Texas has been the center of the nation's largest measles outbreak in decades.

Luther became nationally known at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 when she refused to shut down her Dallas salon in defiance of emergency orders. She was sentenced to a week in jail but was released after only a few days.

AdThe coronavirus pandemic changed that, auguring the most uncomfortable stretch of intraparty dissent since Abbott took office in 2015. Then there was the election of Texas GOP Chairman Allen West, who has openly disagreed with some of Abbott’s coronavirus decisions. And in the Legislature, GOP lawmakers became increasingly willing to speak out about Abbott’s use of executive power to fight the virus. Sure enough, West quickly responded to the news out of Lubbock by saying he was “glad Governor Abbott is following the example of Gov. A conversation awaits in AustinWhile Abbott’s announcement Tuesday may take some intraparty heat off him, a sensitive conversation awaits him at the Legislature, where some Republicans want to rein in the governor’s emergency powers.

Dallas salon owner Shelley Luther and state Rep. Drew Springer, R-Muenster. Greg Abbott announced Saturday that Dec. 19 will be the date for the special election runoff to succeed state Sen. Pat Fallon, R-Prosper. The runoff in Fallon's solidly red district pits state Rep. Drew Springer, R-Muenster, against fellow Republican Shelley Luther, the Dallas salon owner who was jailed earlier this year over her refusal to close her business due to coronavirus restrictions. Luther and Springer finished close together in the Sept. 29 special election, which included three other Republicans and a Democrat. Luther edged out Springer, 32.17% to 31.93%, ahead by 164 votes out of 68,807 total.

Dallas salon owner Shelley Luther and state Rep. Drew Springer, both Republicans, are headed to a runoff for a Texas Senate seat. Credit: The Texas TribuneRepublicans Shelley Luther and Drew Springer are advancing to a runoff in the special election to replace state Sen. Pat Fallon, R-Prosper, according to unofficial election returns. The two were each getting about 32% of the vote late Tuesday in the six-way special election, with 96% of polling locations reporting. Greg Abbott called the whirlwind special election for the seat a little over a month ago. Springer spent some of the closing days of the special election campaigning mostly virtually, forced to quarantine after his wife tested positive for the coronavirus.

Shelley Luther and state Rep. Drew Springer are among six candidates looking to replace state Sen. Pat Fallon, R-Prosper. The special election was triggered by Fallon’s nomination in August to replace former U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Heath, on the November ballot now that he is director of national intelligence. Abbott has not endorsed in the special election, and a spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on the race. Another statewide political figure who looms over the special election is Lt. Gov. Among the Republican candidates, the referendum on Abbott’s pandemic decisions is not limited to Springer and Luther.

Republican Texas Senate candidate Shelley Luther received a $1 million campaign loan from conservative megadonor Tim Dunn. Credit: The Texas TribuneSign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. The conservative megadonor Tim Dunn is backing Shelley Luther in her Texas Senate bid with a $1 million loan, a large amount for such a race. Luther's campaign confirmed the $1 million loan Friday evening, three days before a campaign finance deadline in the race. In a statement explaining his support for Luther, Dunn praised her for standing up to what he described as bipartisan government overreach in the fight against the pandemic.

AUSTIN, Texas Five Texas GOP lawmakers sued Republican Gov. The contract with Frisco, Texas-based MTX Group, which has drawn criticism from both parties as inefficient, was never publicly posted. Governor Abbott has elevated his own personal choices to be enforced as though they are law," the lawsuit states. The lawsuit was filed by Republican state Reps. Mike Lang, Kyle Biederman, Bill Zedler, Steve Toth and state Sen. Bob Hall. The suit was filed as Texas reported an additional 236 deaths on Wednesday, pushing the total death toll to nearly 7,500.

Barbers Lynese Marchic and her son Nicholas Gasper in their Austin shop on their first day of being open after closing during the coronavirus pandemic. Unlike those politicians, the coronavirus doesnt listen to pollsters. That race wont be on the November ballot, but in a special election that would follow if Fallon is elected. And Fallon wont be the only candidate running to fill an empty congressional seat. By then, voters wont be guessing what might happen when we open schools for in-person classes or start playing football with or without fans.

Demonstrators gather at the Texas Capitol to protest a government mandate to wearing face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Texas trolls want to ignore the governors latest restrictions for wearing masks and keeping social distance and closing bars as the measures of the pandemic worsen. After the considerable hubbub that followed, Abbott removed the punishment provisions from his COVID-19 orders, effectively vindicating Luther and others who were ignoring them. The COVID-19 numbers looked better than some expected, including Abbott, who began loosening his orders after just a month. But this time, Abbott seems to be holding his ground, even with people from his own party openly defying or ignoring his COVID-19 restrictions.

Texas is experiencing rapid growth in coronavirus caseloads and hospitalizations, and Gov. Greg Abbott is suffering politically for the decisions hes made along the way. Ricardo B. Brazziell/Pool/Austin American-StatesmanEditor's note: If you'd like an email notice whenever we publish Ross Ramsey's column, click here. If Abbott were on the ballot this year, hed face real competition even in a Republican Party primary. Its too early to handicap 2022; we dont know whats going to happen in the elections four months from now.