Houston, We've Got a Presidential Debate

Late last week came word that a 2016 presidential debate is coming to Texas.

Houston will play host to the Feb. 26 debate, which will include the Republican candidates. NBC News, Telemundo and National Review are teaming up to put on the event.

The debate will fall just days before the Texas primary.

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Houston mayoral candidate Bill King has made his first TV campaign ad, “City of Opportunity,” the first of a series that his campaign says will air through Election Day and beyond.

Citing his legal and business background, the businessman and attorney says in the ad, “Let’s work together to fix the streets, catch the crooks and balance the budget. Let’s get Houston back to basics.”

King is one of several announced candidates in the race to succeed Annise Parker, who is term limited from running for re-election. The others include state Rep. Sylvester Turner, former Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia and former Congressman Chris Bell.

The election is set for November.

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And because the 2016 primary fights can’t get here fast enough, consider these items.

Former Hood County Constable Mike Lang announced Tuesday he has the backing of all but two of the county's Republican precinct chairmen in his challenge to state Rep. Jim Keffer, R-Eastland.

Lang is partly pinning his hopes on a strong performance in Hood County, the most populous county in House District 60. Keffer's primary challenger in 2014 beat him in Hood County by a more than 2-to-1 margin.

Lang is among a handful of candidates who have already declared they are challenging longtime incumbents in 2016. Keffer has not made an official announcement about whether he will seek an 11th term.

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In some D.C. political news, Dallas Republican Congressman Pete Sessions responded this afternoon to a news report that deep-pocketed state Sen. Don Huffines, R-Dallas, isn’t ruling out a run for Sessions’ seat.

"I would submit to you that he’s got his hands full right now and probably be busy doing that," Sessions said, referring to Huffines' work in the Legislature. "And I’m sure somebody just asked him a question about it. I think he’s pretty busy and so am I."