DRIFTWOOD -- At about 10 p.m., 10-year incumbent Gov. Rick Perry took the stage at the Salt Lick BBQ restaurant southwest of Austin to announce that U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison called to congratulate him on his victory.

Hundreds of supporters, including capitol and campaign staffers, erupted in applause and dozens of bloogers and reporters from around the state scribbled away.

Brandon Aghamalian and Snapper Carr, both formerly of HillCo Partners, gave $500 each to Rep. Vicki Truitt's (R-Keller) GOP primary campaign on Feb. 26, telegram reports at the Texas Ethics Commission indicate.

Aghamalian worked for HillCo PAC during the 2009 regular session, when the lobby group coordinated under contract with local governments around the state to push for passage of the Texas Local Option Transportation Act (TLOTA). That bill, which would have allowed local governments to place optional gas tax increases on the ballot to pay for local transportation projects, incurred the wrath of government spending watchdog groups like Texans' for Fiscal Responsibility. TLOTA would not have allowed voters to lower their local gas taxes.

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Gov. Rick Perry and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison have each released new attack ads saying ... well, not much new.

Here's Perry's:


Here's Hutchison's:


Here's the script for Perry's ad:

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The Texas Civil Justice League Political Action Committee (TCJL PAC), a lawsuit reform group, today released a list of endorsements for the upcoming primary elections.

It's mostly Republicans, with a few Democrats mostly from the Rio Grande Valley and El Paso, all of whom have a history of supporting tort reform.

The TCJL PAC has announced support for the following candidates for statewide elected office (all Republicans):

*=Incumbent
-Governor Rick Perry*
-Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst* (R)
-Attorney General Greg Abbott* (R)
-Comptroller Susan Combs* (R)
-Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples* (R)
-Railroad Commission Victor Carrillo* (R)
-Supreme Court, Place 9 Eva Guzman* (R)

Other endorsements include:

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The Young Conservatives of Texas added to its endorsement list this week. Here they are:

For the State Board of Education, Republicans:
Joanie Muenzler,
Don McLeroy,
Geraldine “Tincy” Miller, and
Randy Rives.

McLeroy and Miller are incumbents. Muenzler is running for the seat vacated by Rick Agosto’s (D-San Antonio) retirement, and Rives is running against incumbent Bob Craig (R-Lubbock).

For Texas Supreme Court, the group also endorsed
Rick Green for the open seat on the Texas Supreme Court and
incumbent Eva Guzman for re-election.

YCT endorsed Dave McIntyre in Congressional District 17 (incumbent Chet Edwards, D-Waco).

For the State Legislature, YCT backed Republicans
Raul Torres in HD 33,
Mike Murphy in HD 65,
Charles Perry in HD 83,
John Frullo in HD 84,
David Andrews in HD 85, and
Fernando Herrera in HD 148.

Frullo is running for the Carl Isett (R-Lubbock) open seat. (We cover that race and the primary challenge against Delwin Jones [R-Lubbock] in this week's issue.) The rest are running against incumbents.

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Rep. Terri Hodge (D-Dallas), treasurer of the House Democratic Caucus, this morning announced that she is quitting her campaign for re-election to House District 100 and pleading guilty to a single charge of making a false statement by failing to report income on her personal tax returns -- a felony. She pled this morning in federal court.

Hodge had drawn a primary opponent, a Dallas lawyer Eric Johnson. As the Republicans have not fielded a candidate for the seat, Johnson is all but a shoo-in. Hodge's name will remain on the ballot.

The Austin American Statesman has the story.

Also the Dallas Morning News has the press release from Hodge's campaign.

The effect of Hodge's guilty plea means that upon sentencing, she will be immediately ineligible to ever serve in public office again. It carries a maximum of three years in prison. Although she will no longer be able to serve in public office (unless she receives a presidential pardon). Also, she has said that she will resign upon sentencing.

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We covered the four-way GOP primary in House District 52 this week. Here's a look at how the issue of property taxes are at play there: