The fate of this school board's controlling majority will be decided on Nov. 7

[View this email in your browser]( [Ballotpedia](   [The Daily Brew]( Will this election result in changes to Douglas County school board priorities? A governing majority that has controlled the Douglas County school board in Colorado for eight years is at stake in the district’s November 7 election. Four of the board’s seven seats—representing Districts B, D, E, and G—are up for election, and all four of the seats are held by the board’s 4-3 majority faction. None of those incumbents filed to run for re-election, ensuring all four seats will be filled by newcomers. Candidates who supported a pay-for-performance system for teachers and school vouchers were elected to the board in 2009. They maintained a 7-0 majority on the board until 2015, when three newcomers who opposed the majority’s policies defeated incumbents and changed the board majority to 4-3. The election of one candidate who holds similar views to the current minority faction could change the district’s policy priorities. Two slates of candidates are seeking to fill the four open seats. One slate supports continuing the legal case for the district’s voucher program and supports the current teacher pay system with some adjustments. The other slate opposes the district’s voucher program and supports changing the teacher pay system.   [Learn more ]( Share on:   [Facebook](   [Twitter](     Texas speaker of the House announces retirement Yesterday, Texas Speaker of the House Joe Straus (R) announced that he will not run for re-election in 2018. In his announcement on Facebook, Straus said that he has accomplished what he set out to do when he first ran for election and will be looking to find different ways to contribute to the state. One of Straus' top lieutenants in the state House, Byron Cook (R), also announced that he will not be running for re-election next year. Straus has been a polarizing figure in Texas state politics. In 2009, he was first elected to the speakership by a coalition of 72 Democrats and 16 Republicans. Factions of the GOP caucus battled with Straus at times during his speakership, such as the Texas Freedom Caucus. In August, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) targeted Straus for failing to pass half of the 20 items on Abbott's special election agenda. After Straus’s announcement, Abbott released a statement thanking Straus for his service. Texas is one of 26 Republican state government trifectas.  Republicans hold a 20-11 majority in the state Senate and a 95-55 majority in the state House. Earlier this month it was reported that as many as 50 incumbents—many of them aligned with Straus—were expected to face a primary challenge in March 2018. [Learn more about Joe Straus]( [Check out Ballotpedia’s coverage of minority and coalition control of state legislative chambers]( →   Bold Justice  If you need to stay on top of the whirlwind world of the federal judiciary of the United States, let Ballotpedia deliver our in-depth coverage of federal courts to your inbox. We’ll tell you about the cases SCOTUS heard, which judges retired, which were nominated, and what important rulings come out of other federal courts. [Subscribe for free (and learn the history behind the name) today]( →   Ballotpedia depends on the support of our readers. The Lucy Burns Institute, publisher of Ballotpedia, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible to the extent of the law. Donations to the Lucy Burns Institute or Ballotpedia do not support any candidates or campaigns. [Donate Securely Online]( Decide which emails you want from Ballotpedia. [Unsubscribe]( or [adjust your preferences]( →   [Facebook](   [Twitter](