GOP Frontrunner Trump Returns to Texas Next Week

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump is returning to Texas on Monday for his campaign's first rally in the Lone Star State.

The real estate mogul will headline the Sept. 14 event at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. Tickets are being distributed via Ticketmaster.

Trump last stumped in Texas in July, when he took reporters on a whirlwind tour of Laredo in an effort to learn about border issues.

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One of the super PACs supporting U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is getting a piece of the action surrounding the Iowa-Iowa State football game Saturday.

The group, known as Keep the Promise I, is airing an ad during the game, which is already bringing several GOP presidential candidates to Ames for a tailgate.

"KTPI is really excited to go on the air with a pro-Cruz ad to kick off football season," Kristina Hernandez, a spokeswoman for the group, wrote in an email Thursday.

Further details about the ad were not available Thursday. Hernandez only said the spot will be "very pro-Cruz, touting his conservatism."

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The super PAC propping up Rick Perry's cash-strapped presidential campaign in Iowa is returning to the airwaves there with a new ad buy.

Starting Tuesday, Opportunity and Freedom PAC is running a 30-second spot across the Hawkeye State that touts the former governor's anti-Washington credentials, according to a spokesman for the group, Jordan Russell. The previously released ad highlights Perry's gubernatorial record of having "declared war on Washington."

The spot is airing on cable and satellite TV in major Iowa media markets including Cedar Rapids and Des Moines, Russell said. The ad is part of a six-figure buy that was expected to start after the Labor Day weekend.

With Perry's campaign still struggling to pay staff in Austin and the early voting states, the super PAC has stepped up its involvement in his presidential effort. Last week, the group named Marshall Critchfield its Iowa state director and Beth Hamilton his deputy.

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State Sen. Konni Burton, R-Colleyville, announced on Tuesday that she plans to host a forum for the candidates seeking the GOP nomination in the open Senate District 24.

That Senate seat is open after the decision by Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, not to seek re-election. The Sept. 22 event will be held at the convention center in Temple. Burton plans to livestream the forum on her website.

“The invitations were mailed last week, and I look forward to seeing all of the candidates at the forum. This will be an opportunity for each candidate to introduce themselves to voters of SD24 and answer questions important to the grassroots. I’m anxious myself to hear the candidates and assess their views on policy questions,” Burton said in a statement.

CJ Grisham, president of Open Carry Texas, tweeted at Burton on Wednesday, saying he would not be able to attend the Sept. 22 event because “God’s schedule is more important than mine.”

Grisham is one of six candidates who have formally announced a bid for the Senate seat. Rep. Susan King announced Tuesday she was considering entering the race and will make a formal decision by the end of the month.

Meanwhile, candidate Brent Mayes indicated he would be attending the forum via Twitter. In a tweet directed at Burton, he said he was looking forward to the event.

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Former state Rep. Fred Brown confirmed Friday he is “99 percent sure” he will enter the race for the House District 54 seat, which will be open because of the decision by the incumbent, Jimmie Don Aycock, not to run for re-election. Brown served in the House representing House District 14 for six terms and part of a seventh before stepping down.

“The main reason that I’m doing this is because our district here is losing both our state senator and our state representative, who were both senior members,” Brown said. "If I don’t run and if I don’t win, then we’ll have freshmen in both of those positions and it could be really tough for our district."

If elected, Brown would enter the House as an eighth-term member because of his previous legislative experience. Brown, who will run once again as a Republican, said he would focus on public and higher education issues if he made it into office, emphasizing his willingness to work across party lines.

Brown currently handles community relations for Texans Can Academies and serves as Mayor Pro Tem of Salado.