The Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) ends its \u201cGood Voter Health\u201d series today with an important strategic article about high-profile contested races in Texas.<\/p>\n
As we mentioned in Day 2<\/a> of our series, TRTA does not endorse candidates for political office. It is vital, however, that our members research the candidates in their area and ask them tough questions about the Teacher Retirement System (TRS), the defined benefit plan, and the TRS-Care health insurance program.<\/p>\n To locate the candidates running for office in your area, we recommend using Ballotpedia:<\/p>\n There are several key races that TRTA is following closely this primary season. Most legislative elections are decided during the primaries and not during the November general election. For this reason, we encourage all of our members to VOTE early in February (16-26) or on Tuesday, March 1<\/strong>.<\/p>\n If you live in an area where some of these key races are taking place, it is very important that you get in touch with the candidates and find out their answers to the following questions<\/strong>, and it is absolutely VITAL that you VOTE in the primaries:<\/p>\n As we mentioned in yesterday\u2019s series (Day 4), TRTA is often asked by its members, \u201cWhom should I vote for?\u201d Although TRTA does not endorse candidates for political office, we strongly encourage our members to talk to each other and ask the following: Who are you voting for and why?<\/p>\n Your fellow retirees may be your best resource in helping you determine which candidate may be more favorable to issues impacting the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS). Now is the time to have these important conversations with each other and to learn more about the candidates! TALK TO EACH OTHER! Share information!<\/p>\n Whether or not we endorse candidates, we MUST be involved in the political process. Our organization\u2019s success depends upon our involvement! Our members\u2019 lifetime of educating others did not end in the classroom, and continues as we educate candidates about the TRS pension fund and TRS-Care health insurance program.<\/p>\n Please note that we have first listed the incumbent in each district and the same party candidate(s) that the incumbent faces in the primary election (this is the contested race). In fairness, we have also listed candidates of other parties that are running for the same seat whether or not they face a challenger. During the general election in November, the candidate who wins the contested race and the other party candidate(s) will face each other.<\/p>\n We have included a link to a map for each district. If you are not sure if you reside in the district listed, review the map or use the Texas Legislature website<\/a> to determine your district.<\/p>\n High-Profile Contested Texas Senate Races<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n Senate District 1<\/a> Senate District 24<\/a> Senate District 26<\/a> High-Profile Contested Texas House Races<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n House District 1<\/a> House District 2<\/a> House District 4<\/a> House District 5<\/a> House District 8<\/a> House District 11<\/a> House District 12<\/a> House District 14<\/a> House District 17<\/a> House District 18<\/a> House District 20<\/a> House District 47<\/a> House District 54<\/a> House District 58<\/a> House District 59<\/a> House District 60<\/a> House District 65<\/a> House District 73<\/a> House District 81<\/a> House District 84<\/a> House District 89<\/a> House District 92<\/a> House District 94<\/a> House District 99<\/a> House District 113<\/a> House District 115<\/a> House District 121<\/a> House District 127<\/a> House District 128<\/a> House District 131<\/a> House District 134<\/a> Please help us get the word out about the races listed above if you live in an area with a high profile election, and tell your fellow retirees, family members and friends to get out and VOTE February 16-26 or on March 1<\/strong>! Usually, if a candidate does not win the \u201cearly vote,\u201d they don\u2019t win the overall vote in the primary.<\/p>\n We hope we have expressed the significance of voting in the primary elections over the past several days. Please keep this in mind: this is NOT a marathon, it\u2019s a sprint! The starting gun has sounded. We must act NOW. We have only until March 1 to make sure that we protect the interests of our members in the Texas Legislature.<\/p>\n If you have any questions about these high profile races, please contact TRTA at info@trta.org<\/a> or 1.800.880.1650. Remember, you can view ALL races for the Texas Senate and House online using the Ballotpedia links below:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We hope you have enjoyed and benefited from our \u201cGood Voter Health\u201d series and are prepared to VOTE during the primary election! Your vote in the 2016 primary election is VITAL!<\/p>\n You can view the other four days of our Voter Health Series below:<\/p>\n Thank you for being a member of TRTA! If you are not a member and are interested in joining, please contact our Membership Department at 1.800.880.1650.<\/p>\n Protecting your retirement benefits is one of TRTA\u2019s top priorities, and your participation makes all the difference! Be sure to stay tuned to our other digital mediums to stay informed on all the latest news and updates. Like us on Facebook<\/a>, follow us on Twitter<\/a> and subscribe to our YouTube channel<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Closely Watched Primary Races The Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) ends its \u201cGood Voter Health\u201d series today with an important strategic article about high-profile contested races in Texas. As we mentioned in Day 2 of our series, TRTA does not endorse candidates for political office. It is vital, however, that our members research the candidates […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-elections","category-update"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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High-Profile Races to Watch<\/h2>\n
\nSenator Kevin Eltife is retiring. The following Republican candidates are vying for this open seat: Bryan Hughes<\/a>, David Simpson<\/a>, James K. Red Brown<\/a>, and Mike Lee<\/a>. There are no Democratic candidates vying for this seat.<\/p>\n
\nSenator Troy Fraser is retiring. Democratic candidate Virginia Leeder<\/a> does not face a challenger in the Democratic primary. Republican candidates facing each other in the Republican primary are: Brent Mayes<\/a>, Dawn Buckingham<\/a>, Jon Cobb<\/a>, Reed Williams<\/a>, Ryan Downton<\/a>, and Susan King<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nSenador Jose Menendez<\/a> faces a challenger in the Democratic primary, Trey Martinez Fischer<\/a>. There are no Republican candidates vying for this seat.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative Gary VanDeaver<\/a> faces challenger George Lavender<\/a> in the Republican primary. There are no Democratic candidates vying for this seat.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative Dan Flynn<\/a> faces challenger Bryan Slaton<\/a> in the Republican primary. There are no Democratic candidates vying for this seat.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative Stuart Spitzer<\/a> faces challenger and former Representative Lance Gooden<\/a> in the Republican primary. There are no Democratic candidates vying for this seat.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative Bryan Hughes has resigned to run for the Texas Senate. The following Republican candidates will face each other in the primary election: Cole Hefner<\/a>, Holly Coggins Hayes<\/a>, Jay Misenheimer<\/a>, Philip Hayes<\/a>, and Randy Davis<\/a>. There are no Democratic candidates vying for this seat.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative Byron Cook<\/a> faces challenger Thomas McNutt<\/a> in the Republican primary. There are no Democratic candidates vying for this seat.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative Travis Clardy<\/a> faces challenger Tony Sevilla<\/a> in the Republican primary. Democrat Stephen J. Wright<\/a> is also vying for this seat, but faces no challengers in the primary.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative Kyle Kacal<\/a> faces challengers Michael Stanford<\/a> y Timothy Delasandro<\/a> in the Republican primary. There are no Democratic candidates vying for this seat.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative John Raney<\/a> faces challenger Jess Fields<\/a> in the Republican primary. There are no Democratic candidates vying for this seat.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative John Cyrier<\/a> faces challenger Brent Golemon<\/a> in the Republican primary. There are no Democratic candidates vying for this seat.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative John Otto is retiring. The following Republican candidates will face each other in the primary election: Ernest Bailes<\/a>, J. Turner<\/a>, James Morrison<\/a>, Keith Strahan<\/a>, Van Brookshire<\/a>, and Wesley Hinch<\/a>. There are no Democratic candidates vying for this seat.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative Marsha Farney<\/a> faces challenger Terry Wilson<\/a> in the Republican primary. There are no Democratic candidates vying for this seat.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative Paul Workman<\/a> faces challenger Jay Wiley<\/a> in the Republican primary. Democratic candidate Ana Jordan<\/a> faces no challengers in the primary.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative Jimmie Don Aycock is retiring. The following Republican candidates face each other in the primary election: Austin Ruiz<\/a>, Larry Smith<\/a>, and Scott Cosper<\/a>. The following Democratic candidates face each other in the primary election: Lan Carter<\/a> y Sandra Blankenship<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative DeWayne Burns<\/a> faces challenger Philip Eby<\/a> in the Republican primary. There are no Democratic candidates vying for this seat.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative J.D. Sheffield<\/a> faces challenger Brent Graves<\/a> in the Republican primary. There are no Democratic candidates vying for this seat.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative Jim Keffer is retiring. The following Republican candidates face each other in the primary election: Kevin Downing<\/a> y Mike Lang<\/a>. There are no Democratic candidates vying for this seat.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative Ron Simmons<\/a> faces challenger Ben Kissling<\/a> in the Republican primary. Democratic candidate Alex Mendoza<\/a> faces no challengers in the primary.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative Doug Miller<\/a> faces challengers Kyle Biedermann<\/a> y Chris Byrd<\/a> in the Republican primary. There are no Democratic candidates vying for this seat.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative Brooks Landgraf<\/a> faces challenger Joshua Crawford<\/a> in the Republican primary. There are no Democratic candidates vying for this seat.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative John Frullo<\/a> faces challenger Jim Landtroop<\/a> in the Republican primary. There are no Democratic candidates vying for this seat.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative Jodie Laubenberg<\/a> faces challenger Dalton Lytle<\/a> in the Republican primary. Democratic candidate Denise Hamilton<\/a> faces no challengers in the primary.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative Jonathan Stickland<\/a> faces challenger Scott W. Fisher<\/a> in the Republican primary. Democratic candidate Kim K. Leach<\/a> does not face any challengers in the primary election.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative Tony Tinderholt<\/a> faces challenger Andrew Piel<\/a> in the Republican primary. There are no Democratic candidates vying for this seat.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative Charlie Geren<\/a> faces challenger Bo French<\/a> in the Republican primary. There are no Democratic candidates vying for this seat.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative Cindy Burkett<\/a> faces challenger Jonathan Boos<\/a> in the Republican primary. Democratic candidate Rhetta Andrews Bowers<\/a> faces no challengers in the primary.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative Matt Rinaldi<\/a> faces challenger and former Representative Bennett Ratliff<\/a> in the Republican primary. Democratic candidate Dorotha M. Ocker<\/a> does not face any challengers in the primary election.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative Joe Straus<\/a> faces challengers Sheila Bean<\/a> y Jeff Judson<\/a> in the Republican primary. There are no Democratic candidates vying for this seat.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative Dan Huberty<\/a> faces challenger Mitchell Bosworth<\/a> in the Republican primary. There are no Democratic candidates vying for this seat.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative Wayne Smith<\/a> faces challengers Briscoe Cain<\/a> y Melody McDaniel<\/a> in the Republican primary. There are no Democratic candidates vying for this seat.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative Alma Allen<\/a> faces challenger John Shike<\/a> in the Democratic primary. There are no Republican candidates vying for this seat.<\/p>\n
\nRepresentative Sarah Davis<\/a> faces challenger David L. Palmer<\/a> in the Republican primary. Democratic candidate Ben Rose<\/a> faces no challengers in the primary.<\/p>\nTell Everyone You Know<\/h2>\n
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\u00a1Gracias!<\/h2>\n
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