Sen. Eckhardt launches campaign for Congress
Editor's Note: The video above is from Gov. Greg Abbott's announcement signing the new redistricting map into law.
AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- When Congressman Michael McCaul announced last month that he would not run for reelection, it led to a rush of candidates declaring their intentions to run for the seat. On Monday, two more candidates announced their plans to run, including a sitting State Senator and a leader of Elon Musk's political action committee.
McCaul has held the District 10 seat for more than two decades. The district boundaries currently stretch from western Travis County to the outskirts of Houston. It's drawn to favor a Republican.
Austin Democrat Sarah Eckhardt released a video Monday morning announcing her campaign for U.S. House District 10. She focused on finding common ground in her announcement.
"We all want a home that we can afford full of warmth and food and family. We all want the confidence of knowing that we can take care of our own and our loved one's health. We all want to know that our kids are getting the education that they need to succeed, and we want to be a part of building that prosperity that our kids and our kids' kids will enjoy and be able to build upon even when we're gone," Eckhardt said in the video.
In August, Texas lawmakers approved maps to redraw the boundaries of District 10. The new lines further boost the chances that a Republican will hold the seat.
Eckhardt joins the race two weeks after another Democrat dropped out of the race for the District 10 seat. Tayhlor Coleman announced on social media that she was suspending her campaign, saying that the redistricting process took her home in Washington County out of District 10. Federal Election Commission filings show one other Democrat in the race, Dr. Dawn Marshall.
Ten Republican candidates have filed campaign finance documents with the Federal Election Commission, indicating their plans to run in District 10.
Chris Gober filed paperwork in early October, indicating his intent to run for District 10 as a Republican. He is an attorney who previously served as director of Elon Musk's America PAC. Gober sent emails Monday morning officially announcing his campaign.
"I’ll work with President Trump to make life more affordable and safer for all Texans, prioritize our national security, and safeguard the God-given constitutional rights that drew my family to Texas and have made it exceptional ever since,“ Gober wrote in his announcement.