2010: Guns, God, and the GOP Primary

Texas voters who cling to guns and religion — at least those who want pro-gun and pro-life elected officials — got some help in picking their candidates when the Texas State Rifle Association and Texas Right to Life dropped their primary voter guides.

TSRA's list is nicer to Democrats than TRL's (which included only Dora Olivo, of HD-27), though the majority of the A+ ratings on the report card went to Republicans. In most GOP races, the gun rights' group went with the friendly incumbent. There was one slight, though: In HD-83, the seat Lubbock's Delwin Jones currently holds, both of his Republican primary opponents, Charles Perry and Zach Brady, got the nod instead.

At the top of the ticket, both TSRA and TRL chose Gov. Rick Perry as their preferred candidate, though U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison got the same A+ rating as the governor on the TSRA's report card. TRL made a point of not choosing the senator, saying that "Texas babies would not be protected under 'Governor' Hutchison," citing her view on first trimester abortions.

TRL, which endorsed candidates in 30 primary races, also shied away from endorsing against incumbents in contested primaries, but it turned a cold shoulder to GOP congresswoman Kay Granger of Fort Worth and endorsed one of her primary opponents, Mike Brasovan.