Gov. Greg Abbott promised that if House Republicans block school choice again, he’d go after them in the primaries.
School choice, border security and COVID-19 mandates are among the issues state lawmakers are expected to address in the third special legislative session. Texas Tribune's primary political correspondent Patrick Svitek joined Good Day for a closer look at what to expect." was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.That’s how Gov.
The governor is under intense pressure to broker a breakthrough on an issue that has long hit a wall of opposition in the House, where Democrats and rural Republicans have stood firm together. And it has already been an exhausting year at the Capitol, with a regular session, two special sessions and the impeachment trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton, which spiked tensions between the two chambers.
Republican House Speaker Dade Phelan has struck a mostly detached tone on the issue this year, noting the historical resistance in the House and how every member seems to have a different definition of "school choice." But in a speech last week in his hometown of Beaumont, Phelan said he hoped for a resolution.
On Thursday, after Abbott announced his special-session agenda, including education savings accounts, Burrows tweeted he "wholeheartedly" supported it. The last time Abbott made a concerted effort to support House primary challengers who crossed him was during the 2018 election cycle, when he heavily campaigned for opponents to then-Reps. Sarah Davis of West University Place, Lyle Larson of San Antonio and Wayne Faircloth of Galveston. Abbott went one for three, helping defeat Faircloth.
If Abbott does not want to back the same candidates as people like Dunn and Wilks, it raises the possibility that he would find a second primary challenger to get behind in a given race.A constellation of school-choice groups stands ready to assist in the primaries. They have a sensitive balance to strike with the primary so close: lobbying lawmakers for a favorable outcome during the special session while also ramping up to potentially campaign against them next year.
Jensen said his group has been recruiting candidates in Texas House seats where lawmakers "have been fairly clear that they’re going to be voting against the proposal." If they have a change of heart, though, he said his group is done looking and "all previous sins are forgiven." House Republicans who vote against Abbott’s agenda can count on support from Phelan’s campaign. The speaker traditionally works to reelect all incumbents from his party, and Phelan confirmed in August that will remain his policy regardless of Abbott’s plans.
Brian Mayes, the head of a Republican-leaning ad firm that works with public schools, predicted educators themselves will be "more involved in the primaries than ever."
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