Republicans face-off in race for open North Texas congressional seat
State Rep. Craig Goldman and businessman John O'Shea duke it out in next month's primary runoff for the congressional seat Rep. Kay Granger is leaving behind. Presumed Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump made waves after saying abortion rights should be a state, not a federal issue. We hear from two North Texas lawmakers about that position. Frisco voters will soon decide whether firefighters should have civil service protections and collective bargaining, or if it's a budget buster.
Jack Fink covers these stories and more in the latest edition of Eye on Politics (original air date: April 14).
Face-Off
Next month State Rep. Craig Goldman and businessman John O'Shea will face off in the Republican primary for the 12th Congressional District in much of Fort Worth, Tarrant and Parker Counties.
The candidates are vying for the open seat after longtime Congresswoman Kay Granger announced she's retiring at the end of her term this year. This is a Republican majority district, so whoever wins in the May 28 runoff is likely to win in the general election in November.
Either O'Shea or Goldman will face Democrat Trey Hunt in November.
Among those endorsing Goldman:
- Gov. Greg Abbott
- Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick
- Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker
O'Shea is endorsed by:
- Attorney General Ken Paxton
- Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller
Both candidates spoke with Jack about why they believe they are the better candidate.
Watch Jack's discussion with Goldman here:
Watch Jack's discussion with O'Shea here:
Up To The States
Presumed Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump made headlines when he announced abortion rights should be a state issue and not a federal one.
In a video posted on Truth Social last week, Trump praised the Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade.
"Now it's up to the states to do the right thing," he said in that video. "I am strongly in favor of exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. You must follow your heart on this issue."
In a conversation with Jack, Republican North Texas Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne said she agreed with Trump.
"I know a lot of people want to jump in and say the federal government should be taking this role, but you've got to think about bills that have gotten passed out of the House of Representatives when it was a Democrat majority," Van Duyne said. "This is an issue for states to decide."
Watch the full interview with Van Duyne below:
Jack also spoke with Democratic North Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett. He asked her about efforts to codify Roe v. Wade, which she says doesn't go far enough.
"Why would we write a law in 2024 based on what we knew in 1973," Crockett said. "We've got to make sure that we have protections as it relates to, not just abortion care...but also as it relates to birth control because we do believe that's going to be next. We've got to look at the full gamut."
Watch the full interview with Crockett below:
Yes or No?
The next big election is May 4 for the nonpartisan municipal and school board races.
In the fast-growing city of Frisco, voters will have to vote on two ballot propositions that have placed the Frisco Firefighters Association at odds with council members and the mayor.
If passed, Prop A would institute civil service protections for firefighters, which would provide set rules for hiring, firing and promotions.
Prop B would provide collective bargaining over pay, benefits and workplace conditions between firefighters and the city.
Lockouts and strikes are not allowed under state law.
Frisco Fire Fighters Association President Matthew Sapp says after city leaders rejected using meet and confer to discuss their pay and benefits, their members decided to go directly to the residents.
"The concern is for staffing because we're not running the national staffing standard," Sapp said. "We're running about 62 minimum. We should be running about 78 firefighters on duty at any given time and our response time is kind of ballooning."
Frisco City Councilman Bill Woodard, however, doesn't think collective bargaining or civil service are necessary. He opposes both propositions, along with the other council members, Mayor Jeff Cheney and the Frisco Chamber of Commerce.
"Frisco is a target right now," Woodard said. "We're the largest city in the State of Texas without civil service and collective bargaining in some form or fashion ... and we're growing to be a big city, but Frisco doesn't need the big city problems that unions bring."
Watch the full story in the video player at the top of this page.
Every week, CBS News Texas political reporter Jack Fink breaks down some of the biggest political stories grabbing headlines in North Texas and beyond. Watch the latest episode of Eye on Politics in the video player above and watch new episodes every Sunday at 7:30 a.m. on air and online.
