Now that the municipal elections are over, it's time for the 2018 statewide elections to begin, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, who has jump started the multi million dollar effort to renovate Alamo Plaza, today announced, via a video posted on his web page, that he is seeking re-election.
"Conservative principals, conservative results, that's what we're going at the General Land Office, and we're just getting started," Bush says in the video.
Bush's support has enabled the GLO to manage the major renovation of Alamo Plaza, which could cost as much as $300 million, and Bush won a major allocation of funding from the Legislature to complete the work. The GLO took over control of the Alamo from the Daughters of the Republic of Texas in 2012.
No Democratic challenger has emerged to Bush, who is the son of former Florida Gov. and 2016 Presidential candidate Jeb Bush, and the nephew of George W. Bush, the former President and Texas governor.
One Democrat who is announcing his candidacy is Mike Coller, a Houston accountant who has long been active in the Texas Democratic Party.
Collier announced over the weekend that he will run for Lieutenant Governor, challenging conservative Republican Dan Patrick.
"If we really want to break up this Republican country club, frat boy animal house that they call Texas government, we not only have to run against them, we need to beat them," Collier said. "That's why I'm running against Dan Patrick."
The other Democrat who has announced a candidacy for statewide office is El Paso congressman Beto O'Rourke, who is challenging first term U.S. Senator Ted Cruz.
So far, no Democrats have emerged to challenge the two Republicans who are considered the most vulnerable, Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is under felony indictment, and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, who has a history of making outrageous comments.
Also, no Democrat has stepped forward to challenge Gov. Greg Abbott, who is the most popular person in Texas politics.
No Democrat has won a non judicial statewide political race since Bob Bullock was elected Lieutenant Governor in 1994.