Rep. Joaquin Castro Says Fellow Democrats Should Lay Off Talk Of Abolishing #ICE, Impeaching Pres. Trump [#TXPolitics 24/7]

San Antonio Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro says calls by some of his fellow Democrats to abolish the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) and impeach Pres. Trump go to far.

Calls to abolish the agency completely have grown in national Democratic circles this summer as families and children poured across the U.S. border.

In a National Public Radio podcast interview, Joaquin Castro, brother of possible 2020 presidential contender Julian Castro, said his own solution would include beefed up support for people seeking asylum. He’s been an outspoken proponent of finding a legislative solution to keep people in the country who were brought in illegally as children.

Unlike other Democrats, including US Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke, Castro says he does not support impeaching Pres. Trump at this time, instead saying he’s waiting for special counsel Robert Mueller to disclose results of an investigation before making that call.

Rep. Cuellar Proposes Amendment To Homeland Sec. Bill To Remove Funding For Border Wall [#TXPolitics 24/7]

Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) offered an amendment to the fiscal year 2019 Homeland Security Appropriations bill during full a committee markup to end funding for a border wall. The bill failed during a vote of the House Appropriations Committee, which is composed of a majority of Republicans.

The south Texas congressman's amendment would have completely removed the $5 billion in funding for Pres. Trump's border wall, and required it be spent for other items, including increased personnel, technology, and equipment, according to a news release from his office.

Ironically, perhaps, his bill would have also required Mexico to pay for any construction of the border wall, a call echoing Pres. Trump during the 2016 campaign, and often since.

Cuellar has been a vocal critic of Pres. Trump's proposal to build a wall or fence along the border. His district (map here) skirts the US/Mexico border, and includes Rio Grande City in the south, Cuellar's hometown, Laredo, as well as Encinal. It twists its way northward to the eastern outskirts of San Antonio.

The six-term congressman serves as member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security. He will face no Republican challenger this November, but Libertarian  Arthur Thomas IV will appear on the General Election ballot.

O'Rourke Releases First Campaign Ad, "Showing Up," Online Only, And Filmed Entirely On An iPhone [#TXPolitics 24/7]

US Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke has released his first TV campaign ad, an upbeat promotion filmed entirely on an iPhone. His campaign announced the campaign online.

The ad, which was released only online, features the Democratic Congressman's travels to all 254 Texas counties, a potent signal to Republicans and his GOP opponent, Ted Cruz, no doubt, that this Democrat is taking the battle to every corner of the state, not just Democratic Party strongholds in the cities.

If O'Rourke defeats Cruz, he'd be the first Democrat to win a statewide race in Texas since 1994.

Showcasing the campaign's tech-savvy nature, a campaign press release on O'Rourke's website says the footage used in the ad came in part from the many live-streamed events he's participated in across the state, "including town halls, rallies and roundtable discussions." He gained nationwide attention for live-streaming his drive to Washington from  Texas with fellow congressman Will Hurd (R - San Antonio) after their flight was cancelled.

Watch the ad below:

Cruz Team Challenges O'Rourke To Five Debates, Each On Different Topics [#TXPolitics 24/7]

The Texas heat may be hot, and the US Senate race between incumbent Ted Cruz and his Democratic opponent, Beto O'Rourke, is about to heat up, too.

Cruz's team has challenged O'Rourke to five debates before Election Day. ("This comes about three months after O'Rourke challenged Cruz to six," snarks the Texas Tribune.)

Cruz strategist Jeff Roe sent a letter to O'Rourke Wednesday proposing the following debate schedule:

Aug. 31 in Dallas on "Jobs/Taxes/Federal Regulations/National Economy"
Sept. 14 in McAllen on "Immigration/Border Security/Criminal Justice/Supreme Court"
Sept. 21 in San Antonio on "Foreign Policy/National Security"
Oct. 5 in Houston on "Energy/Trade/Texas Economy"
Oct. 12 in Lubbock on "Healthcare/Obamacare"

In his letter, Roe said the debates would all take place on Friday evenings "because the Senate is expected to be in session during that time."

In matters of style, the debates would each be an hour long and vary in format - some would be town hall-style, while others would feature the two candidates seated or standing at podiums.

#Austin City Councilwoman Ellen Troxclair and Travis GOP Chairman Matt Mackowiak Endorse Frank Ward In Run For Council Seat [#TXPolitics 24/7]

Ellen Troxclair, who has announced she will not be seeking reelection to her Dist. 8 seat on Austin's city council, has endorsed Frank Ward as her replacement.

Calling Ward "a voice of reason," and a "thoughtful and principled man of character who we can trust," Troxclair, currently the only Republican on the council, gave a strong endorsement to Ward in a newsletter sent to supporters Monday.

Troxclair said Ward "has shown a clear understanding of the needs in Southwest Austin and a deep commitment to the people who call it home."

She cited his commitment to reduce property taxes, address traffic congestion, and fight for effective and efficient government - all priorities she has fought for on the council.

Ward has a Master’s degree in Government from Johns Hopkins University, experience working at the Export-Import Bank of the United States, and service in the White House, the U.S. Senate, and the Texas Capitol.

He can be found online at https://www.wardforaustin.com.

Troxclair said Ward, "has helped to grow and sustain a small business in Austin, seeing first hand the challenges with which small businesses struggle."

Travis County GOP Chairman Matt Mackowiak, a friend of Ward's, weighed in on his candidacy on the Travis County GOP's Facebook page.

"As TCRP chairman, I am thrilled that my friend Frank Ward gives us a qualified, conservative candidate to succeed Ellen Troxclair in District 8. Please get to know my friend Frank - he will be a champion for taxpayers."

It's unclear whether anyone else will be entering the race.

Democratic Congressional Candidates Outraising Republicans [#TXPolitics 24/7]

Candidates for Congress recently filed their second-quarter fundraising reports. In most districts, Democratic candidates raised more than double what the Republican incumbents reported, which has caused some concern o.j. Republican circles.

The Texas Tribute reports that since last week, when U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-El Paso, revealed that he had raised a stunning $10.4 million between April and June in his bid to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, a wave of Texas Democrats running for U.S. House seats similarly blasted out their own unusually strong fundraising numbers.

Incumbent 31st District congressman John Carter's fundraising with anemic in the second filing period, raising just over $267,000, compared with his Democratic Challenger, MJ Hegar, who raised $1.1 million in the same period.

Lizzie Pannell Fletcher is also dramatically out raising 7th District incumbent Congressman John Culberson, $1 million to just over $480,000 for the Republican.

Similarly, in the 23rd Congressional district race, Republican incumbent Will Hurd was outraised by his Democratic opponent, Gina Ortiz Jones. Hurd raised nearly $684,000, with Ortiz Jones raising $1.2 million.

The Tribune says that while some Republicans are beginning to hear alarm bells ringing, others are reassured that in many of these races, Republican candidates still have a huge "cash on hand" advantage.

San Antonio City Officials: #Alamo Cenotaph Will Be Moved From Site; "Obscures Views" [#TXPolitics 24/7]

San Antonio officials have decided that a historic monument near the Alamo must be relocated as part of the $450 million plan to redevelop the Alamo. The move is guaranteed to stir passions.

News 4 San Antonio reports that City Councilman Roberto Trevino say the Cenotaph monument doesn't fit on-site and obscures views. He says the city isn't considering leaving the 60-foot in its current location.

The monument was erected in celebration of the centenary of the battle, and bears the names of those known to have fought there on the Texas side.

Relocating the structure has been the most vocally opposed issue in the plan proposed in 2014 by the city, Texas General Land Office Commissioner George P. Bush, and the nonprofit Alamo Endowment. Most of the plan includes maintenance and infrastructure improvements.

Residents and historians and citizens throughout the state have raised alarm bells about the removal of he statue, which commemorates the  Alamo defenders killed in the 1836 battle. Legend says that some the burned remains of the bodies of those killed in the siege were buried on the site of the cenotaph. A 1940 newspaper article says many of the defenders died on the spot.

Residents have raised concerns about the road closures required during a move. Historians and others have raised the logistical challenges of moving the structure without destroying it, due to its age and fragility. The proposed move has prompted protests from citizens and historical advocacy groups.

During the 1936 Texas Centennial celebration, the state of Texas provided $100,000 for the monument, commissioned from local sculptor Pompeo Coppini. San Antonio mayor Maury Maverick held a dedication ceremony on November 11, 1940. (See Wikipedia article.)

The shaft rises sixty feet from its base and is forty feet long and twelve feet wide. The monument was erected in grey Georgia marble and pink Texas granite. It was entitled The Spirit of Sacrifice and incorporates images of the Alamo garrison leaders and 187 names of Alamo defenders known at the time it was constructed.

Former Gov. Candidate Wendy Davis, Democratic Group, Sanctioned, Fined For "Novel" Fundraising Operation [#TXPolitics 24/7]

Citing "a somewhat complicated and novel fundraising operation not explicitly contemplated by Texas law," the Texas Ethics Commission fined Battleground Texas and Wendy Davis' gubernatorial campaign $3,000 each for late disclosures in 2014, reports the Texas Tribune:

Neither the campaign nor the political organization admitted doing anything wrong, and the commission conceded the situation “is not explicitly addressed by Texas law.” Nevertheless, the Davis campaign and Battleground Texas each agreed to pay a $3,000 fine.

In separate orders from the commission posted Tuesday, both Davis, on behalf of her gubernatorial campaign, and Battleground Texas, a group that launched in 2013 to help elect Democrats, said they had not “violated any provision of the Election Code and at all times properly reported all of its activities in a manner that is transparent and open to the public. However, for the sake of resolving this matter, without further proceedings, the respondent accepts the Commission’s proposal of resolution without any admission of wrongdoing of any kind."

Williamson County Judge Charged After Threatening Sheriff's Deputies Over Tweets [#TXPolitics 24/7]

Williamson County Judge Dan Gattis was charged Wednesday with official oppression by county prosecutors after he allegedly threatened to strip funding from Sheriff Robert Chody over tweets he didn't like, report multiple sources late Wednesday. Chody reportedly has over 10,600 twitter followers.

The charge is the result of an encounter between Gattis and Chief Deputy Sheriff Tim Ryle at commissioners court Tuesday, according to officials.  

"He stuck his finger in my chest - he didn't actually touch me - and said, 'Tell that sheriff if he doesn't quit tweeting, I’m going zero his budget out,’" Chief Deputy Tim Ryle told the American-Statesman and KVUE Wednesday. My comment to him was, 'Judge, are you sure you want to say that?' He said, ‘Yes, tell him to stop tweeting about me and my people.'" 

Ryle submitted a sworn criminal complaint to county prosecutors, who brought the charge against Gattis. 

County officials issued a summons for Gattis, who is the county's top executive, to come to state district court in lieu of being arrested on the misdemeanor charge.

Chody said he was surprised to hear about the alleged threat.

Lone Conservative On Austin City Council, Ellen Troxclair, Says She Won't Seek Re-Election [#TXPolitics 24/7]

Ellen Troxclair, the lone conservative on Austin's 10-member city council, announced in a Facebook post Wednesday that she would not be seeking re-election this November. 

Troxclair cited a list of achievements, including spearheading property tax relief through a 10% homestead exemption and other fiscally conservative causes on the board. In her announcement, she cites the family sacrifices and "challenges for my small business" as some of the reasons for her decision. She called her time on the board "incredibly fulfilling." Yet, she warns that Austin is "on an unsustainable path," noting "constant over-taxation, over-regulation, lack of prioritizing basic infrastructure needs," among other issues.

Full text of her statement is below:

Today, I announce that I will not be seeking re-election to the Austin City Council, District 8. It has been the honor of a lifetime to represent the people of Southwest Austin and to be the voice for fiscal responsibility at City Hall.

The decision on whether to seek another term has been an incredibly difficult one because I believe so passionately in the work with which my constituents have entrusted me. While I knew taking office would be a sacrifice for my family and a challenge for my small business, I also knew that if I was willing to step up, I could make a difference. The past three and a half years have lived up to those difficult expectations, but have also been incredibly fulfilling.

At the end of my term, I can leave knowing that I accomplished what I set out to do – serve as an advocate for my district, a voice of reason, a fiscal watchdog, an unwavering voice for lowering the cost of living, and a representative of the average Austinite who often feels overlooked at City Hall.

I am proud to have spearheaded property tax relief through a 10% homestead exemption, instituted customer protections for utility billing issues, increased bus service to Southwest Austin, fought to protect small businesses and property rights, provided vital fire service to underserved areas, supported our public safety officers, allocated Hotel Occupancy Taxes to parks and historic sites, and provided funding for sidewalks, traffic signals, pedestrian beacons, parks, and infrastructure throughout the District.

My husband and I have been fortunate enough to bring two children into our family during my term. It has been rewarding to demonstrate the importance of public service to them and to shape the future of the city that they call home.

Despite our good efforts, Austin continues on an unsustainable path. Constant over-taxation, over-regulation, lack of prioritizing basic infrastructure needs, and implementing policies that are detrimental to our economy will continue to push families and businesses out of our city. It is heartbreaking to watch a city that I love race to become a place where the average person cannot afford to live.

I look forward to supporting someone in this election who will continue to provide common-sense, fiscally responsible leadership by focusing on lowering property taxes, reducing traffic, and providing more efficient and effective city services. I’m hopeful that someone with this dedication will step forward. It is also critical that the Austin community support common-sense policymakers across the city, because these changes cannot be made alone.

This will not be the end of my public service. Whether it’s volunteering for local charities, encouraging other young, conservative women to get involved in politics, or helping candidates who share the same values, I will continue to be active and engaged in our community.

I’m endlessly grateful to those who have offered encouragement and support along the way. Thank you to my dedicated staff who have so ably represented our part of the city. Most importantly, thank you to the residents of Southwest Austin for giving me the honor of serving you."

#Austin Mayor Adler, NYC Mayor De Blasio Accused Of Crossing US/Mexico Border Illegally To View Detention Facility [#TXPolitics 24/7]

Austin Mayor Steve Adler and New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio have been accused of illegally crossing the border into Mexico, and then crossing back into America without permission, according to multiple news sources.

De Blasio and Adler, both fierce critics of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, went to the Texas border with about 20 other mayors from around the country on June 21, the day after Pres. Trump signed an order stopping family separations at the border. The group is part of the National Conference of Mayors.

According to a letter from the U.S. Border Patrol, a uniformed Border Patrol agent noticed a group on the Rio Grande River flood plain south of the Tornillo, Texas, Port of Entry, taking photos of the holding facility.

The agent asked if anyone from Border Patrol or public affairs was there to authorize their presence. A New York Police Department inspector said no, according to the letter, and when the agent asked the group how they arrived, they pointed to Mexico.

The agent told them they'd crossed the border illegally and asked them to remain there while he got a supervisor and took them to an official crossing for an inspection per federal law, according to the letter. But the group disregarded the order and drove back to Mexico, according to the letter.

Adler and De Blasio deny they broke the law.

Photo: El Paso Times 

Independent Senate Candidate Who Failed To Get On The Ballot Accuses Cruz Camp Of Interference; Suing Petition Collecting Firm

Tech entrepreneur Jonathan Jenkins sought a place on the November ballot as an independent US Senate candidate, but failed to obtain all of the needed 47,000 required signatures. Now, he tells the Texas Tribune that he suspects the campaign of incumbent GOP candidate Ted Cruz of "interference," and says the California firm he hired to collect the signatures - and came up short - misled him about the progress of the effort.

Jenkins alleged that that associates of  Cruz meddled in the effort to keep Jenkins off the ballot, offering petition takers up to $1,000 to leave Texas, acts reported to Jenkins by the California firm, Arno Petition Consultants. Meanwhile, he paid over $350,000 to the firm, but it only returned 35,500 signatures by June 21st, the deadline for submitting petitions.

Jenkins says the firm misled him about the progress of the petition drive, and is now seeking legal action against it and its principal, Michael Arno.

He is asking the secretary of state's office to investigate the allegations against the Cruz campaign and refer the matter to the state attorney general. Jenkins has said he plans to look into "all other legal remedies" available.

Jenkins has started several technology companies, most recently founding and leading WithMe, a company with the mission to create the largest global network of short-term physical retail stores to help brands of all sizes grow.

Democratic Challenger To 7th Cong. Dist. GOP Incumbent Raised Over $1 million In 2nd Quarter Filing [#TXPolitics 24/7]

Lizzie Pannill Fletcher, Democratic challenger in the Seventh Congressional district, has raised more than $1 million in the second fundraising quarter of 2018, entering July with nearly $800,000 cash on hand.

Fletcher is running against GOP Rep. John Culberson in the Houston district. Culberson, who was first elected to Congress in 2000 and gas served on the House Appropriations Committee, has not yet released his second-quarter campaign financial report


Her campaign website reports that in the second quarter of 2018, more than 75% of Fletcher's funds came from within Texas, with more than 68% coming from Houston-area residents. She has raised more than $2 million since she entered the race.

The Seventh District is highly competitive - Hillary Clinton carried it by 49% in 2016, but she was the first Democratic presidential candidate to win the district since 1968. Fletcher has been endorsed by EMILY’s List, a leading national organization dedicated to electing pro-choice Democratic women to office, NARAL, a nationwide abortion rights group, and is designated a "Red to Blue" candidate by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, meaning they have high hopes of flipping this district in November.

Lizzie is the first woman partner at AZA, a Houston law firm. She co-founded Planned Parenthood Young Leaders, and currently serves on the boards of directors for Writers in the Schools (WITS) and Open Dance Project.

[More reporting: Dallas Morning News; Houston Chronicle]

Congressional Candidate Claims The US Is "Targeting" Women & Minorities; Was Forced To Keep Sexuality A Secret From College, Air Force [#TXPolitics 24/7]

Twenty-third Congressional District Democratic candidate Gina Ortiz Jones believes the US is "Targeting women and minorities," and called the 2016 was an "emotional event" for her in a recent interview with a Boston University newspaper.

In an interview with BU Today, the newspaper of Boston University, from which she graduated in 2003, Ortiz Jones said the country is in a Constitutional crisis because of the 2016 election, which has caused her to take action and run for office.

"I think the election was such a significant emotional event for me because I’ve seen what it looks like in other countries when women and minorities are targeted. I’ve seen what it looks like when a government disregards conflict of interest, and hollows out the middle class, and ultimately their democracy."

She reacted just as strongly to the pictures of children of illegal immigrants who have been pictured held in detention facilities, a practice she called "egregious" and "atrocious."

"The pictures we’ve seen! With 40 percent of the border in the district, I think we see this issue just a little bit differently than the rest of the country. But frankly, as Americans, we all know that seeing a young child, a toddler, crying as they’re being held in a cage like an animal—that’s not the right thing to do. It’s so far from American, it’s unbelievable."

If the former Air Force intelligence officer beats two-term Republican incumbent Will Hurd in November, she'll become the first woman to represent her district. She will also be the first Filipina American and the first lesbian to hold a US House seat from Texas.

She opened up about her sexuality to the paper, saying she kept it a secret while attending BU on an ROTC scholarship, and throughout her career in the Air Force, which occurred during the time the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy was still in effect. She said she was forced to keep being a lesbian a "very deep secret."

"I could not be as open as I would have liked, because I needed that scholarship to stay at BU. I knew what I had to do. And when I served in the Air Force, that policy applied to me too. If someone is ready and willing to serve their country, there shouldn't be any policies - especially policies rooted in bigotry - that would prevent that."

Houston City Council Approves Plan To Direct Housing Aid To Harvey Victims [#TXPolitics 24/7]

Houston's city council has approved a plan to direct how the first long-term federal housing aid headed this way after Hurricane Harvey will be spent, reports the Houston Chronicle.

The plan targets $600 million to repair or build single-family homes and $375 million to fix or construct apartments.

The action plan is a key step in the city’s effort to draw on $1.15 billion in federal housing aid, part of the $5 billion allocated to Texas from Congress’ first hurricane-related appropriation last fall. Harris County will get a similar amount.

The plan now awaits approval from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, after which it will be attached as an amendment to the Texas General Land Office’s plan that addresses recovery along the rest of the Gulf Coast.

#GovAbbott Takes Pres. Trump To Task Over Aluminum, Steel Tariffs, Says They Will Cost Jobs, Raise Prices [#TXPolitics 24/7]

The Trump administration’s tariffs on aluminium and steel earned criticism from Gov. Greg Abbott last week who said such tariffs have caused harm to his state’s economy, especially in the realm of petroleum production.

The Republican issued an open letter to President Donald Trump on Thursday, beginning his epistle with high praise for the president’s work so far. (Full text viewable HERE)

“I highly commend your commitment to curbing unfair trade practices and putting American businesses and workers first. As your administration continues to champion these businesses and workers, please consider the negative impact that the new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports and other goods will have on the economy of Texas and the nation as a whole.”

Abbott went on to point out the tenuous position in which the oil and gas industry finds itself, noting the sector stands to either benefit or be hindered by the relationships and supplies of aluminium and steel available to it at affordable prices.

He ended his letter by heaping praise on the famously mercurial president, who has been known to turn on those who even mildly criticize his positions or statements.

"Once again, I highly commend your commitment to curbing unfair trade practices and putting American businesses and workers first,” Abbott wrote. “As your administration continues to champion these businesses and workers, please consider the negative impact that the new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports and other goods will have on the economy of Texas and the nation as a whole."

Source: Aluminum Insider

As #AbolishICE Becomes Left's Rallying Call, O'Rourke Walks A Fine Line In His Response [#TXPolitics 24/7]

Spurred by the issue of the detention of minors and their separation from parents who jumped the US/Mexico border illegally, Democrats - especially the more Left-leaning Democrats - have taken up "Abolish ICE!" [the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency] as a rallying call.

Texas Democrats are in a bind over the issue. On one hand, if they champion the elimination of the agency currently tasked with border enforcement, they risk appearing too radical in a state that leans heavily Republican. But by not speaking out, they risk alienating their Left-leaning base, newly animated by the victory of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the Democratic congressional primary in New York and, earlier, by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' run for president in 2016. Ocasio-Cortez has visited the border during her campaign and has called for ICE's elimination.

Republican Ted Cruz has clearly stated that he would not support such a move, but his Democratic opponent in the fall, El Paso Rep. Beto O'Rourke, has walked a more fine line in addressing the issue.

As the Texas Tribune reports, when asked about abolishing ICE Friday at a town hall in San Antonio, O'Rourke discussed the need to eliminate fear in immigrant communities under the Trump Administration, and the need to find a better way to enforce immigration laws.

"And if that involves doing away with this agency, giving that responsibility to somebody else, changing how this agency performs, I’m open to doing that," O’Rourke said.

Yet he went on to flatly answer no when directly asked if he would abolish ICE, explaining that he does not currently know enough about how immigration law would be enforced without the agency.

"I understand the urgency of this," O’Rourke said in conclusion. "I just want to make sure that we’re constructive in how we talk about meeting this challenge and that I understand what abolishing ICE would mean in terms of enforcing our laws going forward."

The Tribune notes that Cruz's campaign seized on the part of O'Rourke's response where he said he would be "open" to doing away with ICE, and it singled out his broader suggestion that the agency was responsible for the fear in the immigrant communities.

"Sen. Cruz believes that ICE agents work hard to secure our borders and keep Americans safe," Cruz spokeswoman Emily Miller said in a statement. "He fully supports keeping the agency in charge of removing illegal immigrants from the United States."

Cook Political Report Moves Rep. Carter's Seat from "Solid Republican: to "Likely Republican" [#TXPolitics 24/7]

The respected Cook Political Report has moved Rep. John Carter's 31st Congressional Seat from being "Solid Republican" to "Likely Republican."

The news (behind paywall, here) is likely to rattle the campaign of the 8-term Republican, along with local GOPers who are already concerned about the impact of his Democratic opponent M.J. Hegar's slick campaign video, which is generating excitement among Democrats across the nation, including in Hollywood, where it's rumored that Angelina Jolie is set to play the heroic fighter pilot's life story in a film.

Of course, the campaign of the retired Air Force pilot and national Democrats are actively using the video to raise funds. Hegar had raised just shy of $500k with $117k on hand at the start of May. Carter had raised nearly $749k and his coffers had $350k on hand.

While the seat does remain comfortably Republican (it was won by Pres. Trump by 53% in 2016) it's trending Bluer, with Romney taking 60% in 2012, the Report notes.

The search-and-rescue pilot won a Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross for valor after her helicopter was shot down and ambushed in Afghanistan in 2009. She wrote a book about her exploits, "Shoot Like a Girl," which hit the bestseller list. The video features her struggle to overturn a rule barring women from serving in combat positions, and Carter's alleged failure to help her when she reached out as a visitor to Washington, D.C.

The Cook Report says she will likely emphasize to voters that she grew up the 31st CD and was a Republican in her youth. We'll add that while Republicans will avoid attacking (or even mentioning) her exemplary military record, they're already quietly pointing out that she has only recently moved back to the district. Democrats may also emphasize Carter's lack of military service, which might sway the many personnel and veterans living near Fort Hood, which is located in the district.

The Report throws some doubt on whether Carter, now 77, will be prepared for the upcoming vigors of the race. The GOP primary had him facing an unknown opponent who mustered over 35% of the vote and spent less than $60k.