Texas House District 65, which includes portions of Carrollton, Dallas, Highland Village, and Lewisville in Denton County, is one of the key Battleground 2020 races to watch. After a close race in 2018, Democratic challenger Michelle Beckley flipped the District 65 seat blue, ousting then-incumbent Republican Ron Simmons by a mere 2.32 percentage points.

Texas House District 108, which includes a portion of Dallas, Highland Park, and University Park, is one of the most competitive races in Texas this year. Republican State Rep. Morgan Meyer is seeking a fourth term in office and has been challenged to a rematch by his 2018 rival, Democrat Joanna Cattanach. Meyer held onto the seat in 2018 after a recount by only 220 votes. This razor-thin 0.56 percent margin of victory makes this race a top target of Democrats seeking to flip the Texas House to blue this November.

But this year was different. Governor Greg Abbott called legislators back to Austin this summer from July 18 – August 15 for a “Special Session” to address what Gov. Abbott considered unfinished business from the regular session. Unlike the regular session, there was no moratorium on politicians receiving donations during the special session. They could legally take money from those in Austin seeking to influence legislation. Some lawmakers publicly announced they wouldn’t take donations during the special session, while others remained silent. Several prominent elected officials took donations up until the day before the special session began, and then turned off the flow of money once the session began.