Early Voting in Runoffs Ends This Friday

Early voting in the May 24 primary runoff elections ends Friday, May 20. Under state law, voters who cast ballots in either party’s primary election must vote only in the same party’s runoff election. Voters who did not cast ballots in the primary may vote in either party’s runoff election.

Topping the runoff ballots are runoff elections for attorney general. Incumbent Republican Ken Paxton faces George P. Bush, the current land commissioner. On the Democratic side, former Galveston mayor Joe Jaworski faces Rochelle Garza, a Brownsville civil rights attorney.

There are also statewide runoff races for lieutenant governor, land commissioner, comptroller and railroad commissioner, as well as several congressional seats and spots on the state board of education. See the full list of runoff races at: https:// tinyurl.com/43bzf9v6.

ERCOT Urges Texans to Conserve Power

After six power generation plants went offline Friday during the start to an unseasonably hot weekend, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas urged Texans to conserve power, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

As temperatures soared into the 90s and even 100s in some parts of the state, residents were urged to set thermostats to 78 degrees or higher and avoid using large appliances such as dishwashers, washers and dryers between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. The hot weather is sparking record electricity demand across the state.

And it’s only May.

Abbott’s Use of COVID Funds

The inspector general for the U.S. Treasury Department has opened a review into how the state spent federal COVID-19 aid funds, with approximately $1 billion in relief funds shifted to the crackdown on the Texas-Mexico border, the Washington Post reported. The aid was intended to help local governments pay front-line COVID-19 workers, purchase protective equipment and for other public health costs.

Richard K. Delmar, the deputy inspector general, issued a statement citing his office’s mandate “for monitoring and oversight of the distribution” of the stimulus spending, which Texas received under a federal initiative known as the Coronavirus Relief Fund, the Post reported.

“In exercise of that responsibility,” Delmar said, “we are currently conducting a review of Texas’s uses of CRF monies.” A spokesman for Gov. Greg Abbott defended how Texas used federal funds received under the Cares Act.