Five file for state house seat — early voting starts Monday

Four Republicans and one Democrat have filed for the special election to replace state Sen.-elect Drew Springer, R-Muenster, in the Texas House, representing the 22 counties in HD 68, which includes Wilbarger and Hardeman counties.

The filing deadline for the Jan. 23 election was 5 p.m. Monday.

The four GOP candidates for the seat in rural northwest Texas, which is safely Republican, are:

— John Berry, a Jacksboro financial planner, and former Jack County commissioner

—  Jason Brinkley, former Cooke County judge from 2014 to 2020

— Craig Carter, from Montague, he lost to Springer, finishing 5th in the Texas Senate District 30 special election

— David Spiller, a Jacksboro attorney and Jacksboro school board trustee

The only Democratic candidate is Charles D. Gregory, a retired postal worker from Childress, according to the secretary of state’s office.

They are competing for Springer’s seat after he won a special election runoff last month to succeed Pat Fallon in the Texas Senate after the Prosper Republican’s promotion to Congress. Fallon was sworn into the U.S. House on Sunday.

The special election for Springer’s seat is happening on an accelerated schedule with the start of the legislative session — Jan. 12 — looming. Abbott announced the special election a week ago, and early voting begins Jan. 11.