Around the Capitol

Speaker Joe Straus will not seek reelection for his House seat. Rep. Phil King and Rep. John Zerwas have filed the paperwork to run for Speaker. Rep. Eric Johnson has announced he will run for reelection and is interested in running for Speaker of the House. Rep. Travis Clardy has also indicated he’s looking at running for the position.

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Senate Finance Committee Director Shannon Ghangurde has announced she is leaving the committee. Sen. Jane Nelson‘ Chief of Staff Dave Nelson will be taking over as director of the Finance Committee. Stacie Gillam, who handles Article 2 for the Senate Finance Committee, will become Deputy Committee Director. Susie Buda will serve as Tax Policy Director.

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Travis Broussard will assume the role of Chief of Staff for Sen. Nelson. Anne Allensworth will be become Legislative Director and Kevin Fletcher will become a Policy Analyst. Alexa Hoisager joins the staff as Communications Director.

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Jessica Magee is leaving the House Republican Caucus. Jordan Taylor will become the Executive Director of the Caucus.

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John Gibbs, who currently serves as Lt. Governor Patrick’s policy coordinator will take over the departing Kate McGrath‘s policy director position.

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Senators Brian Birdwell, Robert Nichols, Dawn Buckingham, and Bob Hall have been appointed by Gov. Patrick to the Sunset Advisory Commission. Sen. Birdwell will Chair the Commission. Sen. Kirk Watson will remain on the Commission.

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The House Republican Caucus has appointed a working group of the following members to come up with a recommendation on a process for the House Republicans to coalesce around one candidate before the official vote for Speaker on the first day of each session: Reps. Dustin Burrows, Todd Hunter, Jeff Leach, Chris Paddie and John Smithee. The working group is scheduled to meet on December 1 in Austin.

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Sen. Royce West has been named to the Democratic National Committee’s Executive Committee.

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People on the Move

Cathy DeWitt has departed from the Texas Association of Business to pursue other opportunities.

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Cam Scott, Texas Sr. Director for Governmental Affairs for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, has announced he is running for a position on the Round Rock City Council.

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Matt Migliore has left the Senate Finance Committee and has joined the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association.

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Kate McGrath, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick’s policy director has left Patrick’s office and is joining the Texas Automobile Dealers Association.

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John Wittman, Press Secretary for Abbott will be moving to Abbott’s campaign as the main media contact. (h/t Texas Tribune’s The Blast)

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Danielle Trevino, a former staffer to both Gov. Greg Abbott and Land Commissioner George Bush, will join public affairs firm, Public Blueprint, as communications lead.

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Fmr. Public Utility Commission member Julie Parsley has been named CEO of Pedernales Electric Cooperative, the first woman to head the organization.

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Shoutouts

Congratulations to Corbin Casteel and Nicole Neal on their recent engagement.

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Congratulations to Locke Lord lobbyist Crystal Ford, former Chief of Staff to Rep. Carol Alvarado, on her recent engagement to Jeremy Brown.

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Congratulations to Sarah Floerke Gouak and Tucker Gouak on the recent birth of their daughter, Maddie.

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Congratulations to Tom Holloway and Ginnie Bell on their recent wedding.

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Congratulations to Mitzi Stoute-Faniola and her husband, Vince Faniola, on the birth of their daughter, Ella Kate, recently.

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Upcoming Birthdays:

2: Fmr. Rep. Toby Goodman
3: Sen. Brian Birdwell, Jim Oberwetter
5: Keats Norfleet
8: Rep. Paul Workman, Rep. Scott Cosper
9: Rep. Tracy King, Susan Turner Nold, Kathy Grant,
12: Jay McGuire, James Gray
13: Gov. Greg Abbott, Rep. Ramon Romero, Rep. Cole Hefner, fmr. Rep. Patricia Harless, Jonathan Sierra-Ortega
14: Rep. Dustin Burrows
15: Luis Saenz, Fmr. Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson
16: Rep. Jessica Farrar
17: Julie Freeman Haney,
18: Andrea Stingley, Gregg Holman, Cam Scott, Fmr. Rep. Ray Allen
19: Mary Tipps, Lance Lively
20: Rep. John Wray
21: Servando Esparza
22: Bogan Lindsay Pollock
23: Rep. James Frank
24: Rep. Ed Thompson, Michelle Romero
25: Sen. Robert Nichols, Dick Lavine
26: Scott Braddock
28: Jay Brown
29: Jacob Limon

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In Our Thoughts

In Our Thoughts

Fmr. Rep. Bob Richardson, who represented the Austin area died recently at the age of 72. Richardson, a Republican, served in the House from 1985 to 1991.

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Condolences to Dana Chido and her family on the passing of her father, Don Moore, last month.

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Our thoughts are with Servando Esparza and his family as we join them in wishing his uncle, Leopaldo Martinez Sr. a speedy recovery from a recent farming accident.

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Politics

Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced he will run for reelection.

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Congressman Jeb Hensarling’s announcement that he is not running for reelection has started the rumor mill about who might be interested in that seat. Among the names: Fmr. Ag Commissioner Todd Staples, Sen. Bryan Hughes, Sen. Bob Hall, Sen. Robert Nichols, Rep. Dan Flynn, Rep. Lance Gooden, and Fmr. Rep. Kenneth Sheets (h/t The Quorum Report).

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Andrew White, son of former Governor Mark White is exploring a run for Governor as a Democrat. Another Democrat, Garry Brown from Austin, announced recently he is running for Governor, joining White and Tom Wakely among the aspirants.

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The following House members have announced they are running for reelection: Rep. Ron Reynolds, Rep. Donna Howard, Rep. Hugh Shine and Rep. Joe Moody.

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Rep. Dawna Dukes has announced she will run for reelection. Four challengers have indicated they plan to oppose her — they include fmr. Austin City Council member Sheryl Cole, attorney Jose Vela III, Manor school board member Ana Cortez and Nnamdi Orakwue, a tech entrepreneur.

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Sen. Paul Bettencourt has announced he will run for reelection.

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Fmr. State Rep. Rick Green has announced he will run for the Texas Supreme Court to replace Justice Don Willet, once Willet is confirmed to the federal bench. Harris County Judge Steven Kirkland is running for the bench as a Democrat. (h/t Texas Tribune’s The Blast)

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Kyle Stephenson has announced he is running against Rep. Dan Huberty in the Republican primary.

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Irving ISD Board member A.D Jenkins is running as a Democrat for the House seat currently help by Rep. Rodney Anderson. Democrat Terry Meza has also announced he’s running again for the seat. (h/t Texas Tribune’s The Blast)

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Former Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer is looking at a primary challenge to Rep. Diana Arevalo.

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Brad Buckley, a veterinarian from Killeen has announced he’ll challenge Rep. Scott Cosper in the Republican primary for HD 54

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Joe Herrera has announced he’s running as a Democrat against Rep. Andrew Murr.

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Sen. Kel Seliger has announced he’s running for re-election. Seliger has two primary opponents who have announced, Mike Canon, the former Midland mayor who ran against him in 2014 and Victor Leal, a restaurant owner from Amarillo.

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Former Rockwall City Council member Scott Milder has filed paperwork to run against Lt. Governor Dan Patrick in the Republican primary.

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Former Harris County GOP Vice Chair Susanna Dokupil has announced she will run against Rep. Sarah Davis in the primary.

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Former Rep. Ted Kamel is opposing Rep. Matt Schafer in the Republican primary. Neal Katz is running as an Independent for the seat.

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Sunnyvale Mayor Jim Phaup is running as a Republican for the being vacated by Cindy Burkett. Jonathan Boos will challenge Phaup in the primary. Rhetta Bowers, a Democrat has also announced for the seat. (Texas Tribune’s The Blast)

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Brian Cronin, a Democrat, has announced he will challenge Sen. Charles Schwertner. Meg Walsh has also announced she will run as a Democrat for the seat.

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MarySue Femath is challenging Rep. Mary Gonzalez in the Democratic Primary.

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Garrett Boersma is challenging Rep. Chris Paddie in the Republican Primary. (h/t Texas Tribune’s The Blast)

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Rick Range has announced he will run against Land Commissioner George P. Bush in the Republican primary. Range is a former schoolteacher from the Dallas area and describes himself as an Alamo devotee.

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Rep. Lyle Larson has announced he will run for reelection. He will will have a primary opponent, Hollywood Park mayor Chris Fails.

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Events

The Texas Book Festival is this weekend in Austin.

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Miscellaneous

From the Houston Chronicle
‘Campaign shuffle’ begins as state workers move to get their bosses reelected

… His move is part of a silent trek that happens every fall before an election year in Texas, when state employees take leave from their bosses’ official taxpayer-paid staff to work on their reelection campaigns, a jump that keeps their work from violating state law. Read more…

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From Texas Monthly
Civility Starts With Me, by Jenifer Sarver

… Silveria’s words resonated with me as someone whose been struggling to find civility in public discourse amongst a cacophony of incivility. Where has the civil discourse gone? And, more importantly, what has been my role in its disappearance? Read more…

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Blakemore Public Affairs puts out a weekly and monthly Austin Events Calendar email that has the current week’s fundraising events in a convenient format.

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The House Research Organization has put out a guide to the Constitutional Amendments on the November 7th ballot.

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Upcoming Dates of Interest

Last Day of Early Voting: November 3, 2017
Election: November 7, 2017
Filing for March primary begins: November 11, 2017
Filing for March primary ends: December 11, 2017
March primary: March 6, 2017
Runoff election: May 22, 2017