Quorum Report Daily Buzz

View By Date
Printable Version of This Page

October 22, 2025      4:32 PM

Tarrant County special election showdown over Senate seat vacated by Hancock coming down to the wire

Lt. Gov. Patrick goes all in for Wambsganss with accusations her GOP opponent’s campaign is “satanic” while the Democrat in the race hopes to bank on Republican infighting to attract independents

FORT WORTH – In the battle over filling the Senate District 9 seat in Tarrant County, it’s about one type of Southlake Republican versus another.

In a race that kind of runs like a jungle primary are former Southlake mayor John Huffman, Patriot Mobile Chief Communications Officer Leigh Wambsganss, also of Southlake, and Democrat and union president Taylor Rehmet of Fort Worth.

The battle has focused on the Republicans, with Wambsganss ratcheting up her campaign recently by bringing in big names like Steve Bannon, who spoke at an event for her this week, and reminding potential voters she is backed, like much of the state’s Republican officeholders, by President Donald Trump.

But if turnout and recent elections say anything, she’s not necessarily a shoo- in.

The rest of the story, subscribers only

By James Russell

Top of Page

October 22, 2025      1:43 PM

Long time Capitol lobbyist Randy Lee passed today

We will post arrangements when available

Top of Page

October 22, 2025      11:44 AM

Rep. Crockett says she will strongly consider US Senate bid if new congressional map is upheld by the courts

Top of Page

October 22, 2025      10:26 AM

Kronberg says Abbott debases the Office of the Governor with attempts at intimidating peaceful protesters

On Texas Capital Tonight, Quorum Report Publisher Harvey Kronberg also talked with host James Barragan that Rep. Gina Hinojosa probably starts as a Democratic primary frontrunner for the gubernatorial nomination but of course she or any other would face an incumbent with $100 million in the bank to beat back any challenger.

Top of Page

October 22, 2025      9:39 AM

President Trump nominates retiring Sen Birdwell for Assistant Secretary of Defense

Top of Page

October 21, 2025      11:50 AM

UT Tyler poll finds Cornyn cruising to reelection in a general but Allred and Talarico both competitive against Paxton

Cornyn leads either Democrat by 6 points or so while Allred would edge out Paxton and Talarico would be nipping at Paxton’s heels

The polling memo is here.

Top of Page

October 20, 2025      8:17 PM

Updated: After blocking legislation in the Texas Senate to address altered images in campaigns, Patrick rails against altered image in a Texas Senate campaign

Patrick said the attack against the Patriot Mobile exec he supports for Senate in Tarrant County is “satanic”; retiring Speaker Phelan points out that he offered legislation this year to require a disclosure to let voters know an image used in a campaign is fake

Editor’s note: Lt. Gov. Patrick’s online rant placing blame for the image at the feet of candidate John Huffman appears to be misleading. That changes the story a bit, so this article has been updated throughout – SB

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Monday railed against what he called the "despicable and disgraceful" altering of an image of his preferred candidate to succeed former Sen. Kelly Hancock in North Texas – the kind of manipulation that could have been addressed by legislation he killed in the Texas Senate earlier this year. A bill to crack down on those fake images was carried in the Texas House by former Speaker Dade Phelan, who Patrick hates.

The image of Leigh Wambsganss, who’s endorsed by Patrick running in Senate District 9, was apparently changed to invert the crucifix she wears on her necklace. At least that was the accusation from Patrick ,who also blamed GOP candidate John Huffman for the image even though it appears to have been promoted by a third-party group.

Nevertheless, Patrick went so far as to say “this attack by her opponent, John Huffman, is satanic.”

The rest of the story, subscribers only

By Scott Braddock

Top of Page

October 17, 2025      3:00 PM

People on the Move

Texas Tech news, association moves, lobby hires, appointments, and more

“What’s the deadline for People on the Move?”

The question comes often, and the answer is really that there’s no deadline because you can send career news – on behalf of yourself or someone else – at any time for inclusion in the pages of Quorum Report.

If you have something that’s time sensitive, however, the answer is that if you send it before 10am on a Friday, the news should make its way into that week’s edition. I usually sit down to go through the list of submissions over coffee on Friday mornings to hopefully make sure I don’t miss anything. There are, as you may have figured, Fridays when we haven’t received enough submissions for it to make sense to publish POTM that week. But if there’s something you’d like people to read about ASAP, just let me know.

Feel free to email the news with the subject line “POTM” and follow up with a call or text to make sure I’ve got it. You can never be too sure. And there’s lots to get to this week, so here’s the latest edition.

The rest of the story, subscribers only

By Scott Braddock

Top of Page

October 17, 2025      2:30 PM

Chair Geren tells QR that Julie Straus has been found safe

He says she was being evaluated by EMS after she was missing for several hours in Terrell Hills. The Straus family is thankful to everuone for their prayers and support

Top of Page

October 17, 2025      10:48 AM

Wife of former Speaker Straus reported missing in Terrell Hills

KSAT 12 TV in San Antonio reports: "A Silver Alert has been issued for a missing 64-year-old Terrell Hills woman, the wife of former Texas House Speaker Joe Straus. The city’s police chief confirmed the connection in a phone call to KSAT on Friday morning."

Top of Page

October 17, 2025      9:06 AM

Abbott sets special election next May for the Texas Senate seat vacated by Tech Chancellor Creighton

Filing deadling for the seat is Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Early voting will begin on Monday, April 20, 2026

Top of Page

October 16, 2025      4:20 PM

In a North Texas rematch, former Rep. Frederick Frazier will challenge Rep. Keresa Richardson in the GOP primary

Top of Page