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Cornyn formally elected Senate GOP whip; Cruz enthusiastic …about GOP majority

From left, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn of Texas., and Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., leave a closed-door meeting of Senate Republicans at the Capitol on Thursday. (AP/Susan Walsh)

updated 12:20 with comments from Sens. Cruz and Thune.

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans formally reelected Texas Sen. John Cornyn as GOP whip. In the new Senate that makes him deputy majority leader.

The vote was by acclamation. Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania,  a conservative, nominated Cornyn. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, a moderate, seconded the nomination, and both delivered speeches for him in the closed door meeting of Senate Republicans.

“I’m humbled to have been chosen by my colleagues to help lead the new majority in the U.S. Senate, and I pledge that those fundamental Texas values of personal liberty and limited government will continue to be my guide,” Cornyn said in a statement.

“After years of gridlock and dysfunction in the Senate the work before us is considerable, but Republicans approach this opportunity with determination, with humility, and above all with a firm commitment to address the top priorities of the American people.”

Sen. Mitch McConnell was elected unanimously,  as well. He will serve as majority leader in the new Senate.

Sen. Ted Cruz, the Texas tea partier who has tangled with GOP leaders, went with the flow at Thursday’s meeting, which lasted nearly three hours.

“The new leadership team is essentially the same as the old leadership team. The results were unsurprising. The top leadership positions were all uncontested and elected by acclamation,” Cruz said as he left the meeting.

Asked if he’s enthusiastic to see McConnell and Cornyn continue leading the Senate GOP, Cruz responded: “I am enthusiastic about Republicans being in the majority and now having the opportunity to lead.

“And if we simply do what we said we would do and lead with a bold positive agenda – pro-jobs, pro-growth, defending the constitutional rights of the citizenry – it will make a serious and a real difference for the country. And I am optimistic and hopeful that Republicans will do just that,” he said.

Sen. John Thune of South Dakota– reelected to his post as GOP conference chairman – said all the elections went “fairly smoothly.” Downplaying the idea that Cruz or others might continue to give headaches to leadership, he said he doesn’t sense much tension among Senate Republicans.

“We’re still new to this. We’re going to be a majority. We know that in order for us to succeed we’re going to have to function as a team and I think that gives you a renewed sense of purpose. Those things tend to be more evident in the minority, but in the majority – for sure we’re going to have disagreements. We have different folks who come from different places and have different views on issues,” he told reporters. “But when it comes to being successful in terms of trying to move an agenda I think we all recognize we have to work together as a team.”

Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire nominated McConnell. Sen.-elect Tom Cotton of Arkansas gave a seconding speech. Thune was nominated by Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia and seconded by Sen.-elect Cory Gardner of Colorado.

In the only contested GOP race, Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker beat Nevada Sen. Dean Heller to become the new chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Cornyn held that job for four years. Wicker’s challenge will be to defend the new 54-seat majority, in a year in which far more GOP-held seats are on the line.

Texas manufacturers oppose gutting franchise tax

At Weir SPM in White Settlement, machinist Martin Ramos in 2011 worked to manufacture one of the powerful pumps used in the hydraulic fracturing process of gas and oil wells. (Tom Fox/Staff photographer)

Jockeying over tax cuts intensified Wednesday when the Texas Association of Manufacturers came out against repealing the state’s franchise tax on businesses.

In its top 10 priorities list, the group said lawmakers instead should concentrate on property tax relief and spending more on infrastructure, such as roads and water supplies.

“TAM believes the Texas Franchise Tax is a fair system that provides necessary revenue while allowing all businesses to share in the cost of running our state,” the group said in a separate position paper on the franchise tax.

As I reported in this story in Wednesday’s paper, Gov.-elect Greg Abbott is interested in trimming, and perhaps eliminating, the franchise or “margins tax.”

Tony Bennett, president of the Texas Association of Manufacturers (2013 courtesy photo)

Lt. Gov.-elect Dan Patrick has stressed reducing property taxes, though in the past he has championed measures that exempt a lot of small businesses from having to pay franchise tax.

As the manufacturers group pointed out, the small businesses paid six percent of all franchise taxes collected before 2006, when a massive tax swap was passed to allow the state to escape a school finance lawsuit. Today, the smallest businesses are off the hook. And there has been other relief granted, the manufacturers group noted.

But it warns that increasing property tax bills “will soon scare away future business and industry growth.” That is in its position paper on property tax.

The old franchise tax zapped manufacturers and refineries because it taxed assets. They have lots of assets. The 2006 changes, by contrast, not only reached out to bring under the tax limited partnerships and professional associations, it shifted some of the burden away from capital-intensive industries. Some of that fell on the retail and service sectors of the Texas economy. So the manufacturers association is quite happy, thank you. Please, refrain from further nibbling around the edges of the margins tax, it all but said Wednesday.

For those following the early tax-cut posturing, there are two lessons here: 1) It’s not about personality. While at first blush the manufacturers might appear to favor Patrick’s emphasis over Abbott’s, they actually don’t like some of Patrick’s ideas, either. For instance, their paper warned of a “split tax roll,” where either homeowners or businesses are treated differently. Patrick has strongly backed tighter caps on growth in home appraisals, which industry fears would shift more of the local property tax burden on it. 2) It’s about the bottom line. That varies by sector and by individual company. Which is what makes tax fights so much fun.

“Texas is the No. 1 state to do business,” said association president Tony Bennett. “We look forward to working with Texas lawmakers to keep Texas on top.”

Of course, everyone has a different prescription on how to do that.

Obama breaks bread (and ice) with Cornyn and other congressional leaders

President Obama meets over lunch with Congressional leaders in the Old Family Dining Room of the White House on Friday. From left are House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. (AP/Evan Vucci)

update 2:20

After the meeting, Cornyn said he used the rare face-to-face encounter with the president to press his view that so-called comprehensive immigration reform is doomed. Only a piecemeal approach has a chance to enactment, he said — and Obama would make cooperation difficult if he issues executive orders conferring legal status on people in the country without permission. His full statement:

“The American people sent a strong message Tuesday that they want Washington to work together, and I made clear to the President that we should tackle immigration reform together on a step-by-step basis, beginning with border security and respect for the rule of law.

“Unfortunately the President’s promise to unilaterally go around Congress ignores the message voters sent on Election Day. It is my sincere hope that he will reverse course and work with us – not around us – to secure the border and achieve real reforms to our immigration system.”

update 2pm

The congressional leaders left the White House without speaking with reporters.

original post

WASHINGTON — Sen. John Cornyn is at the White House, joining other congressional leaders for an intimate lunch with President Obama that may or may not clear the air, set a new tone, and end the gridlock.

The menu, apart from some humble pie for the Democrats:

Bibb Lettuce, Frisee and Endive
Heirloom Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Toasted Shallot Dressing

Herb Crusted Sea Bass, Tomato-Lemon Confit Grilled Vegetables

Pumpkin Tart
Vanilla Whipped Cream
Candied Ginger

Cornyn was seated across from the president, who spoke with reporters for a few minutes before lunch was served. Speaker John Boehner, his majority padded to levels Republican haven’t enjoyed in decades, sat to Obama’s right. To the president’s left: Sen. Harry Reid, whom voters stripped of his title as majority leader on Tuesday night in a huge GOP sweep. Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader poised to take Reid’s job when the lame duck Congress ends and the new one is sworn in in early January, sat on the other side of Reid.

Cornyn is the deputy GOP leader and will become the second most powerful member of the Senate.

“What we’ve seen now for a number of cycles is that the American people just want to see work done here in Washington. They get frustrated by the gridlock. They’d like to see more cooperation. All of us have the responsibility, me in particular, to try to make that happen,” Obama said. “This gives us a good opportunity to explore where we can make progress on behalf of the people who sent us here.”

Water glasses in front of the president and his guests were filled. Wine glasses were empty, and there was no sign yet of lunch on the elegant green-and-white chinaware adorned with the presidential seal. Nor was there any Kentucky bourbon in sight; the Obama-McConnell bourbon summit will wait for another day.

The venue was the Old Family Dining Room. We’ll let you know if these were old dishes.

Obama said he’s committed to Boehner and McConnell that “I am not going to judge ideas based on whether they are Democratic or Republican. I’m going to be judging them based on whether or not they work. And I’m confident that they want to produce results as well on behalf of the American people.”

Cornyn’s expectations heading into the lunch were… low.

 

Boehner warned Thursday that Obama would make a huge error by issuing executive orders granting amnesty to anyone in the country illegally. “He will poison the well and there will be no chance for immigration reform” in the new Congress, he said. “When you play with matches, you take the risk of burning yourself.”

White House spokesman Josh Earnest, briefing reporters as the lunch began, reiterated the president’s intention to issue such orders as promised, but Obama made no mention of immigration — at least not at the outset of the lunch, with cameras and reporters on hand.

Texas will stay Republican, says RNC chairman Priebus, shrugging off Cruz friction talk

Reince Priebus, Republican National Committee chairman, speaks with reporters over breakfast on Friday. (Michael Bonfigli/The Christian Science Monitor)

WASHINGTON – Republican national chairman Reince Preibus gloated Friday morning about the victories in Texas and shrugged off the idea that Sen. Ted Cruz’s outspokenness poses any sort of problems in the Senate.

Texas Republicans ran the table Tuesday night, winning every statewide office by wide margins. Battleground Texas – the Democrats’ much ballyhooed push this year, led by veteran Obama operatives – couldn’t stop the juggernaut and if anything, Priebus said, it prodded his own side to work harder.

Priebus and reporters on Friday. (Michael Bonfigli/The Christian Science Monitor)

“The Texas GOP and the Republican National Committee took the threat of Battleground Texas pretty seriously,” he said over breakfast with reporters sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor. “I do believe that Battleground Texas did a lot of work down there in registering Hispanic voters. I just think they woke up the [Republican] party.”
Priebus credited serious efforts by the Texas GOP, and said the national party “has been investing in Texas for about a year and a half.”

Democrats have eyed Texas as a sort of trump card in presidential contests. With California and New York safely in their column, those extra electoral votes would provide a Democratic nominee a nearly insurmountable lead. They’ve been counting on demographic shifts to deliver the state, eventually.

But, said Priebus, “We don’t plan on slowing down on our engagement in Texas…. We know that we have to hold and get better in Texas.”

“I don’t think it’s going to be a problem in 2016,” he added, but without ongoing efforts the state could slip away in 2020 or 2024. “I don’t want to see [Texas] becoming a close state or becoming purple.”

Three hours before congressional leaders arrive at the White House for a reset lunch with Obama, Priebus was deeply critical of the president’s post-election stance – the lack of contrition or acknowledgement that voters rejected his views and embraced those of Republicans.

“I’m not sure the president got the message. He was dismissive. He was flip. And this isn’t the first time the president has said he would be bipartisan,” he said. “He needs to listen to the American people more…. We won in red states, we won in blue states and we won in purple states.”

Asked about Sen. Ted Cruz’s comments last weekend denouncing the president for “lawlessness” and calling for a flood of investigations by a GOP-run Senate, Priebus basically agreed.

With the size of the GOP majorities – in the House, the biggest in decades – the Cruz faction won’t stir division. “Unity is pretty achievable with those kinds of numbers,” he said. “…What Ted Cruz said I think is appropriate. The American people in part – in part, it wasn’t the whole campaign — are sick and tired of the abuse, as well. They want answers on the IRS. They want answers on Benghazi.”

He’s pleased that the RNC has curtailed the presidential primary process “from a 6-month slice and dice festival” to a compressed 60-day process. The party also plans to hold only about seven primary debates, enforced with “pretty debilitating” penalties; a candidate would forfeit a big chunk of delegates by participating in non-sanctioned “rogue debates.”

“We’re not going to have a 23 debate circus,” Priebus said.

The next presidential race is imminent. Priebus plans to have a “full blown field operation” by March in Florida, Ohio and Virginia – key battlegrounds the GOP will need to win the White House in 2016.

“I sure as heck hope we’re running against Hillary Clinton,” he said, noting that candidates she and Bill Clinton tried to rescue this election didn’t do well. Even in their home state of Arkansas, Rep. Tom Cotton ousted Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor.

“What you saw on Tuesday night is about as flat a performance as we could have seen from the Democratic Party’s brightest star,” Priebus said, adding that she would unify Republicans and help fill the party’s coffers like no other Democratic nominee.

Analyst: Set aside 2006 school property tax cut, and Texas already obeys spending cap sought by fiscal hawks

Peggy Venable, Texas director of Americans for Prosperity, speaks at budget discussion at Texas Capitol on Thursday, as Talmadge Heflin (center) and Eva DeLuna Castro listen. (Robert T. Garrett)

A conservative think tank loves to say that Texas’ spending has been profligate for a decade, even under Republican rule.

Three speakers saluted the notion at a conference sponsored by the Texas Public Policy Foundation on Thursday.

But then things got interesting when the token liberal on the panel, budget analyst Eva DeLuna Castro of the center-left group the Center for Public Policy Priorities, started reminding people of recent history.

It turns out that the next big thing many staunch conservatives are clamoring for, a tighter constitutional cap on growth in state spending, has been Texas’ practice, if not its law, for the past decade, provided one lays aside the school property tax cuts the Legislature passed in 2006, DeLuna Castro said.

It’s only by ignoring those tax-rate reductions, which the state bought down with state money, that groups such as the foundation can produce scary numbers showing a 63-percent increase in state all funds spending since 2004, she said.

The background: For years, Gov. Rick Perry and various fiscal hawk groups have said that the Texas Constitution should be amended to impose a tighter spending cap on lawmakers. Since the late 1970s, the Constitution has said spending of non-dedicated tax revenues can’t grow faster than the state economy. By statute, the measuring stick is personal income growth.

That’s generally a looser constraint than the alternative pressed by staunch conservatives — a sum of the rate of household inflation and the percentage growth in state population.

In June, to much fanfare, the Texas Public Policy Foundation released a document called “The Real Texas Budget.”

It said that between September 2003 and next August, Texas will have managed to spend $1 trillion, if federal funds are counted.

“Spending in Texas during this period not only increased in absolute numbers, but also increased when taking into account population and inflation,” it said. “The total population/inflation adjusted increase in biennial spending since [fiscal] 2004 is $16.3 billion. This means that an average family of four pays $1,200 a year to support the growth of Texas government since 2004.”

Talmadge Heflin, director of the foundation's Center for Fiscal Policy (Courtesy)

Former state Rep. Talmadge Heflin, the foundation’s fiscal policy chief, made a big deal of that $1,200 per household figure. He said if spending growth had been limited to population growth and inflation since the 2003 session, which was his last as a lawmaker, then the current two-year budget would be $186 billion instead of $202 billion.

DeLuna Castro, though, noted that the 2006 decision to reduce school property-tax rates by one-third added $7 billion a year to state spending. When fully phased in two years later, the state population was 24.3 million — meaning the tax cut added $287 a person to state spending, she said. If you run $287 in 2008 through the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI Calculator — click here and play with it; it’s fun — you get a current price tag for the tax cut of $317.30 per Texan per year.

“That’s the $1,200 increase that you see,” she said, referring to Heflin’s average family of four.

“Think about it as, you’re paying that much more through the state budget so your local property taxes can be lowered by that amount,” she said.

No one applauded. But hey, it was a pretty conservative lunch-time audience of 100 or more people. They were probably looking for some affirmation of what they’d heard about “The Real Texas Budget” — on Time Warner Cable Austin, on national tax crusader Grover Norquist’s website, on Breitbart Texas and on Forbes.com.

Who wants a history lesson when you can have breathless excitement like that?

Patrick names transition team

Lt. Gov.-elect Dan Patrick, during his victory speech in Houston Tuesday (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)

Lt. Gov.-elect Dan Patrick has named his long-time aide Logan Spence as head of his transition team, which will include Dallas insurance executive Roy Bailey.

“After 15 months of arduous campaigning, the hard work has only begun,” Patrick said in a statement.

He said Bailey, who signed on last fall as one of his top campaign money men, “will bring his business acumen and perspective to the transition team.”

Dallas businessman Roy Bailey (2002 photo by Richard Michael Pruitt/Staff photographer)

The team “will help me carry our conservative vision to the lieutenant governor’s office in January,” Patrick said.

Patrick, now a state senator from Houston, quickly ticked off his priorities of border security, property tax cuts and “making our schools the best in the country.”

Houston GOP campaign guru Allen Blakemore, who was chief strategist for Patrick’s first statewide race, will assist the effort, along with San Francisco GOP media consultant Bob Wickers and Texans for Lawsuit Reform publicist Sherry Sylvester, Patrick said.

He said people interested in working for him in the lieutenant governor’s office can apply here for jobs. That’s part of Patrick’s new website, www.PatrickTransition.com.

Hinojosa, Hurd to be most vulnerable Texans in U.S. House next year

WASHINGTON — Democratic Rep. Rubén Hinojosa and Republican Will Hurd will head into Congress next year as the most vulnerable lawmakers in the Texas delegation.

It’s common for lawmakers in the 23rd District, which Hurd will represent, to be top targets for the opposing party. Elections for the West Texas seat are known to be competitive, and Hurd’s win marked the fifth time the district elected a new congressmen in 10 years.

Rep. Ruben Hinojosa, D-Mercedes (AP Photo/HO, File)

Will Hurd, former CIA operative (Hurd campaign)

In his Democratic-leaning district, Hinojosa won with 54 percent of the vote. In Congress, he’s in his ninth term and chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Hinojosa, a Mercedes Democrat, faced Republican opponent Eddie Zamora, who received 43 percent of the vote. The candidates ran in the 15th District, located in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

Zamora raised about $107,000, while Hinojosa raised about $438,000, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

Hinojosa’s vote margin is his lowest in recent years. The Democrat won 61 percent of the vote in 2012 and 56 percent in 2010.

Zamora also took on Hinojosa in 2010 and 2008.

Hurd, a former CIA operative who knocked off Democratic incumbent Rep. Pete Gallego, won just under 50 percent of the vote to Gallego’s 47.7 percent.

Gallego raised about $2.3 million to Hurd’s $1.1 million for the seat, which runs from San Antonio to El Paso. The congressional district is famously volatile and is by far the most competitive in Texas.

Former lawmakers give advice to conquering GOP

WASHINGTON – After a long, expensive slog to Election Day, Republicans will control both chambers of Congress in January.

Now comes the hard part.

Former senator Olympia Snowe (Pat Wellenbach/AP)

That was the message from former lawmakers and Beltway operatives on Wednesday, when the National Journal hosted a panel on the impact of Tuesday’s  midterm elections.

The panelists agreed that the elections were a referendum on President Obama’s policies, and inaction by Congress. But they also emphasized that before pursuing a legislative agenda, Republicans must learn lessons in bipartisanship and compromise.

“It was certainly a broad and sweeping repudiation of the status quo,” said Olympia Snowe, a former Republican senator from Maine. “I think it’s abundantly clear that Congress is going to have to move forward and learn how to legislate and govern.”

Republicans needed to pick up six seats to claim a majority in the Senate. They got seven, with races in Alaska and Louisiana still to be decided.

Republicans also padded their majority in the House, where they’ll enjoy their largest advantage in decades.

On Wednesday, panelists said the midterm results called for a new course of action – or any action at all. With only the lame duck session remaining, the 113th Congress has a chance to be the least productive ever.

“It was an election that sent the message ‘get something done for a change.’ That’s something that people want,” said Celinda Lake, president of the Democratic polling group Lake Research Partners.

Immigration reform could top Congress’ to-do list.

According to Martin Frost, a former House Democrat from the Dallas area, passing immigration reform would be a “true test of bipartisanship.”

“Immigration reform is a horribly complex issue,” he said. “Trying to solve this issue will be a real test to whether you can operate on a bipartisan basis.”

Former Rep. Martin Frost (Tom Gannam/AP)

Any immigration bill will require the president’s signature to become law.

Steve LaTourette, a former Republican congressman from Ohio, said that the president’s willingness to compromise will determine the success of the Republican agenda.

“The president has to dance,” LaTourette said “But if the president dances, you can get a lot of stuff done.”

In a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Obama said that he was “eager to work with the new Congress,” but added that “Congress will pass some bills I cannot sign.”

Before worrying about the president though, Republicans will first need to reach an accord within their own ranks – no easy task, according to Whit Ayres, president North Star Opinion Research, a Republican polling group.

Ayres said that whoever unites the various the factions within the GOP could hold the keys to the party’s presidential nomination.

Its nominee will have to bring together “the Tea Party, libertarians, establishment, social conservatives, and internationalist Republicans all in one coalition.”

“Whoever wins it will…get enough of those groups to build a majority,” Ayres said.

Cornyn sees “opportunity, not a referendum” for Senate GOP majority

Sen. John Cornyn speaks with Steve Munisteri, chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, during a visit to the Republican Party of Texas headquarters on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014 in Austin. (AP/Tamir Kalifa)

WASHINGTON — The new deputy majority leader of the Senate, Texan John Cornyn, is taking a humble approach to the whopping victory Republicans scored on Tuesday.

He called it “an opportunity, not a referendum.”

“The message sent last night from the American people is loud and clear: Washington is broken, the big government experiment has failed, and the time has come for fresh leadership and a new direction for the country,” he said.

“Under the leadership of Majority Leader McConnell, we will work with the Republican-led House to focus on pro-growth legislation that strengthens our economy, relieves Americans from the burdens of Obamacare, grows America’s energy industry and secures a better future for the generations ahead.

“It is my sincere hope that the President will heed the message that was sent last night and work with us to put the interests of the American people ahead of partisan politics and put an end to the gridlock that has plagued Washington.”

Cornyn is expected to join other congressional leaders from both parties on Friday at the White House for a meeting with President Obama, who said at a news conference this afternoon that he’s looking forward to finding out what the GOP agenda is in the next Congress.

 

In TX 23, Will Hurd defeats Pete Gallego; other Texans in U.S. House win re-election

Update, 12:58 a.m.: The Gallego campaign has conceded. In a statement, Gallego said he will “embrace the will of the voters in this election” and congratulated Hurd on his win.

“Texans deserve far better than what Congress has been giving them and I intend to provide Will any and all help I possibly can to help him work to correct that problem as he prepares to take office,” Gallego said.

Update, 12:50 a.m.: The Congressional Leadership Fund and the American Action Network — two GOP groups who spent a combined $1.6 million to boost Hurd – said the Republican’s victory sends a strong message to “stop runaway government in Washington.”

“Texans can look forward to Will’s leadership as he supports center-right solutions for creating jobs, protecting Americans from Obamacare, and increasing opportunities for all Americans,” the groups said in a statement.

Update, 12:39 a.m.: In a statement, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Greg Walden congratulated Hurd on a “hard-earned victory.”

“Will ran a fantastic campaign that focused on the issues Texans care about. Will truly has dedicated his life to helping his country and this is yet another proud chapter,” Walden said. “I’m honored to call him a friend and colleague.”

Update, 12:29 a.m.: Hurd has unseated Gallego, the freshman Democrat from Alpine, according to the Associated Press. The pickup means that the Texas delegation will now have 25 Republicans and 11 Democrats, including three freshmen.

Hurd won 50 percent of the vote to Gallego’s 48 percent, or by a little more than 2,000 votes, with nearly all precincts reporting.

Update, 12:24 a.m.: With 97 percent of precincts reporting, Hurd leads by 2,124 votes.

Update, 12:05 a.m.: Gallego is trailing Hurd by 3,050 votes, with 90 percent of precincts reporting.

Update, 11:33 p.m.: Hurd is clinging to a lead of 3,559 votes, with 85 percent of precincts reporting.

In northeast Texas, Ratcliffe said he’s humbled by the trust voters have placed in him.

“My future job title will be United States Representative, and I take that very seriously,” he said in a statement.  “It means that I work for the people and not the other way around.”

Update, 11:04 p.m.: Hurd is still leading 50 percent to 47 percent, or by 3,361 votes. So far, 84 percent of precincts have been reported and counted.

Update, 10:44 p.m: Hurd’s lead over Gallego has widened to 3,596 votes. He’s up 50 percent to Gallego 47 percent, with 81 percent of precincts reporting.

Update, 10:23 p.m.: It’s become an even closer race. Gallego trails Hurd now by just 535 votes, with 60 percent of precincts reporting.

In another U.S. House race in Texas, Corpus Christi Rep. Blake Farenthold, fresh off his re-election, vowed to continue to try to repeal the Affordable Care Act and cut government spending.

“Tonight’s results show our dedication to meeting the needs of the people of Texas, our message of securing the border, making government accountable to the people, ensuring our veterans receive the benefits they have earned, and providing conservative leadership resonates with the voters of the 27th Congressional District of Texas.” the Republican said in a statement.

Update, 10:01 p.m.: The race could go down to the wire. Hurd continues to lead Gallego, but his margin his shrinking. Just 832 votes separate the candidates, with 58 percent of precincts reporting.

Update, 9:30 p.m.: With 39 percent of precincts reporting, Hurd is up 51 percent to Gallego’s 46 percent.

Meanwhile, Sam Johnson, R-Plano, who sailed to re-election, called his win a “true blessing.”

“I want to thank everyone for their belief in me and for their vote,” Johnson said in a statement. “It’s humbling and I vow to continue to fight for you.”

Update, 9:05 p.m.: Hurd leads by about 2,200 votes, out of almost 62,600 cast. One-fifth of precincts have been counted.

Update, 8:36 p.m.: Hurd still retains an edge over Gallego, 52 percent to 46 percent, with 10 percent of precincts reporting.

In other House races in Texas, there aren’t any surprises: All incumbents appear headed for re-election.

After winning Tuesday night, Rep. Joe Barton, R-Arlington, said he was “honored” to be re-elected.

“I am hopeful that we will expand our Conservative presence in the House and win a Republican majority in the Senate,” Barton said in a statement. “The American people have spoken and I urge the President to work with us so we can accomplish the things we were elected to do.”

Update, 8:01 p.m.: Hurd leads Gallego 54 percent to 44 percent, with 4 percent of precincts reporting.

The Associated Press has called several other U.S. House races in Texas, all in favor of incumbents.

Democratic Reps. Marc Veasey, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Sheila Jackson Lee and Lloyd Doggett all cruised to another term. On the Republican side, Reps.  Blake Farenthold, Michael Burgess, Mike Conaway, Mac Thornberry, Kay Granger, Pete Olson, Pete Sessions, John Culberson, Michael McCaul, Kenny Marchant and Bill Flores were re-elected. Babin’s victory has also been sealed.

Original post:

WASHINGTON —  There are 36 U.S. House elections in Texas today — but only one that’s truly competitive.

In West Texas, Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, is taking on Republican challenger Will Hurd, a former CIA operative. The famously volatile 23rd District, which stretches from San Antonio to El Paso, has elected four congressmen in the past 10 years.

Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine (AP Photo)

Republican Will Hurd, a former CIA operative (Hurd campaign)

Gallego and his team are watching returns tonight at Don Pedro, a Mexican restaurant in San Antonio. Hurd and his campaign are at the Eilan Hotel, also in San Antonio.

In two other U.S. House races in the state, newcomers are poised to win: Dr. Brian Babin in suburban Houston and John Ratcliffe in northeast Texas. No other seats are expected to change hands.

Babin, a Republican, is set to replace Rep. Steve Stockman, who gave up his seat in an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate. Ratcliffe, also a Republican, defeated 17-term incumbent Rep. Ralph Hall in a primary runoff in May.