As Texans are heading to the polls to vote in state and local elections, the Republican Party of Texas announced the endorsements of 11 city and school board candidates on the November ballot.
Candidates backed by the RPT also received endorsements from their local county Republican parties.
The RPT endorsed five city council candidates in two cities, Houston and Princeton:
Fred Flickinger—Houston City Council, District E (open seat)
Mary Nan Huffman—Houston City Council, District G (incumbent)
Steven Deffibaugh—Princeton City Council, Place 5 (incumbent/unopposed)
Ben Long—Princeton City Council, Place 6 (open seat)
Carolyn David-Graves—Princeton City Council, Place 7 (open seat)
All Princeton City Council seats are elected at large.
The state Republican Party also endorsed six school board candidates in two districts, Houston and Cypress-Fairbanks:
Fe Bencosme—Houston ISD, District III (challenger)
Meg Seff—Houston ISD, District IV (challenger)
Todd LeCompte—Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, Position 1 (open seat)
George Edwards—Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, Position 2 (challenger)
Justin Ray—Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, Position 3 (open seat)
Christine Kalmbach—Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, Position 4 (open seat)
Houston ISD is currently run by a nine-member board of managers appointed by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). In accordance with state law, TEA took over the district in March following years of poor performance.
Cy-Fair ISD conservatives won three school board seats in 2021. If Republican-endorsed candidates flip at least one more seat, the board will have a conservative majority.
Last year, the RPT called school board races “the new election battleground in Texas.”
All Texans’ ballots will include 14 proposed amendments to the state constitution.
The RPT recommends voting FOR Proposition 4, which would increase the homestead exemption for school district property taxes from $40,000 to $100,000 and temporarily limit appraised values of commercial property.
Early voting runs through November 3. Election Day is Tuesday, November 7.
