The 2018 election season has officially begun in Texas. This weekend marked the neginning of the filing period for all Lone Star candidates who plan to run for public office.
As The Dallas Morning News reports, Gov. Greg Abbott turned in his own paperwork this weekend, at the American Legion in Austin. Abbott is not expected to face any Republican primary challengers. However, many of his Republican colleagues in the Legislature are facing strong challengers in the upcoming GOP primary. Several recent high-profile Republican retirements have added an extra layer of intrigue to the election season. Texas House Speaker Joe Straus’s vacant seat will be hotly contested, and Straus has a $10 million war chest he can spend on any candidate he likes.
In the Texas Panhandle, hotly contested races include the battle for Kel Seliger's seat in the Texas Senate. Seliger is being challenged by Victor Leal, owner of the popular Amarillo restaurant Leal's.