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Legislative Update
By STEPHANIE GRAVES, HAA Legislative Chair, with BRADLEY PEPPER, Vice President of Government Affairs
2022 PRIMARY ELECTION RECAP And what’s next!
ELECTIONS HAVE consequences and who we elect to offices up and down the ballot will have an impact on not only our industry, but our daily lives as well. Elections are important and this year is no different. Outside of some smaller municipal and special elections, and the Constitutional Amendments in November, last year was relatively quiet at the ballot box. As you have seen already, this year will not go so quietly. And for those who voted in the primary, you saw how many seats are up for election in 2022. Every 10 years, the federal government conducts the Census to ascertain how many people live in the country and where they live. This helps determine the flow of federal dollars to states, counties and communities for things like education, health care, infrastructure, etc. based on population. In addition to that, though, the Census numbers apportion political power in Congress and require that states redistrict electoral districts. In Texas, redistricting requires redrawing the political maps for the State Senate, State House of Representatives, the State Board of Education and our federal Congressional Districts. This means dividing the state’s population by the number of districts in each body and drawing districts that have roughly the same number of residents, so that each district is equal. Although they have four-year terms, due to redistricting, every district of the State Senate and State Board of Education is up for election this year. After they are elected, the members of each body will draw straws to see who will be on the ballot in 2024, as opposed to 2026, to stagger those four-year terms moving forward. In addition, the Census results determined that Texas received two new congressional seats for the next decade, one in Houston and one in Austin. This year will see us elect nearly every state office from governor to state representative, as well as every member of our congressional delegation. In addition, and of particular interest to us, www.haaonline.org
we will vote on all county judges as well as some commissioners, judges and justices of the peace. Last month’s Democratic and Republican primary elections were only the first in what will be a long political year. While the fields have been thinned, the next step is the primary runoffs in May followed by the general election in November. Below is a summary of races of note. Statewide Governor – Governor Greg Abbott (R) won with 66.4% of the vote. He will face Beto O’Rourke (D-El Paso) in November who won with 91.3% of the vote. Lieutenant Governor – Lt. Governor Dan Patrick (R) won the primary with 74.9% of the vote. Democratic candidates Mike Collier and State Rep. Michelle Beckley will face off in the May 24 primary runoff to see who will oppose Lt. Gov. Patrick in November. Attorney General – Embattled Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton will face Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush in the May runoff election. In the race for the Democratic nomination for attorney general, Rochelle Garza will face Joe Jaworski. Comptroller – Incumbent Republican Glenn Hegar, seeking his third term, received 81.6% of the vote and will face either Democrat Janet T. Dudding or Angel Luis Vega in the November general election. U.S. Congress Congressional District 2 (North Harris County, Montgomery County) – Incumbent Republican Dan Crenshaw defeated three challengers and will face Democrat Robin Fulford in November in this solidly Republican district. Congressional District 7 (Houston, North Fort Bend County) – In this safely Democratic district, incumbent Democrat Lizzie Fletcher was unopposed in the primary and will face the winner of the Republican primary runoff be-
tween Johnny Teague and Tim Stroud in the November general. Congressional District 8 (Harris County, Montgomery County, San Jacinto County and Walker County) – Morgan Luttrell won the Republican primary with 52% of the vote and will face Democrat Laura Jones in the November general. Congressional District 38 – New Seat (Memorial, West Houston, Spring Branch, Northwest Harris County) – Wesley Hunt defeated nine challengers to win the Republican primary for this seat. Hunt will face either Diana Alexander or Duncan Klussmann who face each other in the May Democratic runoff. Texas Senate Senate District 11 (Galveston, League City, Brazoria) – State Representative Mayes Middleton defeated three challenges in the Republican primary and isunopposed in the November general election. Senate District 15 (Houston) – Longtime incumbent Democrat and Dean of the Texas Senate, John Whitmire, faced a tougher than expected primary against first-time candidate Molly Cook, winning the Democratic primary with 57.8% of the vote. Texas House of Representatives House District 76 – New Seat (Fort Bend County) – Democrats Suleman Lalani and Vanesia R. Johnson will face each other in the May runoff to determine who will face Republican Dan Mathews in the November general. House District 127 – (Humble, Kingwood) – HAAPAC-endorsed Republican candidate Charles Cunningham won the Republican nomination. He isunopposed in the November general. House District 133 – (Memorial Villages, Tanglewood, West Houston) – Republicans Shelley Torian Barineau and Mano DeAyala received / See Legislative, Page 62 April 2022
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