Attacks Have Already Begun Over Key SA Area House Seat

It’ll be a while before a rematch can happen between state Rep. Rick Galindo, R-San Antonio, and Philip Cortez, the Democrat whom Galindo defeated last year to take the Bexar County-based House District 117.

But that’s not stopping the Republican Party of Texas from starting to highlight what they see as failures by Cortez while in office. In this case, the RPT makes the claim that Cortez was absent or late to a majority of his committee meetings and missed 162 floor votes.

Said RPT Chairman Tom Mechler in a statement, “Cortez spent taxpayer funds lavishly as a state representative, but couldn’t be bothered to show up for work most of the time. The hardworking people of HD 117 don’t want glitz … they want grit.”

Texas Democratic Party Deputy Executive Director Manny Garcia dismissed the RPT communication as irrelevant to the concerns of the district’s voters.

"Predictable negative attacks from the Republican party like this one will not make one bit of difference to the lives of San Antonio families and voters in district 117,” he said. “San Antonio voters want to hear how candidates will fight for education and economic opportunity for middle class and working families. Clearly, the Republican Party of Texas has nothing to offer them.

"We look forward to supporting a Democratic nominee that represents San Antonio values in the 2016 general election."

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State Rep. Dan Flynn, R-Canton, has a primary challenger. Bryan Slaton announced earlier this month that he’s running to represent House District 2, which encompasses Hunt, Van Zandt and Hopkins counties.

Slaton, who describes himself as a “Christian-Conservative for Texas House,” has since followed up with at least one fundraising email.

For his part, Flynn hasn’t made an official announcement on his plans. But he indicated to the Tribune on Tuesday that he plans to seek re-election. “I haven’t even thought otherwise” about whether to run again, he said.

He added that “we probably had our best session ever,” touting successful attempts to make long-term reform to the state Employees Retirement System as well as putting curbs on capital appreciation bonds.

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A super PAC supporting former Gov. Rick Perry on Tuesday released the third TV ad it is airing in early-voting Iowa, a 30-second spot that touts his border security credentials.

"I told him, 'Mr. President, if you do not secure this border, Texas will,'" Perry says in the ad, which features footage of his presidential campaign announcement earlier this month outside Dallas.

Opportunity and Freedom PAC, which first went on the air in Iowa the day after Perry announced his campaign, has already spent nearly $400,000 on media buys, according to federal records. The two ads the super PAC has previously released were more broadly focused on his rural upbringing and gubernatorial record.

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U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., plans to visit Texas next month in what is expected to be his first trip to the state as a presidential candidate.

Paul's itinerary includes a stop July 17 in Houston for a fundraiser with his wife, Kelley, according to an invitation obtained by the Tribune. Among the hosts of the event is Steve Munisteri, the former chairman of the Texas GOP who now works for Paul's campaign.

Paul is expected to make other stops while in the state, though his exact schedule was still coming together Monday.

Paul, who was raised in Texas and went to Baylor University, last visited the Lone Star State during the South by Southwest festival. He used the March trip to help open his campaign's Austin outpost.