LPAC, a national political action committee dedicated to building the “power of lesbians and queer women who champion LGBTQ rights,” has endorsed nine candidates in races across the country including two in Texas. In November, LPAC endorsed Gina Ortiz Jones of San Antonio who is running for a seat in the U.S. Congress in Texas…
“Bathroom Bill” Fizzles as Republican Primary Issue
By Patrick Svitek, February 6, 2018 The “bathroom bill,” once touted as a surefire issue for the 2018 Republican primaries, is barely registering in them with less than a month until Election Day. Last year, state lawmakers waded into an intense, emotional debate over whether the state should restrict which bathrooms transgender Texans could use,…
Owner of Pegasus Nightclub Runs for Congress as a Republican
Mauro E. Garza, the owner of the Pegasus nightclub on the Main Avenue Strip, has thrown his hat into the primary for the Texas 21st Congressional District seat running as a Republican. Garza is one of 18 Republicans vying to succeed Lamar S. Smith (R-San Antonio) who’s held the seat for the last 30 years.…
Stonewall Democrats Announce Endorsements for March Primary
After listening to almost 70 candidates speak over the course of over four hours on Sunday, January 28, the Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio have released their full list of endorsements for the March 6 primary. The conference room at the El Tropicano Hotel, where the candidate forum was held, was filled to near-capacity with…
More LGBTQ Texans than ever are running for office, magazine says
By Rishika Dugyala, The Texas Tribune January 24, 2018 A self-described “gun-toting, truck-driving, true Republican,” Shannon McClendon avidly followed state politics and served as a five-time appointee for various boards under former Texas Gov. Rick Perry. But until now, she never pushed herself to run for elected office. “I’m a Republican who happens to be…
Stonewall Dems Announce Candidate Forum Ahead of March Primary
The Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio announced their candidate forum and endorsement meeting will take place on Sunday, January 28 in the Trinidad Room at the El Tropicano Hotel. The purpose of the forum is to hear from candidates who are running for office and to vote on endorsements. The meeting is being held ahead…
Lupe Valdez, a Democrat, kicks off gubernatorial bid in Dallas
By Cassandra Pollock, The Texas Tribune January 7, 2018 DALLAS — Lupe Valdez, the former Dallas County Sheriff, formally launched her Democratic bid for governor on Sunday, touting a campaign aimed at representing all Texans and listing a broad range of topics she plans to address as election season gets underway. “Together, we need to…
Texas Equity PAC Announces Endorsements
On December 29, Texas Equity PAC announced four end-of-the-year endorsements of candidates running for the Texas Legislature. In a statement on its Facebook page, Texas Equity PAC describes its mission: “Pro-equality legislation happens with the support of pro-equality lawmakers. The Texas Equity PAC is the political action committee of Equality Texas. It supports the election…
Marriage Equality Pioneer Mark Phariss to Run for Texas Senate
Plano attorney Mark Phariss, who in 2013 was a plaintiff in the successful Texas marriage equality lawsuit, announced his candidacy for Texas Senate District 8, which covers portions of Collin and Dallas counties. The District 8 seat has been held by Republican Van Taylor who is vacating the office to run for Congress. Phariss will…
Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez Officially Enters Governor’s Race
Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez has made it official: She is resigning her office to run for Governor of Texas in the Democratic primary. Valdez’s announcement came just a week after news outlets in North Texas had prematurely reported her resignation ahead of a likely campaign. Her announcement on December 6 is the real thing.…