Candidate Filing Period Begins

Saturday kicked off the candidate filing period for candidates hoping to seek election in 2022.

The filing period will last until Monday, December 13, 2021.

Unofficial list of currently announced/filed candidates for U.S. Congress, statewide office, and the Texas Legislature.

Guillen Switches Party Affiliation

Monday, State Rep. Ryan Guillen (D–Rio Grande City) announced he will be switching party affiliations from Democrat to Republican, making him the 85th Republican in the Texas House of Representatives.

Guillen was first elected in 2002 and has recently voted as one of the most conservative lawmakers among his now-former Democrat colleagues.

He recently voted in favor of the Texas Heartbeat Act and constitutional carry in the 87th regular legislative session earlier this year.

It is likely, however, that this move is more about personal preservation than personal politics. The new district boundaries for Guillen's district are much more favorable to a would-be Republican candidate.

List Grows for Non-Returning Lawmakers

Currently, 23 lawmakers have announced they will not be seeking re-election to their current positions.

19 from Texas House of Representatives

4 from Texas Senate

Republican State Rep. John Cyrier (Lockhart) announced last week he would not seek re-election to Texas House District 17. He was first elected in 2015.

Republican Congressman Louie Gohmert announced he was "exploring" a run for Texas attorney general. If so, reports have indicated that Republican State Rep. Matt Schaefer (Tyler) will likely run, opening up yet another House seat.

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