A Texas Congressman who used federal funds to settle a lawsuit with a former staffer is facing a much tougher re-election than he was just a week ago.
In the last two weeks, five Republicans have qualified to challenge U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi, for re-election. Four of those five candidates have filed since Monday when Farenthold promised to repay $84,000 in taxpayer dollars to settle with the former aide who sued him for sexual harassment in 2014.
The four-term Congressmen has long denied any wrongdoing. On Thursday, the bipartisan House Ethics Committee voted unanimously to reexamine sexual harassment allegations against Farenthold.
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He represents the 13-county, mostly coastal, 29th Congressional District which stretches from Corpus Christi to Matagorda County.
The latest candidate to jump in the race is Bech Bruun, the former chairman of the Texas Water Development Board who is from Corpus Christ but lives in Austin. Bruun officially qualifed for the 27th Congressional District primary on Friday morning.
Earlier this week Republicans Jerry Hall, Eddie Gassman and Christopher K. Mapp all qualified for the primary as well. And a week earlier, former Victoria County Republican Party chairman Michael Cloud qualified for the March 6 primary.
Two Democrats have qualified to run, according to the Texas Division of Elections as of Friday. Democrats Raul (Roy) Barrera of Corpus Christi and Ronnie McDonald of Bastrop will be in a March 6 Democratic primary.
Qualifying to get on the ballot for 2018 continues through Monday.
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Farenthold, 55, was first elected to the House 2010 during a Tea Party wave. The then co-host of a local conservative radio, toppled then-U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz, a Democrat, by less than 800 votes.
Before news of the settlement broke, political watchers considered Farenthold's seat a safe Republican district after he won re-election over Democratic challenger in 2014 and 2016 by more than 20 percentage points.
