Arrington\u2019s announcement<\/a>, that door is back open.<\/p>\nQualifications and process<\/p>\n
Candidates must be at least 25 with no felony conviction and be a Texas resident.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019d first file your financial documents with the Federal Election Commission, but then you would actually go to Republican Party of Texas headquarters in Austin to file your application,\u201d Bruegel said.<\/p>\n
\u201cInterestingly \u2013 the United States Congress \u2013 it\u2019s a seat where you don\u2019t have to live in the district. You just have to be a Texas resident. So, hypothetically, someone from Tyler, Brownsville, or El Paso could run for Congress in Lubbock,\u201d said Bruegel.<\/p>\n
Some of the potential candidates cannot say anything before December 1 because Texas has a resign-to-run law, Bruegel said. Someone who announces with too much left in office automatically forfeits the current seat if announcing for a different office.<\/p>\n
So back to our list in alphabetical order and what Bruegel said on almost all of them.<\/p>\n
Kody Bessent is the CEO of Plains Cotton Growers in Lubbock. He previously held roles in legislative affairs and groundwater\/producer relations.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s well known in the ag community. Outside of the ag community, I don\u2019t think as many people know who he is. Within that community, I think he could do very well on the fundraising side,\u201d Bruegel said of Bessent.<\/p>\n
Ashley Cash expressed interest in the summer and serves as president of CCC Capital Solutions, Inc. In 2022 she was appointed by Greg Abbott to the Texas Governor\u2019s Commission for Women.<\/p>\n
But Lubbock Lights understands Cash has chosen not to run this time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think if she were to run, she\u2019d be a formidable candidate,\u201d Bruegel said.<\/p>\n
Jason Corley currently serves as the county commissioner for Precinct 2 in Lubbock County (since 2019) and was re-elected in 2022 with about 71 percent support. He ran for Congress in 2016 in District 19.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has what it takes to be a strong contender. \u2026 He would be possibly the only person in the field that has run for the seat before.\u201d Bruegel said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe probably has more name ID than most of them. I think he would be a viable A-tier candidate if he were to run,\u201d Bruegel added.<\/p>\n
Corley, without stating his intention one way or the other, released a statement Tuesday praising Arrington and saying in part, \u201cWe have all been blessed by his service and sacrifices.\u201d<\/p>\n
Abraham Enriquez, founder and president of the Hispanic-conservative outreach group Bienvenido in Lubbock has built a national network. He appears from time to time on Fox News, giving him widespread name recognition.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome may say he\u2019s perhaps a little too young for it, but he does have some contacts in Washington. And so it would be very interesting to see how that goes. \u2026 He\u2019s a very charismatic young man. I think he could raise some money,\u201d Bruegel said.<\/p>\n
Mark McBrayer, Lubbock mayor, said he was approached Tuesday about running, but told LubbockLights.com he hasn\u2019t given it much of a thought and is happy being mayor.<\/p>\n
McCrae McCormick described his family as \u201cfive generations in Floyd County, farming and running cattle.\u201d Farm policy is his top priority \u2013 both an \u201coutdated\u201d farm bill and trade policy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you put it on paper, yeah, it looks good, but when you get it out and actually start the application of things, it doesn\u2019t work as it should,\u201d McCormick told LubbockLights.com and added everyone should serve in some capacity of public service.<\/p>\n
Bruegel said, \u201cI\u2019ve not heard from him before today. He seems like a nice young guy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tom Sell is a founder and managing partner of the lobbying and policy firm Combest, Sell & Associates. He has worked extensively on farm-bill and agricultural policy in Washington.<\/p>\n
\u201cTom\u2019s background is in government affairs in the ag industry. So, a number of my contacts and people I\u2019ve spoken with expect that he would receive a favorable showing in the ag community,\u201d Bruegel said.<\/p>\n
Carl Tepper is currently the District 84 representative. He is an Air Force veteran, a Texas Tech University graduate and works in commercial real estate. He told LubbockLights.com he is \u201cevaluating\u201d the situation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Tepper would be pretty close to a front runner if he decided to step in \u2013 wonderful name ID in the district from not only his time in the state legislature, but from his time as Republican Party chair before me,\u201d Bruegel said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe can raise the money. He\u2019s got the name ID. Carl is going to be an A-tier candidate if he were to run,\u201d Bruegel added.<\/p>\n
Other names<\/p>\n
A couple names from the Lubbock City Council have been floated but said they do not have an interest in running. <\/p>\n
Gus Khan is also not on the list \u2013 saying he is already a candidate for U.S. Senate.<\/p>\n
Kyle Rable, secretary of the Lubbock County Democratic Party, announced he\u2019s running in the Democratic primary. <\/p>\n
![\"Jodey](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/arrington_with_trump.jpg\")
Jodey Arrington posed for a photo with President Donald J. Trump \u2013 February 6, 2025. Credit: Official White House Photo by Molly Riley<\/p>\n
What\u2019s next for Arrington?<\/p>\n
The Arrington announcement came as a surprise to Brugel, adding, \u201cI really anticipated, given Trump\u2019s endorsement and not taking the chancellor job, that he would stick around another term.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bruegel pondered Arrington\u2019s options if he wants to pursue anything in politics.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are a number of pathways if he decides to stay politically engaged. Personally, I think there\u2019s a path to where he could run for the U.S. Senate, though I don\u2019t know that he would be interested in that. However, I do think there\u2019s an opening there if he would want it. He could run for any number of statewide offices. Or he could end up taking a job in the Trump administration, provided something opens up,\u201d Bruegel said.<\/p>\n
\u201cGiven his reputation in Washington as a level-headed deal broker, that opens up opportunities for him,\u201d Bruegel said.<\/p>\n
\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/volunteer_activism_96dp_000000_FILL0_wght400_GRAD0_opsz48.png\")
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