By Jim Ellis — Friday, June 2, 2023
House
J.R. Majewski (R)
The major political benefactor could be former state Rep. Craig Riedel (R), who lost the 2022 primary to Majewski when he and state Sen. Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green) split much of the vote to allow Majewski to capture the party’s right faction and win with a plurality of 36 percent of the vote. Riedel finished second with 31 percent. Sen. Gavarone has already announced that she will seek re-election to the state Senate instead of making another congressional run. A local mayor and former local mayor are both in the race, but Riedel should be viewed as the leading candidate for the GOP nomination.
Governor
Indiana: Disgraced Ex-AG Looking at Gov Bid — Former Attorney General Curtis Hill was suspended from office during his tenure when an Indiana Superior Court made him leave office for a month as part of his plea for misdemeanor sexual battery. Hill then would lose his re-nomination campaign to current attorney general and former Congressman Todd Rokita (R).
Now, Hill confirms that he is considering entering the open governor’s primary next year where he would do battle with US Sen. Mike Braun and Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch. Despite the long odds of success, Hill may well become a candidate. Sen. Braun continues as the clear favorite for the party nomination and to win the general election in November of 2024.
Mississippi: Democrat Restored to Ballot — Earlier in the year, the Mississippi Democratic Party, largely in an effort to clear the gubernatorial field for Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley, disqualified candidate Bob Hickingbottom for not filing certain documents on time and because he once ran on the Conservative Party ballot line.
A Mississippi state court ruled this week that the MDP exceeded its authority in disqualifying Hickingbottom and reinstated him on the ballot. Therefore, it appears he will compete with Presley for the Democratic nomination in August.
It is unlikely that this decision will derail the Presley campaign. The Public Service Commissioner, a cousin to the late rock ‘n roll icon Elvis Presley, should easily win the Democratic primary and then face Gov. Tate Reeves (R) in this year’s November campaign. Gov. Reeves also faces minor Republican competition for his party’s nomination.
States
Texas: AG Paxton Facing August Impeachment Trial in Senate — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) has been under an ethical cloud of securities fraud and bribery allegations for years. In fact, he has subsequently won two re-election campaigns even though these charges have been publicized since the federal indictment came down against him in 2015. Though indicted eight years ago, the federal government has yet to take any further action.
Based upon a state House of Representatives Committee investigation, AG Paxton was impeached by the full body this week and is suspended from office until the state Senate holds a trial. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R), who will preside over the trial as president of the Senate, announced the trial will begin on Aug. 28. Lt. Gov. Patrick also said that state Sen. Angela Paxton (R-Allen), Paxton’s wife, will not be forced to recuse herself from acting as a Senate juror. After hearing the evidence, all 31 senators will vote on whether to remove Paxton from office. A two-thirds majority, or 21 votes, is required to remove an office holder. The Republicans hold a 19-12 majority in the Senate.
