Lynn Stucky
As of May 24, the stage has been set for the 2022 November elections. There were numerous run-off elections in both the Democratic and Republican primaries, ranging from statewide offices to local Denton County seats. Here are some of the important elections and who you will see on your November ballot:
Governor of Texas: Current Republican Governor Greg Abbott will face off against Democrat Beto O’Rourke. Abbott, the former Attorney General of Texas, will be running for his third term as Governor. O’Rourke served in Congress for two years and has run for U.S. Senate as well as made a Presidential bid in the past.
Lieutenant Governor: The lieutenant governor, the second-highest executive in the state, presides over the state Senate. Democrat Mike Collier will once again be challenging current Republican Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick from Houston after Collier’s unsuccessful bid in 2018.
Attorney General: The attorney general is the top lawyer in Texas, representing the state in mostly civil litigation. Republican Ken Paxton is seeking a third term. He’ll face Democrat Rochelle Garza, a former lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union from the Rio Grande Valley.
Land Commissioner: The land commissioner oversees an agency that manages 13 million acres of state land, administers disaster recovery funds, contributes to public school funding, and has administrative control of the Alamo. Republican Dawn Buckingham, a former state senator, will be facing Democrat Jay Kleberg for this position vacated by George P. Bush who unsuccessfully challenged Ken Paxon for Attorney General.
Comptroller: The comptroller is the state official responsible for collecting taxes, overseeing the state treasury, and forecasting the amount of money that’s available for the state’s two-year budget. Janet T. Dudding won the Democratic Primary to take on current comptroller, Republican Glenn Hegar.
Railroad Commissioner: In Texas, the railroad commission regulates the oil and gas industry. Members of the three-person board are elected statewide, and one seat is up for election in 2022. Wayne Christian, a current Republican railroad commissioner, is seeking re-election. He is being challenged by Democrat Luke Warford.
Texas Congressional District 26: Incumbent Republican Michael Burgess has no Democrat challenger. There is a Libertarian, Mike Kolls, who will also be on the ballot.
Texas Senate District 12: Republican Tan Parker, former state representative from Flower Mound, will face off against Democrat Francine Ly. This contest is for the seat Republican Jane Nelson retired from.
Texas House District 64: This is my own district in which I am most grateful to be uncontested in the November election following re-election in the March 2022 Republican primary.
As the November elections approach, more information will become available through the Texas Secretary of State website as well as the Denton County Elections Office. God Bless!