Early voting started yesterday in Texas. And despite the way presidential politics have dominated the headlines, there are other elections happening this year.
The Texas Tribune has published a field guide to the most competitive contests on the Texas ballot. Here are some highlights: The only executive-branch statewide race on the ballot is for an open seat on the Texas Railroad Commission. There are seven Republicans and three Democrats in the mix. Expect to see a runoff for both parties. Three Republicans are running for an open seat on the State Board of Education.
Much of the attention in State Senate races is going to two races featuring incumbent San Antonio Democrats, who could lose their seats to insurgent members of their own party.
Republicans have their own inter-party senate battles: one in Northeast Texas and another in an unwieldy district that stretches from Abilene to the Hill Country.