Campaign Roundup: The Week's Political News

Christi Craddick picked up endorsements from former Railroad Commissioners Charles Matthews and Barry Williamson. Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones is seeking election to the Texas Senate, and Craddick, Warren Chisum and Roland Sledge are running for her seat on the Railroad Commission. Victor Carrillo, voted off the commission last year, has endorsed Chisum.

Glenn Addison, an undertaker who is running for the the U.S. Senate in a campaign that includes a promise to only serve one term, is airing radio ads attacking Ted Cruz for representing a tire company from "communist China." Addison says the company is poaching American jobs. The Cruz camp declined to comment.

Ric Sanchez, a former lieutenant general running for U.S. Senate as a Democrat, lost his house to a fire while he was attending Veterans Day events. He issued a press release with this headline: Investigations Underway As Campaign Continues.

Jonathan Stickland announced plans to challenge Rep. Todd Smith, R-Euless, in HD-92. He says he's a small-business owner, wants to increase the quality of education and won't be asking taxpayers for more money: "Raising taxes is not an option."

Tarrant County GOP Chairwoman Stephanie Klick will run in an open seat for the Texas House, HD-101. That's one of the new seats in the maps proposed last week (but not yet adopted) by a panel of federal judges in San Antonio.

Edinburg businessman T.C. Betancourt, a Democrat, will run in HD-40 if court-proposed plans for the Texas House hold. That would make him a challenger to state Rep. Aaron Peña, R-Edinburg, in a district that appears to favor a Democrat.

Former San Marcos Mayor Susan Narvaiz is planning a run in CD-35 — the congressional district that includes parts of Hays, Travis, Comal and Bexar counties. Barring court-ordered changes to that district, she'll be up against U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, and state Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio. [Editor's note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly had Narvaiz running in another district.]

Republican congressional candidate Roger Williams — a former Texas Secretary of State — won the endorsement of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

Tyler businessman and former State Board of Education member Randy Stevenson will challenge fellow Republican Thomas Ratliff. He says Ratliff is a lobbyist — true — and says the incumbent was supported by unions in his last run for office.

Donna Campbell, who's running for the Texas Senate against Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, along with Texas Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones, got the endorsement of former Texas Republican Party Chairwoman Cathie Adams, who's also the former head of the Texas Eagle Forum.

The Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC endorsed Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, and Ken Paxton, R-McKinney, who's giving up his House seat to run for the Texas Senate.