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In a victory for Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, at least nine House Republicans appeared to have lost their primaries on Tuesday evening.
Another eight members, at least, were also forced into runoffs this May 28 — including House Speaker Dade Phelan who was the No. 1 target of the far right.
The two state leaders and other prominent Republicans, like Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and former president Donald Trump, endorsed challengers in dozens of races citing the incumbents’ disloyalty to the party.
The Tuesday night drubbing serves as a cautionary reminder that elected Republicans, regardless of their seniority and length of tenure, cross the party’s base at their peril. Challengers and their surrogates framed the Texas House as an institution that catered to liberals and thwarted the conservative priorities.
In particular, Abbott vowed revenge on those House Republicans who helped kill his signature legislative priority to pass school vouchers and Paxton separately targeted Republicans who voted to impeach him last summer.
As many challengers attempted to outflank incumbents on the right, the result signals that the House will likely continue to embrace more conservative policies. It will also become more receptive to school vouchers.
“Republican primary voters have once again sent an unmistakable message that parents deserve the freedom to choose the best education pathway for their child,” Abbott said in a statement Tuesday evening. “We will continue to help true conservative candidates on the ballot who stand with the majority of their constituents in supporting education freedom for every Texas family.”
Among those candidates who appeared to have lost outright: Steve Allison of San Antonio, Ernest Bailes of Shepherd, Travis Clardy of Nacogdoches, Jill Dutton of Ben Wheeler, Jacey Jetton of Richmond, Glenn Rogers of Graford, Hugh Shine of Temple, Reggie Smith of Sherman and Kronda Thimesch of Lewisville. Thimesh lost her election by less than 300 votes putting her within the margin for a recount.
The eight members who appeared likely to face runoffs are Phelan, DeWayne Burns of Cleburne, Justin Holland of Rockwall, Stephanie Klick of Fort Worth, John Kuempel of Seguin, Frederick Frazier of McKinney, Lynn Stucky of Denton and Gary VanDeaver of New Boston. The runoff is May 28.
Among the casualties, Burns, Kuempel, Smith and Klick were committee chairs. Shine and Clardy each have served six terms.
The results suggest that Abbott is within striking distance of compiling a House membership that will allow public funding to be spent on private schools. For years, rural House Republicans have stood as a firewall blocking such legislation from passing in Texas.
Based on the vote on the House voucher bill last November, Abbott needed to pick up 11 pro-voucher votes. Before the runoffs, he already had nine more supporters.
Paxton’s campaign to oust House incumbents who supported his impeachment last year was less successful. Just five of the 35 challengers he endorsed won outright, with another five headed to runoffs. A handful of other races had not yet been called as of early Wednesday morning.
Among the winners who are expected to pull the chamber to the right is Shelley Luther, a Dallas salon owner who was jailed in 2020 for defying Abbott’s COVID-19-era business shut down and called Abbott a “tyrant governor.”
Brent Money, an Abbott- and Paxton-backed challenger, declared victory for true conservatives.
“Tonight’s victory goes to the conservative people in this district who are desperate for a conservative fighter in Austin,” Money said in a statement.
Voting FAQ: 2024 Elections
When is the next election? What dates do I need to know?
Election Day for the general election is November 5, and early voting will run from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. The deadline to register to vote and/or change your voter registration address is Oct. 7. Applications to vote by mail must be received by your county of residence – not postmarked – by Oct. 25.
What’s on the ballot for the general election?
In addition to the president, eligible Texans have the opportunity to cast their ballots for many Texas officials running for office at the federal, state and local levels.
This includes representatives in the U.S. and Texas houses and the following elected offices:
-1 U.S Senator (Ted Cruz)
– 1 of 3 Railroad Commissioners
– 15 State Senators
– 7 State Board of Education members
– 3 members of the Texas Supreme Court
– 3 members of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
– 5 Chief Justices and various justices for Texas Courts of Appeals
Lower-level judges and local county offices will also appear on the ballot:
– Various district judges, including on criminal and family courts
– County Courts at Law
– Justices of the Peace
– District Attorneys
– County Attorneys
– Sheriffs
– Constables
– Tax Assessor-Collectors
How do I make sure I’m registered to vote?
You can check to see if you’re registered and verify your information through the Texas Secretary of State’s website. You’ll need one of the following three combinations to log in: Your Texas driver’s license number and date of birth. Your first and last names, date of birth and county you reside in. Your date of birth and Voter Unique Identifier, which appears on your voter registration certificate.
What if I missed the voter registration deadline?
You must be registered to vote in a Texas county by Oct. 7 to vote in the Nov. 5 presidential election. You can still register for other elections.
If you’re registered but didn’t update your address by the deadline, you may still be able to vote at your previous voting location or on a limited ballot. (Voters are typically assigned precincts based on where they live. In most major counties, voters can vote anywhere on Election Day, but some counties require you vote within your precinct. If that is the case, you may have to return to your previous precinct. See which counties allow countywide Election Day voting here. You can usually find your precinct listed on your voter registration certificate or on when checking your registration online.)
If you moved from one county to another, you may be able to vote on a ballot limited to the elections you would qualify to vote in at both locations, such as statewide races. However, limited ballots are only available during early voting. Find your county election official here and contact them to ask about or request a limited ballot.
What can I do if I have questions about voting?
You can contact your county elections official or call the Texas Secretary of State’s helpline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683). A coalition of voting rights groups is also helping voters navigate election concerns through the 866-OUR-VOTE (687-8683) voter-protection helpline. The coalition also has hotlines available for voters who speaker other languages or have accessibility needs.
For help in Spanish, call 888-VE-Y-VOTA or 888-839-8682.
For help in Asian languages, call 888-API-VOTE or 888-274-8683.
For help in Arabic, call 888-YALLA-US or 888-925-5287.
For help in American Sign Language through a video, call 301-818-VOTE or 301-818-8683.
For help from Disability Rights Texas, call 888-796-VOTE or 888-796-8683.
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Two leaders of the impeachment push, David Spiller of Jacksboro and Jeff Leach of Plano, both won easily. Yet it was Mitch Little, one of Paxton’s impeachment defense lawyers, who unseated Thimesch.
A notable victory for Paxton was helping force Phelan into a runoff against former Orange County Republican Party Chairman David Covey — the first time a House speaker has been pushed into a runoff since 1972. Paxton, who last year called on Phelan to resign as speaker, campaigned for Covey in Beaumont.
At times, Abbott and Paxton were working against each other.
In the eight instances where Abbott and Paxton backed different candidates, Abbott’s choice won outright four times, Paxton’s pick won once and the remaining headed to runoffs or were too close to call.
Abbott’s notable losing candidate was Jetton, who sponsored one of the border security bills last year, and schlepped to Fort Bend County to campaign for him. But he lost by double-digits to Paxton-backed Matt Morgan.
But it was not a total shellacking for incumbents opposed by Republican leaders.
Members prevailed against often well-funded opponents backed by Republican leaders. In Abilene, Stan Lambert narrowly survived a challenge from Liz Case, who was endorsed by Trump and for whom Abbott held a rally. Drew Darby, an unapologetic opponent of vouchers in San Angelo, cruised over Stormy Bradley.
We can’t wait to welcome you to downtown Austin Sept. 5-7 for the 2024 Texas Tribune Festival! Join us at Texas’ breakout politics and policy event as we dig into the 2024 elections, state and national politics, the state of democracy, and so much more. When tickets go on sale this spring, Tribune members will save big. Donate to join or renew today.
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