Democratic members slammed the process, questioning why hearings were happening before maps were available for review. Chair Cody Vasut said follow-up public hearings will be scheduled once maps are filed.
At the first of at least seven hearings, members of the public aired grievances about the unusual mid-decade redistricting effort.
With few options to prevent the Republican majority from passing a new congressional map, Democrats threatened to filibuster, delay hearings and even break quorum.
Cornyn will need to use his deep coffers to overcome an early polling deficit to Paxton, who is looking to deny the GOP incumbent’s bid for a fifth term.
The contest coincides with the state’s November uniform election, when voters across Texas will already be at the polls to decide local offices and ballot measures.
In dueling lawsuits, current and former employees of the attorney general’s office sling allegations that threaten to intrude on Paxton’s U.S. Senate bid.
Casar, the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, thinks economic populism and “authentic candidates” can win back recently converted GOP voters.
The North Texas district opened up last week when Republican Kelly Hancock resigned from the upper chamber to take over as the state’s acting comptroller.
In her announcement, Huffman framed herself as the most experienced candidate, pointing to her time as a prosecutor, judge and chair of key Senate committees.
Democrats will need to sort through a pileup of potential candidates who see an opportunity to harness backlash to the Trump administration in next year’s midterms.
Storey Rubio plans to launch her campaign by attacking the Republican incumbent as a “spineless moderate” who has not taken a hard enough line on border security.
Paul is the first candidate out of the gate to succeed incumbent Mayes Middleton in an open seat running from Galveston to the outskirts of Houston.
Middleton is the second Republican to join what is expected to be a growing field of candidates angling to succeed Attorney General Ken Paxton as the state’s top legal official.
Hours after the announcement, the Flores team said that the new candidate had been hospitalized and is now recovering. There were no details about her condition.
The federal criminal investigation into corruption allegations was the most serious inquiry Paxton faced. Its end nearly clears his slate of numerous legal battles.
