A GOP candidate for the state senate backed by Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott and many in state Party leadership might be excluded from the ballot in the primary over questions about his eligibility for office, the Texas Tribune reports.
Candidate Brent Hagenbuch’s candidacy was set to be reviewed Monday morning in a Texas courtroom when a lawyer for one of his opponents asked for an extension to check out a new claim Hagenbuch was making: that he lived in a corporate apartment he rented for one dollar per quarter in the office building he claimed was his residence on his candidate application. According to a court filing Hagenbuch made hours earlier, he “slept there, showered there, ate there and lived there.”
The judge postponed further arguments until January 19th, pushing deadlines before the GOP primaries slated for March 5th. The senate seat is the only safe “red” seat open in the upcoming election after its longtime denizen announced his retirement, and four Republicans are vying for the seat that will essentially mean a lifetime in Austin for the winner.