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New political season has begun...
End one season and begin another. This is true with the political process. The end of the legislative session always signals the beginning of the next election cycle. Of course, the election season was delayed by a summer of special sessions. Now that the final special session of the summer has ended, legislators are focusing on their re-election, and some have decided to retire. These early announcements signal a very busy election year for the legislature and Texas Farm Bureau AGFUND.
Sen. Jon Lindsay (R-Houston) announced his retirement before the second special session had ended. This has started a chain reaction among candidates for his Harris County seat. Two state representatives who have historically been friendly to Texas Farm Bureau—Peggy Hamric and Joe Nixon—have announced their intentions to seek this Senate seat. Not only will it be difficult to choose between two friends, there will be two new members of the Texas House for our Harris County Farm Bureau leaders to get to know.
In addition to Reps. Hamric and Nixon, four other Texas House members have announced their retirement—Bob Griggs (R-North Richland Hills), Terry Keel (R-Austin), Jim Solis (D-Harlingen), and Suzanna Hupp (R-Lampasas). Rep. Keel is retiring to run for the Third Court of Appeals in Austin. The other representatives have not expressed interest in other offices.
The retirement of Rep. Hupp is of particular importance to our organization. Her district is composed of Bell, Lampasas, and Burnet counties. This is an historically rural area that has seen significant suburban growth over the past 10 years. It is a borderline rural district where our members can still have an impact in electing someone friendly to agriculture. Or, if our membership isn't active, the seat could be won by a suburbanite with little knowledge of agriculture issues. These types of races will become more the norm for our organization this election cycle and in the future. Our success in these urban growth areas will directly affect the future success of the organization legislatively.
It may seem early to most people to be thinking of next year's election, but, it really isn't, with the primary only five months away. Success politically and legislatively hinges on staying abreast of the changing winds in politics. The filing period for offices opens in only two months, so, keep an ear to the ground in your community, and you will be a great service to yourself and your organization's success in the elections and the legislature. The future of Farm Bureau legislatively depends on your interest and involvement. Let the cycle begin.
