Some notes from David Guenthner, Tex. political insider:

After last night, the Texas Democratic Party might change its logo from a donkey to a shark. Trial lawyers consolidated their control last night, thanks in large part due to unprecedented primary intervention by colleague/state Democratic chairman Charles Soechting and a new trials-funded PAC called “Texans for Insurance Reform” that funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars into key state House primaries. They defeated three of Republican Speaker Tom Craddick’s black and Hispanic committee chairmen and forcing another Hispanic member of his leadership team into a runoff he will almost certainly lose. Two of the four voted with the GOP on tort and medical liability reform. Of the other two, one supported congressional redistricting, while the other did not join his colleagues in their quorum-breaking trip to Ardmore and was insufficiently aggressive in protecting Rep. Martin Frost’s district. (That legislator’s successor quit Frost’s staff to file for the race.) Trial lawyers unsuccessfully targeted a pair of rural white Democrats, but one could get knocked off by a Republican in November. Nevertheless, the trial lawyers have sent a message that minority Democrats who don’t toe their line can kiss their careers goodbye.
Last night’s results probably make school vouchers a now-or-never issue. The legislature is expected to convene in special session next month to consider school finance reform. Despite House interest in including vouchers in a reform package, the drafts being circulated make no reference to vouchers. But with two key Democratic supporters and five other Democratic incumbents made lame ducks last night, their window of opportunity may be about to slam shut.