Jan. 6 Special Elections Set for Three Legislative Races

Gov. Rick Perry has called three special elections to fill the seats that state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio; state Rep. Tim Kleinschmidt, R-Lexington; and state Rep. Mike Villarreal, D-San Antonio, are vacating. 

Van de Putte and Villarreal are leaving office to run for San Antonio mayor. Kleinschmidt is leaving the Legislature to become the Texas Department of Agriculture’s next general counsel. 

Another special election will be called for the House seat currently held by Rep. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham. Kolkhorst, who was elected in a special election this month to the Texas Senate, has not resigned yet. 

State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, and Rep. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio, have announced they are running for Van de Putte's Senate seat. They will be joined in the race by Converse Mayor Al Suarez, according to the San Antonio Express-News.

The deadline for candidates to file with the secretary of state's office is 5 p.m. Dec. 22. Early voting begins on Dec. 29, and election day is Jan. 6.