Texas Senator Kel Seliger formally announced his bid for re-election this week,reports The Amarillo Globe-News.
First elected to the state Senate in 2004, Seliger says he is particularly interested in maintaining local control for Texas communities, after the Texas Legislature recently passed a number of bills aimed at weakening the power of Texas municipalities.
Seliger is chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee and sits on the Senate Education Committee.
The former Amarillo mayor represents Senate District 31, which stretches from the Texas Panhandle down to the Permian Basin.
Seliger will be defending his seat against Amarillo restaurateur Victor Leal, who announced last month, and former Midland Mayor Mike Canon. Canon also faced off against Seliger in the 2014 GOP primary, when he lost by five percentage points. The 2018 primary will be held in early March.