Runoff elections Tuesday in Texas could go a long way in helping Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, both Republicans, put the political careers of several GOP adversaries out of business.
Abbott has focused this election cycle on vulnerable Republican incumbents who voted against his signature school voucher program. Paxton is targeting Republicans in the state House who voted to impeach him.
Abbott, Paxton, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick have in recent weeks rallied with opponents of 16 Republican state lawmakers, pouring money into the opponents' campaigns, The Hill reported Monday.
Abbott needed to unseat six of the 16 state House lawmakers to turn the school voucher vote in his favor. The voucher plan, which the state Legislature failed to pass on multiple occasions last year, would give families state money to pay for private schools. The plan is opposed by Democrats and some rural Republicans.
In the primary election March 5, the GOP leaders were able to flip five seats, The Hill reported, with another four at risk Tuesday.
The most highly anticipated runoff Tuesday involves Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, who is defending his seat against David Covey in the most expensive House race in state history, with $5.7 million spent, CBS News reported. Paxton, Patrick, and former President Donald Trump have endorsed Covey. Abbott has not weighed in.
Phelan led the impeachment effort against Paxton and has sought to keep Patrick's allies from dominating the House like they have in the Senate, The Hill reported. Phelan, who is among seven House Republicans facing runoffs Tuesday, said after the primary that his fight against Covey is for "the battle for the soul of our district."
In a Truth Social post Monday, Trump said Covey is an "America First Conservative who will Secure the Border, Restore Election Integrity, Protect our Families and Military/Vets, and Defend our under siege Second Amendment." Trump said even though Phelan voted for him twice and plans to do so again in November, "words, however, do not mitigate the Absolute Embarrassment Speaker Phelan inflicted upon the State of Texas and our Great Republican Party!"
At the federal level, Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, 43, also will be fighting for his political life in a runoff against Brandon Herrera, 28, in Texas' 23rd congressional district, a vast expanse of rural west Texas from El Paso to the outskirts of San Antonio. Even though Gonzales has broken with the party on issues such as the border and gun control and was censured by the state Republican Party for his moderate positions, Abbott has endorsed him.
With more than 3 million subscribers on his YouTube channel, Herrera is known for selling reassembled military grade weapons, The Texas Tribune reported in April. He has reminded voters that Gonzales was the only Texas House Republican to vote in favor of gun safety legislation passed in the wake of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, which is part of the 23rd district.
Another runoff will determine who will replace longtime Rep. Kay Granger, who is not running for reelection, in the 12th congressional district, which includes the western half of Tarrant County and most of Parker County in north Texas. The runoff features Craig Goldman, who has been endorsed by Abbott, Paxton, and Granger, against John O'Shea, who is backed by Paxton, KERA-TV in Dallas reported.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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