Latest news with #TexasSenate
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nate Schatzline exits race for Texas Senate after new candidate announces her run
Texas Rep. Nate Schatzline is withdrawing his days-old candidacy for a state Senate seat after a conservative activist with ties to Patriot Mobile announced Friday that she intends to run. Schatzline, a Fort Worth Republican, announced on June 27 that he is no longer running for Senate District 9. His exit comes as Republican Leigh Wambsganss enters the race. The Senate seat is open after Kelly Hancock of North Richland Hills resigned to become the Texas comptroller starting July 1. On Friday, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Nov. 4 will be the date for a special election in Senate District 9. The filing period ends Sept. 3. Wambsganss is a political activist in North Texas who has served on the Tarrant County GOP executive committee for more than a decade, according to her campaign announcement. She is the chief communications officer for Patriot Mobile, according to her LinkedIn. The Christian conservative cell phone company's political action arm has worked to elect conservative candidates in North Texas school board races. 'I am announcing my campaign for Texas Senate, District 9, because this district deserves a proven conservative fighter,' Wambsganss said in a statement. 'I have spent decades on the front lines of the conservative movement—leading one of the most impactful campaigns against Critical Race Theory in the country, working alongside Republican leaders during the Republican Revolution of the 1990s, and consistently standing firm for pro-life and pro-2nd Amendment values. I am not a career politician—I'm a battle-tested conservative who gets results.' Wambsganss has the endorsement of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Schatzline announced his bid for the North Texas Senate seat on June 24. Instead, he will run for reelection in 2026 in House District 93. In a statement, Schatzline said the pivot came after 'prayerful consideration, conversations with my family, and an assessment of where I can be most effective.' He threw his support behind Wambsganss in a social media post. 'I am officially announcing my re-election campaign for Texas House District 93!' Schatzline said. 'My #1 goal was for SD9 to be represented by a true conservative, & with Leigh Wambsganss, that's exactly what you'll get. She has my full support. Can't wait to fight for Faith, Family, & Freedom alongside you in Austin!' Schatzline's Friday reelection announcement included an endorsement from Gov. Greg Abbott. House District 93 in Tarrant County covers Blue Mound and Haslet, and includes parts of Fort Worth and Saginaw. Senate District 9 spans part of Tarrant County, including Hurst, Keller, North Richland Hills, White Settlement, Haltom City, Saginaw, Watuga, most of Southlake, and portions of portions of Fort Worth, Azle, Bedford, Benbrook and Arlington. Taylor Rehmet, a Democrat from Fort Worth who works at Lockheed Martin, is also running for the open North Texas Senate seat.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Abbott announces special election for Texas Senate
The Brief Gov. Greg Abbott announced a special election for Texas Senate District 9 set for Nov. 4, 2025. The seat was vacated earlier this month when Kelly Hancock took a position in the Texas Comptroller's Office. On Friday, political activist Leigh Wambganss announced she would seek election. AUSTIN, Texas - Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday announced a special election to fill the Texas Senate seat left open by outgoing Sen. Kelly Hancock. A special election for Senate District 9 will be held on Nov. 4, 2025. The district covers around half of Tarrant County, including North Richland Hills and more than half of Fort Worth. The North Richland Hills Republican resigned from the Senate earlier this month to become chief clerk of the Texas Comptroller's Office. He will assume temporary leadership of the office Tuesday. Hancock announced his campaign for comptroller, who serves as the state's chief financial officer, on June 19. On Friday, political activist Leigh Wambsganss announced her candidacy for the open seat. "I have spent my entire adult life as a volunteer public servant, not for a title, but out of conviction," she said in a statement. "From leading grassroots campaigns to serving on the front lines of the Second Amendment and pro-life movements, my mission has always been clear: to defend conservative Christian family values, safeguard our freedoms, and ensure Texas remains a stronghold for faith, family, and freedom." In the wake of Hancock's announcement, Rep. Nate Schatzline said he would be looking to take the vacant seat, but pulled his candidacy on Friday announcing he would instead seek re-election in the House. Schatzline put his support behind Wambsganss. "My #1 goal was for SD9 to be represented by a true conservative, & with Leigh Wambsganss, that's exactly what you'll get. She has my full support," he said on X. Wambsganss also won the support of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. "She has been a leader of the conservative movement in Tarrant County and all of Texas," Patrick said. "She will be a great addition to our conservative Texas Senate." The Source Information on the November special election comes from Gov. Greg Abbott's office. Comments from Leigh Wambsganss, Nate Schatzline and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick come from their respective X accounts.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Greg Abbott sets Nov. 4 special election for open state Senate seat
Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday set a special election for Nov. 4 to fill the Texas Senate seat vacated by Republican Kelly Hancock, who resigned from the Legislature earlier this month to become the acting state comptroller. The contest coincides with the state's November uniform election, when voters across Texas will already be at the polls to elect representation for local offices and vote on numerous ballot measures, including 17 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution. The candidate filing deadline for the Senate District 9 special election is Sept. 3, with early voting to start Oct. 20. Earlier Friday, conservative activist Leigh Wambsganss announced her candidacy to fill the vacant seat. Shortly after her announcement, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the president of the Senate, endorsed Wambsganss, saying she would be a 'great addition to our conservative Texas Senate.' In a statement announcing her bid, Wambsganss said she was 'not a career politician' but a 'battle-tested conservative who gets results.' 'I have spent decades on the front lines of the conservative movement—leading one of the most impactful campaigns against Critical Race Theory in the country, working alongside Republican leaders during the Republican Revolution of the 1990s, and consistently standing firm for pro-life and pro-2nd Amendment values,' she said. Wambsganss is a former congressional staffer and a longtime conservative activist on the Tarrant County GOP executive committee. She has also spearheaded the Patriot Mobile Action, a PAC that led the charge to elect conservative candidates to school boards across North Texas in 2022. Soon after Wambsganss's announcement, Rep. Nate Schatzline, R-Fort Worth, withdrew his own bid for the seat and endorsed her. A Democratic candidate, veteran and union president Taylor Rehmet, is also running for the seat. The North Texas district leans solidly Republican and covers about half of Fort Worth and much of Tarrant County's northern suburbs. In 2024, Republican Donald Trump carried the district with 58% of the vote. Whoever wins the special election will serve the remainder of Hancock's term, which runs until January 2027. The seat is up for reelection in 2026. 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
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Greg Abbott sets Nov. 4 special election for open state Senate seat
Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday set a special election for Nov. 4 to fill the Texas Senate seat vacated by Republican Kelly Hancock, who resigned from the Legislature earlier this month to become the acting state comptroller. The contest coincides with the state's November uniform election, when voters across Texas will already be at the polls to elect representation for local offices and vote on numerous ballot measures, including 17 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution. The candidate filing deadline for the Senate District 9 special election is Sept. 3, with early voting to start Oct. 20. Earlier Friday, conservative activist Leigh Wambsganss announced her candidacy to fill the vacant seat. Shortly after her announcement, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the president of the Senate, endorsed Wambsganss, saying she would be a 'great addition to our conservative Texas Senate.' In a statement announcing her bid, Wambsganss said she was 'not a career politician' but a 'battle-tested conservative who gets results.' 'I have spent decades on the front lines of the conservative movement—leading one of the most impactful campaigns against Critical Race Theory in the country, working alongside Republican leaders during the Republican Revolution of the 1990s, and consistently standing firm for pro-life and pro-2nd Amendment values,' she said. Wambsganss is a former congressional staffer and a longtime conservative activist on the Tarrant County GOP executive committee. She has also spearheaded the Patriot Mobile Action, a PAC that led the charge to elect conservative candidates to school boards across North Texas in 2022. Soon after Wambsganss's announcement, Rep. Nate Schatzline, R-Fort Worth, withdrew his own bid for the seat and endorsed her. A Democratic candidate, veteran and union president Taylor Rehmet, is also running for the seat. The North Texas district leans solidly Republican and covers about half of Fort Worth and much of Tarrant County's northern suburbs. In 2024, Republican Donald Trump carried the district with 58% of the vote. Whoever wins the special election will serve the remainder of Hancock's term, which runs until January 2027. The seat is up for reelection in 2026. 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
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
What to know about special election to replace Kelly Hancock in the Texas Senate
North Texas Sen. Kelly Hancock's move to the Texas Comptroller's office clears the way for a special election to fill the Senate District 9 seat he's held since 2013. The North Richland Hills Republican announced his resignation from the Texas Senate on June 19 and is poised to become the next Texas Comptroller on July 1. The leadership shake-up comes after Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced he was stepping down to become chancellor of the Texas A&M University System. There are still many unknowns about the special election to replace Hancock mid-term, including when the election will be held. Hancock was next up for election in 2026, which means whoever replaces him will have a short stint, finishing out the remainder of the four year term, before the seat is back on the ballot. The district includes much of Tarrant County, including Haltom City, Haslet, Hurst and Keller, and parts of Fort Worth, Azle, Bedford and Arlington. Here's what we know so far. A date has not been set for a special election to fill Senate District 9. According to Texas Election Code, the election must be held 'on the first uniform election date occurring on or after the 36th day after the date the election is ordered.' The next Election Day is Nov. 4, when constitutional amendments will be voted on. That said, Gov. Greg Abbott could call an emergency election, to be held on 'a Tuesday or Saturday occurring on or after the 36th day and on or before the 64th day after the date the election is ordered.' Given lawmakers are headed into a July 21 special session, there also could be an expedited election, which 'must be held on a Tuesday or Saturday occurring not earlier than the 21st day or later than the 45th day after the date the election is ordered.' Andrew Mahaleris, a spokesperson for Abbott, said the governor's office did not have anything to announce as of Tuesday morning. A primary would not be held, which means all candidates will appear on one ballot, regardless of party affiliation. The race could go into a runoff though, if a single candidate doesn't get more than half of the votes. Rep. Nate Schatzline, a Fort Worth Republican, and Taylor Rehmet, a Democrat from Fort Worth, have announced bids for Senate District 9. Schatzline has worked as a pastor and founded For Liberty & Justice, which works at 'mobilizing the local church to see reformation in government,' according to a news release from his campaign. He was first elected to the House in 2022 and is among the chamber's most conservative members. Schatzline announced his campaign on June 24, and is not resigning from his House seat, according to his campaign. His announcement included the endorsements of local city and county leaders, state representatives and local precinct chairs. 'Texas is in a stronger place today because of the conservative steps forward we've taken since I've been in office, but it hasn't been without a huge effort,' Schatzline said in a statement. 'It's clear that our state will only be as conservative to the extent we are willing to fight for it. As a Senator I will continue to show up to battle for Texans, standing firmly by the principles and promises I have made and kept.' Rehmet is an Air Force veteran and the president of the Texas Chapter of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, according to a news release from his campaign. He is an aircraft technician at Lockheed Martin, according to his LinkedIn page. 'Every day, I roll up my sleeves, clock in, and go to bat for what's right.' Rehmet said in a June 23 statement, announcing his bid. 'I swore an oath to the Constitution when I joined the Air Force, and that promise didn't expire when I hung up my uniform. Texas is being sold off to the highest bidder and working folks are being left behind. I'm running because we deserve a government that works as hard as we do.'
