Latest news with #BrianBirdwell
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fort Worth area state senator announces retirement; House member seeks seat
Shorlty after Texas Sen. Brian Birdwell announced Monday that he will not seek re-election in 2026, state Rep. David Cook said he would run for the seat. Birdwell, a Granbury Republican representing Senate District 22 since 2010, thanked Jesus, his wife Mel, his constituents and his staff members for their support throughout his four terms. 'It has been the high honor of my life, on par with commanding United States soldiers, to serve my fellow Texans for over 15 years,' Birdwell stated in a X post. Cook, 53, is a Mansfield Republican serving his third term for House District 96. He ran for House speaker before this past legislative session. In his announcement, he thanked Birdwell for his service, calling him 'the personification of a servant leader.' 'While we've accomplished a great deal, there's more work to be done!' Cook stated in the news release. 'I look forward to hitting the campaign trail to earn the support of the people of Texas Senate District 22.' Other officials also showed their appreciation for Birdwell, including Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare. Some of Cook's priorities include securing the border, lowering property taxes and supporting public schools, among others, according to his website. Birdwell, 63, will finish the remainder of his term, which will end in January 2027. The next Texas Senate election is in November 2026. Senate District 22 represents the counties of Bosque, Comanche, Eastland, Erath, Falls, Hamilton, Hill, Hood, McLennan and Somervell, as well as parts of Ellis and Tarrant counties.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas Sen. Birdwell announces retirement, Rep. Cook to run for seat
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — State Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, announced Monday that he will not seek reelection to the Texas Senate. Shortly after, State Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield, announced he would run for the seat. Birdwell has served as a senator from Senate District 22 since 2010 after a career serving in the military. He was injured in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the Pentagon and awarded a Purple Heart for his injuries. In a statement posted to X, Birdwell thanked those who worked alongside him and listed the accomplishments he is most proud of from his tenure in the Senate. 'In my time in the Senate, we affirmed that Texas is a sanctuary for the unborn, expanded Second Amendment freedoms, banned woke insanity such as [Environmental, Social and Governance] and DEl, protected religious liberty, provided historic property tax relief, imposed transparency on several government agencies and prevented significant amounts of bad legislation from reaching the Senate floor,' Birdwell wrote. Cook is running to succeed Birdwell after having served in the Texas House since 2021 as a representative from House District 96, based south of Arlington and Fort Worth. He ran for Speaker of the House in 2025, but was defeated by Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock. In a statement, Cook said he is running to address 'challenges' that SD-22 may face. 'Over the years, we've faced a wave of growth and change, bringing both opportunities and challenges that continue to impact our way of life. These realities don't stop at district lines. They affect communities across SD-22 in much the same way,' Cook wrote. SD-22 is heavily Republican, as Birdwell won reelection in 2022 with no Democratic opponent. The primary election will be held March 3, 2026, with the general election on Nov. 3, 2026. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
GOP state Sen. Brian Birdwell says he won't seek reelection
State Sen. Brian Birdwell, a Granbury Republican who's represented parts of Central and North Texas since 2010, said Monday he did not plan to seek reelection to his seat in the upper chamber. 'It has been the high honor of my life, on par with commanding United States soldiers, to serve my fellow Texans for over 15 years,' Birdwell, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, said in a letter addressed to his district. 'As I conclude the mission the Lord has given me over these past 15 years, I do so with a sense of gratitude at all we have accomplished.' Birdwell highlighted numerous bills that lawmakers passed during his time in the Senate, like those that expanded access to firearms, restricted abortions and cut property taxes. He also commended instances when lawmakers 'prevented significant amounts of bad legislation from reaching the Senate floor' and noted the state's clampdown along the U.S.-Mexico border during the Biden administration. Soon after Birdwell announced his retirement, state Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield, announced he would run for the now-open Senate District 22. Cook, who is serving his third term in the lower chamber, recently waged an unsuccessful bid for House speaker, during which he vowed to strip power from Democrats and emerged as the consensus pick of the chamber's rightmost faction. In announcing his Senate run, Cook called Birdwell "the personification of a servant leader." "Over the years, we've faced a wave of growth and change, bringing both opportunities and challenges that continue to impact our way of life," Cook said in a statement. "These realities don't stop at district lines. They affect communities across SD 22 in much the same way. I am stepping forward because these challenges require experience, follow-through, and the time necessary to commit fully to the work ahead." Birdwell's announcement is the latest shake-up to the 31-member state Senate. Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, said last week he would not seek reelection to his East Texas seat. Former Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, stepped down from his post two weeks ago for an appointment in the state Comptroller's office; he also announced a campaign to be the next leader of the office. Big news: 20 more speakers join the TribFest lineup! New additions include Margaret Spellings, former U.S. secretary of education and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center; Michael Curry, former presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church; Beto O'Rourke, former U.S. Representative, D-El Paso; Joe Lonsdale, entrepreneur, founder and managing partner at 8VC; and Katie Phang, journalist and trial lawyer. Get tickets. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas governor makes it 'crystal clear' only U.S. citizens can vote in state elections
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation on Monday which he said makes it "crystal clear" that only U.S. citizens are allowed to vote in elections in his state. "I just signed off on a joint resolution to make it crystal clear under the Texas Constitution that if you are not a citizen of the United States of America, you are not allowed to vote in Texas," the governor said in a video posted to X. Texas State Senator Brian Birdwell, a Republican, introduced Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 37 in January, and in the resolution, he proposed a constitutional amendment clarifying that voters in Texas elections must be citizens of the U.S. Prior to the resolution, the constitution prohibited people who are under the age of 18, along with those who were determined mentally incompetent by a court or who were convicted of a felony, from voting in elections. Trump Signs Executive Order Requiring Proof Of Citizenship In Federal Elections: 'An Honor To Sign This One' But the amendment proposes adding a line to the classes of people who "shall not be allowed to vote" in Texas, which reads, "persons who are not citizens of the United States." Read On The Fox News App Birdwell's joint resolution was approved by the state senate in April, then by the state house in May. Abbott signed the joint resolution on Monday, but it still has one more step. In fact, Texas citizens will have the final say in November on whether the state constitution can be ratified to include the requirement in the state constitution. Trump's Executive Order On Voting Blocked By Federal Judge Amid Flurry Of Legal Setbacks Fox News Digital has reached out to Abbott's and Birdwell's offices for comment. Last month, a federal judge blocked an executive order signed by President Donald Trump that would require documentary proof of citizenship before being allowed to register to vote. Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia handed down the order in response to lawsuits filed by three separate groups of plaintiffs over five different provisions in a March 25 Trump executive order relating to election integrity. While Kollar-Kotelly dismissed requests to block three of the provisions, requests to block two other provisions pertaining to a proof of citizenship requirement for voters were granted. Judge Blocks Trump Election Order Despite Overwhelming American Support For Voter Id The first blocked provision sought to compel the Election Assistance Commission to amend standardized national voter registration forms to require documentary proof of citizenship. The second sought to require federal agencies offering voter registration to people on public assistance to "assess" the individual's citizenship status before doing so. "Our Constitution entrusts Congress and the States — not the President — with the authority to regulate federal elections. Consistent with that allocation of power, Congress is currently debating legislation that would affect many of the changes the President purports to order," Kollar-Kotelly, a Clinton-appointee, wrote in her order. "No statutory delegation of authority to the Executive Branch permits the President to short-circuit Congress's deliberative process by executive order." Meanwhile, 25 states, including Texas, are considering some form of proof-of-citizenship legislation, according to the Voting Rights Lab, which is tracking such legislation. In total, 15 state constitutions have explicit prohibitions against non-citizen voting. Fox News Digital's Alec Schemmel contributed to this article source: Texas governor makes it 'crystal clear' only U.S. citizens can vote in state elections
Fox News
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Texas governor makes it 'crystal clear' only U.S. citizens can vote in state elections
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation on Monday which he said makes it "crystal clear" that only U.S. citizens are allowed to vote in elections in his state. "I just signed off on a joint resolution to make it crystal clear under the Texas Constitution that if you are not a citizen of the United States of America, you are not allowed to vote in Texas," the governor said in a video posted to X. Texas State Senator Brian Birdwell, a Republican, introduced Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 37 in January, and in the resolution, he proposed a constitutional amendment clarifying that voters in Texas elections must be citizens of the U.S. Prior to the resolution, the constitution prohibited people who are under the age of 18, along with those who were determined mentally incompetent by a court or who were convicted of a felony, from voting in elections. But the amendment proposes adding a line to the classes of people who "shall not be allowed to vote" in Texas, which reads, "persons who are not citizens of the United States." Birdwell's joint resolution was approved by the state senate in April, then by the state house in May. Abbott signed the joint resolution on Monday, but it still has one more step. In fact, Texas citizens will have the final say in November on whether the state constitution can be ratified to include the requirement in the state constitution. Fox News Digital has reached out to Abbott's and Birdwell's offices for comment. Last month, a federal judge blocked an executive order signed by President Donald Trump that would require documentary proof of citizenship before being allowed to register to vote. Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia handed down the order in response to lawsuits filed by three separate groups of plaintiffs over five different provisions in a March 25 Trump executive order relating to election integrity. While Kollar-Kotelly dismissed requests to block three of the provisions, requests to block two other provisions pertaining to a proof of citizenship requirement for voters were granted. The first blocked provision sought to compel the Election Assistance Commission to amend standardized national voter registration forms to require documentary proof of citizenship. The second sought to require federal agencies offering voter registration to people on public assistance to "assess" the individual's citizenship status before doing so. "Our Constitution entrusts Congress and the States — not the President — with the authority to regulate federal elections. Consistent with that allocation of power, Congress is currently debating legislation that would affect many of the changes the President purports to order," Kollar-Kotelly, a Clinton-appointee, wrote in her order. "No statutory delegation of authority to the Executive Branch permits the President to short-circuit Congress's deliberative process by executive order." Meanwhile, 25 states, including Texas, are considering some form of proof-of-citizenship legislation, according to the Voting Rights Lab, which is tracking such legislation. In total, 15 state constitutions have explicit prohibitions against non-citizen voting.
