Good morning,

With the party nominating runoff elections complete, some of you might be looking for a getaway. Your fellow readers have a few suggestions…

But first, the Texas Minute has runoff results.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan
Wednesday, May 25, 2022 

• Throughout the day today, and over the next several days, more detailed analysis will be available about the runoff results in the Decision Texas section of Texas Scorecard.

Statewide Wins… And Losses

Big Win For Paxton

• Incumbent Attorney General Ken Paxton handily defeated George P. Bush in last night’s runoff, garnering two-thirds of the vote. Sydnie Henry filed a report from the Paxton victory party. 
   
• “It’s really Texans that made the difference for me,” said Paxton. “And we will go fight together.” 
   
• Serving as the state’s attorney general since 2014, Paxton campaigned on his record of fighting federal overreach and the Biden administration, working to secure elections, and supporting President Trump’s “America First” agenda. Trump endorsed Paxton for re-election.
      
• Bush has served as the state’s land commissioner for the same length of time, but earned scorn from Republicans for his mishandling of the Alamo and other issues running the office. Seen as the last chance for the Bush dynasty to enter a third generation, George P.’s campaign outspent Paxton.
      
• Stick a fork in George P. Bush; he’s done.

Christian Defeats Stogner

• Concluding one of the most colorful races for the Railroad Commission in recent memory, incumbent Wayne Christian won the Republican Party’s nomination to his position on the three-person commission. Despite its name, the agency oversees the state’s oil and gas industry. Brandon Waltens recaps the race.
      
• Christian, a former lawmaker from East Texas, was forced into a runoff by oil and gas attorney Sarah Stogner.
      
• Stogner’s risqué social media stunt before the March primary, and heavy spending in the weeks leading up to the runoff, translated to just over a third of the vote.

Buckingham Takes Land Office

• With George P. Bush leaving the General Land Office to mount his unsuccessful bid for attorney general, the land commissioner was the only open statewide office in 2022. State Sen. Dawn Buckingham bested Dr. Tim Westley for the seat. Katy Drollinger has the story.

Flores Takes SD 24

• The once and future state senator, Pete Flores, will be the Republican nominee for Senate District 24 following his victory in last night’s runoff against Paul Reyes. 

House Races

NOTE: A number of races were still being counted as the Texas Minute was put to bed, so check TexasScorecard.com for additional details and analysis.

Open-Seats Deal Big Defeats For Abbott

• Terri Leo-Wilson, Nate Schatzline, Carrie Isaac, and Ellen Troxclair all scored big wins in open-seat GOP primaries against opponents backed by Gov. Greg Abbott.
      
• Nate Schatzline was running to replace State Rep. Matt Krause, who didn’t seek re-election so he could run a (losing) campaign for Tarrant County district attorney. Schatzline had the support of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, while his opponent was backed by Abbott.
      
• In a district spanning Chambers County and part of Galveston County, Wilson was running to replace State Rep. Mayes Middleton, whom voters advanced to the Texas Senate in March. She was endorsed by Middleton, while her opponent had Abbott’s backing.
      
• In Central Texas, Ellen Troxclair defeated Justin Berry. Same goes for Carrie Isaac beating Barron Casteel. Both Troxclair and Isaac championed school choice and overcame Abbott’s support of their opponents.
     
• The Troxclair and Isaac races were also seen as proxy fights on school choice and the endorsement power of union-affiliated teacher groups in the Republican primary. Berry and Casteel were union-endorsed because of their opposition to school choice.

Klick, Rogers, Kacal Fend Off Challengers … Stephenson Struggling

• Despite strong challenges, incumbent State Reps. Stephanie Klick (R-Fort Worth) and Glenn Rogers (R-Mineral Wells) were re-elected to the Texas House.
     
• State Rep. Kyle Kacal, the most liberal Republican in the Texas House, overcame a challenge from businessman Ben Bius to keep HD 12. The seat encompasses all of Robertson, Madison, Walker, Grimes, and Washington counties, along with part of Brazos County.
      
• State Rep. Phil Stephenson (R-Wharton) was struggling to keep his seat in a very close challenge from Stan Kitzman. A legislative back-bencher, Stephenson has run afoul of grassroots activists and the Austin establishment alike.

And A Few Others…

• Caroline Harris scored a tight win over Patrick McGuinness for an open-seat race in Williamson County.
       
• Jeff Younger was defeated in an open Denton County seat by Ben Bumgarner.
     
• Mark Dorazio defeated Elisa Chan to take over the Bexar County seat made open when Lyle Larson – one of the House’s outspoken liberals – retired from office.
      
• In Lubbock, Carl Tepper beat David Glasheen for the seat vacated by the retirement of State Rep. John Frullo.

Another Election, More Bad Behavior In Harris County…

• Republicans are once again slamming the performance of Harris County Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria, calling her “unfit” to be running elections in the state’s largest county. Erin Anderson has the story.
       

• Longoria infamously botched the March primary elections so badly, she was forced to resign—but her resignation isn’t set to take effect until July 1. In the meantime, she’s been allowed to oversee the May 7 local elections and the May 24 primary runoff elections. Now, the Harris County Republican Party is pointing to Longoria’s plans to violate the state’s election laws regarding ballot chain-of-custody procedures the primary runoffs.

Y’All Answered

Yesterday we asked what part of Texas was your favorite to visit. The good news is, there isn’t a wrong answer!

But still, 28.5 percent of readers listed the Gulf Coast as their favorite region in which to vacation. That was followed by Central Texas (14.9%) and Fort Davis / Big Bend (11.4%). The rest of the regions came in after that, but with 27.4 percent responding with “Anywhere!” 

• “Anywhere in the Lone Star State is great to vacation in any time of year!” – Eric Knutson
      
• “The area surrounding Lake Ray Roberts (AKA- Pilot Point) etc is so pretty, and all the state parks surrounding the lake.” – Cindy Kelley
     
• “Gulf Coast is awesome!” – Bob Davis
      
• “Being from desolate West Texas, we usually head toward trees, hills, or water, or some combination. Piney Woods and the Hill Country are our favorites, with the occasional trip to the coast.” – Kevin Wade
      
• “We love the Gulf Coast so much, when we retired …. We moved there!” – Dawn Gerstenberger
     
• “Being an avid motorcycle rider, over 50 years traveling Texas, anywhere can be a rewarding and educational journey. Historical markers are a favorite stop for refreshments and photos.” – John Cavanah
     
• “You may travel to Big Bend once or twice to say you've seen it. You may enjoy the greenery of the Piney Woods or the beauty of the Hill Country. But it's the Gulf Coast that people return to every year for family adventures… There is nothing like a powerful ocean to put life in perspective. It's hard to be a California girl in boring, flat North Texas, but having that coastline just 5 hours away gives some peace.” – Julie McCarty
      
• “With beautiful clearwater rivers from the San Marcos to the Guadalupe, the Blanco, Nueces, Llano, and the Frio. They are all great places to visit and truly relax. Nothing says summer in Texas more than the Garner State Park nightly dance!” – Steve Abernathy
      
• “I chose anywhere, but Palo Duro and Caprock canyons are certainly worth a venture now and again. It is interesting to note that Palo Duro is the second largest canyon in the nation with a rich history and, of course, the annual presentation of the play ‘Texas’ in the canyon amphitheater.” – Roger Taylor

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The districts displayed here should reflect those recently redrawn by the Legislature. Though the new lines do not take representational effect until 2023, they will appear on the 2022 ballot. Please note that your incumbent legislator and/or district numbers may have changed.