robert Scott, Ben Sebree, Christopher Shields, Ed Small, Larry Soward, Leonard Spearman, Dennis Speight, Tom Spilman, Sherry Sylvester, Sara Tays, Trey Trainor, Vicki Truitt, Corbin Van Arsdale, Ware Wendell, David White, Darren Whitehurst, Michael Williams, Peck Young, Angelo Zottarelli.

The Calendar

Saturday, Aug. 6

  • Annie’s List 2016 Williamson County Ready to Run: Local Leaders; Round Rock Public Library, Room B, 216 E. Main St., Round Rock (2-5 p.m.)

Monday, Aug. 8

  • National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Legislative Summit; McCormick Place, West Building, Chicago, Illinois (Aug. 8-11)
  • Bexar County Stampede to Victory Fundraiser, with special guest U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas; Offices of Byron LeFlore and Mark E. Watson III, 175 E. Houston St., 13th Floor, San Antonio (5:30-7 p.m.)

Tuesday, Aug. 9

  • Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine fundraiser, hosted by Mozido CEO Todd Bradley; Austin

Wednesday, Aug. 10

  • Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine fundraiser, hosted by RML Automotive Holdings CEO Franklin McLarty; Dallas
  • Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine fundraiser, hosted by Englander dZignPak CEO Marty Englander; Fort Worth
 

The Week in the Rearview Mirror

Laura Thompson is the first Independent to serve in the Texas Legislature in more than a half-century, even though she won't be there long. The last was Howard Green, the grandfather of actor Ethan Hawke.

Health care providers, funeral operators and women's rights activists on Thursday were expected to tell Texas health officials that a rule requiring the cremation or burial of fetal remains will do little to improve public health and could be burdensome to women.

After less than two months on the job Dallas County's Republican chairman has quit, leaving behind an organization in financial distress and setting off a breakneck race to replace him, with a state senator's twin brother deep in the fray.

The fault lines that will define efforts to improve the state's system of funding education came into sharp focus Wednesday as a Senate panel began studying how to improve the "efficiency" of public schools in Texas.

Texas agreed Wednesday to terms that will weaken its voter ID law and that lawyers suing the state say will make it easier for minorities to cast a ballot in the November general election.

Political People and their Moves

Democratic precinct chairs in Houston meet this Saturday to choose who will take Borris Miles’ place on the November ballot in House District 146. Five candidates — Erica Lee Carter, Larry Blackmon, Valencia L. Williams, Rashad L. Cave and Shawn Thierry — are confirmed candidates for the seat. The seat is open after Miles was chosen to take Rodney Ellis’ spot on the ballot for Senate District 13. Ellis is giving up his seat in the Senate in order to run for commissioners’ court.

Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson announced an endorsement from David Cuevas and Eric Batton, the president and vice president of the Harris County Sheriff Deputies Organization, in support of her bid for re-election.

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission has named Gloria Meraz assistant state librarian. She starts work at the archives Aug. 8 after serving 17 years as director of communications for the Texas Library Association.

In Kansas, three-term congressman Tim Huelskamp, who was a supporter of Ted Cruz’s presidential bid and was later endorsed by Cruz, lost his primary. The race had evolved into a proxy war between the movement conservative wing of the GOP — of which Huelskamp was a member — and the establishment wing backed by business groups.

Quotes of the Week

I was utterly shocked. He gave a world-class speech, and had he stopped seven-eighths of the way through, nobody would doubt he’d be the nominee in 2020 or 2024. Instead he goes and says, ‘Vote your conscience,’ which everyone knows meant, ‘F Trump.’

An unnamed Ted Cruz backer, talking to National Review on lingering blowback to the Texan's speech to the Republican National Convention

Why they didn’t run one Latin word in the inscription past somebody in the classics department is sort of unfathomable to me. We are 100 yards from the memorial, and nobody bothered to ask us.

UT classics department chairwoman Lesley Dean-Jones on the etching of a grammatically incorrect Latin word into the monument to the victims of the UT Tower shooting that was unveiled this week

We changed history. There will never be another time in this country when a woman can’t interview for the top job.

Genevieve Van Cleve, a Hillary Clinton delegate from Austin, on the nomination of a woman for president by a major party for the first time in U.S. history