Good morning,

Four competitive congressional runoffs are brewing in Texas.

We look at those in today's Texas Minute.

– Brandon Waltens

Monday, May 18, 2020
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• While the Chinese coronavirus and government-ordered shutdowns have put much of everyday Texans’ lives on hold, one thing is still certain—there are elections on the horizon.

• Last week, we looked at the runoffs for the Texas Legislature. Today, we preview runoffs for U.S. congress.

• CD 13: Josh Winegarner vs. Ronny Jackson
  When Republican voters from Amarillo to Wichita Falls go to the ballot box this July, they'll choose between two congressional candidates to be their nominee in November former lobbyist and bureaucrat Josh Winegarner and President Donald Trump-endorsed former Navy Admiral and White House physician Ronny Jackson.
  
  A former Congressional staffer and government relations director for the Texas Cattle Feeders Association, Winegarner’s ties to the Washington swamp also netted him an endorsement from three soon–to–be–former Texas congressmen: Mike Conaway, Mac Thornberry, and Will Hurd.
  
  Jackson only recently returned to the district after concluding his military career, which most recently included serving as the White House physician to Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Since launching his campaign, he’s focused on term limits and returning drug manufacturing from China to the United States.
      
• CD 17: Pete Sessions vs. Renee Swann
  This open Central Texas seat, vacated by retiring U.S. Rep. Bill Flores, sees a veteran congressman attempting a comeback facing off against a relatively unknown opponent.
  
  Pete Sessions is no stranger to Congress, having served in a Dallas-area district for 16 years, before being defeated in 2018. Since then he has moved to Waco in an attempt to return to D.C.  While far from the tip of the conservative spear, Sessions could probably be best described as on the right-wing of establishment Republican leadership—determined to stake out conservative positions on issues like immigration, but willing to go along with leadership to raise the debt ceiling and national debt.
  
  His opponent is Renee Swann, whose campaign has put a heavy focus on her experience in business and healthcare.
  
  Like Sessions, her opposition to joining the House Freedom Caucus if elected has put her at odds with many conservatives in the district. It has, however, earn her the support Bill Flores, who endorsed her candidacy in February after clawing back money from another candidate after they stated they would seek to join the caucus.
   
• CD 22: Kathaleen Wall vs. Troy Nehls
  The retirement of U.S. Congressman Pete Olson  has kicked off a contentious GOP primary fight to succeed the lawmaker that will be decided on July 14th.
  
  Kathaleen Wall, a businesswoman and member of the State Republican Executive Committee, had previously attempted a run for the 2nd Congressional District in 2018, failing to make the runoff for the seat now held by Congressman Dan Crenshaw. Since then, however, Wall has doubled down on her involvement with the party, serving on the State Republican Executive Committee, where she has led election integrity efforts over the past year.
  
  Her opponent, Troy Nehls, has previously served as the Sheriff of Ft. Bend County. Conservatives have criticized Nehls for his opposition to strong sanctuary city laws, which he said “[create] an us-versus-them attitude” between law enforcement and illegal aliens, and for his opposition to Texas gun rights, having publicly opposed the open carrying of firearms during a speech to a local chamber of commerce. 
     
• CD 23: Raul Reyes vs. Tony Gonzales
  With Texas' most liberal Republican congressman Will Hurd retiring from Congress after three terms, two Republicans are battling to keep the seat in Republican hands: Tony Gonzales and Raul Reyes.
       
  Both candidates have highlighted their military backgrounds during the campaign: Gonzales served in the Navy and Reyes in the Air Force and, unlike their predecessor Hurd, they have both embraced President Donald Trump.
  
  Their endorsements, however, give the most insight into the two candidates. 
      
  Gonzales touts the endorsement of Will Hurd, as well as other congressmen, including U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, along with the Republican National Hispanic Assembly.
  
  Reyes’s endorsements, on the other hand, come from conservative grassroots organizations, including Texas Right to Life and Young Conservatives of Texas.

• As campaigns begin to heat up ahead of the election on July 14, Texas Scorecard will continue to bring you news and analysis from the campaign trail.

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