A prominent Amarillo restaurateur will challenge Texas state Senator Kel Seliger for his seat next year, The Amarillo Globe-News reports. Victor Leal is the former mayor of Muleshoe, Texas, and he owns the popular restaurant Leal’s in Amarillo.
Leal is running as a Republican. He previously sat on the board of directors of an influential conservative think tank known as the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
Kel Seliger, a graduate of Dartmouth College, is the former mayor of Amarillo. He has been a member of the Texas Senate since 2004.
Leal’s announcement makes the battle for the seat a three-way race. Mike Canon, the former mayor of Midland, is also running.
Senate District 31 spans 37 counties from the Panhandle to the Permian Basin and includes Amarillo, Midland, Odessa and Big Spring.