Special Election to Fill Former State Rep. Jake Ellzey’s North Texas Seat Set for Aug. 31

Gov. Greg Abbott announced Friday that Aug. 31 will be the date of the special election to replace former state Rep. Jake Ellzey, R-Waxahachie, now a congressman.

The candidate filing deadline is Aug. 12, and early voting will start Aug 23.

Ellzey vacated the seat in Texas House District 10 after winning the special election runoff last month for the 6th Congressional District. HD-10 is reliably red and covers largely rural areas south and southeast of Dallas.

John Wray, the Waxahachie Republican who held the seat before not seeking reelection in 2020, has already launched a campaign to win it back and earned the endorsement of Texans for Lawsuit Reform, the influential tort reform group. No other credible candidates have emerged yet.

Ryan Pitts, who finished second to Ellzey in the 2020 primary for the seat, was considering running in the special election but announced Wednesday he had decided not to. Pitts is the son of former state Rep. Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie.

This story originally appeared in the Texas Tribune. To read this article in its original format, click here.