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Good morning,

It's been 288 days since the March primary, but candidates are already lining up to challenge wayward incumbents in 2026.

This is the Texas Minute for Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Speaker Battle Fuels Early 2026 Primary Challenges for Texas Republicans

• Even though the 2025 legislative session has yet to begin, the 2026 primary elections are already heating up as some incumbents face pressure from potential challengers. Brandon Waltens has the story.
       
• Driving these early campaign pushes has been the decision from a minority of the House Republican caucus to join with Democrats in opposing the official GOP nominee for speaker. David Cook of Mansfield defeated Dustin Burrows of Lubbock for the GOP caucus nomination earlier this month.
      
• Cody Harris of Palestine could soon face a GOP challenge by Corsicana City Councilman Chris Woolsey, who filed a treasurer appointment form with the state earlier this week. While the paperwork does not specify which office Woolsey plans to seek, he confirmed to Texas Scorecard that he is considering a run against Harris.
         
• The Republican Party of Texas has made clear it will seek to censure members who fail to vote for the party’s nominee for speaker, which could result in removal from the primary ballot.
         
• Harris isn’t alone in facing early primary pressure. Other incumbents supporting Burrows—including State Reps. Cole Hefner and Will Metcalf—are also finding 2026 challengers starting to emerge.

RELATED NEWS

• Fairly said the entity would hold Republican legislators accountable should they support a Democrat-backed candidate for speaker.
        
• “In spite of the progress made in this past election cycle toward... conservative priorities, there may still be work to do in the next primary cycle. These funds will be available to help expand a true Republican majority.” – Alex Fairly

Grant Awarded in Fight Against Human Trafficking

• Tarrant County commissioners have accepted a half-million funding grant from the Office of the Governor as part of an ongoing effort to fight the rise in human trafficking. Emily Medeiros reports the funds will be used to hire a prosecutor and investigator.
       
• Human trafficking is a growing problem across Texas.
      
• Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare told Texas Scorecard that the grant is “vital for the continued operation and success of the Human Trafficking Unit in the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office and will fund essential positions within the Unit, enabling Tarrant County to continue its critical work in the fight against human trafficking.”

Parents Want Bibles Back in School Libraries

• Parents in the Canyon Independent School District want Bibles returned to the libraries, which officials say were removed in accordance with state law. Erin Anderson has the details. 
      
• Superintendent Darryl Flusche told parents a 2023 Texas law (HB 900) prohibiting sexually explicit books requires the district to remove the Bible. One CISD parent, Regina Kiehne, described that rationale as "absurd."
        
• In an email to parents, Flusche selectively quoted from the law's various sections while omitting critical portions that would explain why the Bible should remain on the shelves.
       
• "Whether this decision was made maliciously, with erroneous counsel, or simply with lack of common sense, the Holy Bible, upon which this nation was founded, needs to be immediately returned to Canyon ISD libraries." – Jamie Haynes

Lewisville ISD Teacher Arrested for Sexual Assault of a Child

• A former high school teacher has been arrested and charged with sexual assault of a child and having an improper relationship with a student. Valerie Muñoz reports the arrest happened late last week for crimes allegedly committed in 2022 and 2023.
       
• Alainee Simonson was hired in 2022 and placed on administrative leave when the allegations arose in 2023. She resigned in February 2023.
       
• State records show Simonson taught in Keller ISD from 2021 to 2022.

Complaint Accuses Round Rock ISD of Financial Noncompliance

• Two outgoing members of the Round Rock ISD board of trustees allege that the scandal-plagued district spent money it didn’t have in its most recent budget. Adam Cahn reports that the district’s expenditures reportedly exceeded its appropriated budget by nearly $10 million.
       
• According to outgoing trustees Mary Bone and Danielle Weston, these expenditures violated state law. More than half of the total overspending went to facilities maintenance, food service, and counseling services.
        
• Bone and Weston want an independent forensic audit of the district and for the results of the audit to be released publicly, along with the names of those who authorized the spending.

Conservative Leader Award 2024

Previously announced 2024 Awardees...

Quote-Unquote

"Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner."

– James Bovard​

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