Texas GOP Civil War Rages in 2024
on State House Primary Battlefield
Capitol Inside
December 12, 2023
Republican State Reps
in Texas House in 2023 |
86 |
Democratic State Reps
in Texas House in 2023 |
64 |
| GOP Reps with Primary
Opposition in 2024 |
45 |
| GOP Reps with Primary Foes after Backing Impeachment |
42 |
GOP State Reps with Two
or More Primary Foes |
20 |
| Dem Reps with Primary
Opponents in 2024 |
10 |
GOP State Reps Who Voted
Against School Vouchers |
21 |
GOP Reps with Primary
Foes after Opposing Vouchers |
15 |
| GOP Reps Who Gov. Abbott Targets for Vouchers Votes |
6 |
| GOP State Reps with Primary Foes
as Phelan Chairmen |
10 |
GOP State Reps with Foes
from Democratic Party |
50 |
Democratic State Reps
with Foes from GOP |
19 |
GOP State Reps
Unopposed in Primary |
31 |
Democratic State Reps
Unopposed in Primary |
45 |
GOP State Reps Not
Seeking Re-Election |
10 |
Democratic Reps Not
Seeking Re-Election |
7 |
Texas Senate Republicans
with Primary Foes |
1 |
Texas Senate Democrats
with Primary Foes |
1 |
U.S. House Republicans
with Primary Foes |
11 |
U.S. House Democrats
with Primary Foes |
5 |
|
|
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan's team is assuring GOP allies that there's no reason to panic despite the fact that the majority party's members are facing more opposition than ever on a primary battlefield that had the lineups locked in place at the filing deadline for campaigns on Monday night.
But that's really all the speaker can say at this point if he's going to have any hope of reclaiming the gavel in the 2025 leadership vote if he survives a hometown re-election race in House District 121 where challengers David Covey and Alicia Davis are gunning for him in the March primary election.
But the statistics alone are giving many Republican representatives ample cause for fear about the fate of re-election bids nonetheless - and that's especially true in the case of those who voted for Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment during the spring. The record-smashing numbers tell the story about the House races in the meantime.
* Forty-four Texas House Republicans have primary rivals - an increase of 47 percent over the number who faced foes in round one in 2022. The previous all-time high had been 31 in 2016 when the far right made its first concerted push on the campaign trails.
* Forty-one of 60 House Republicans who backed Paxton's ouster have primary opposition in 2024. Three who voted against impeachment have first-round challengers in their paths. Four Republicans who turned against Paxton are not on the ballot for the House again next year. More than 73 percent of 56 GOP incumbents who are running again after votes to give the AG the boot drew primary challengers before the window for filing closed last night. The candidate count and listings are tentative until the rosters are finalized in the next day or two.
* Twenty House Republicans have at least two primary opponents in 2024. GOP State Rep. John Kuempel of Seguin has three challengers competing for his seat in House District 44 in the first round. Universal City Republican Alan Schoolcraft emerged as a contender in HD 44 on Monday. Schoolcraft, who served in the House for a dozen years until 1993, was purportedly recruited for the contest by former Republican Speaker Dennis Bonnen.
* Seven Texas House Democrats attracted opposition in the primary. Two Democrats - State Reps. Harold Dutton of Houston and Venton Jones of Dallas - will be doing battle with three foes each in round one next year.
* Fifteen of 21 Republican representatives who opposed school vouchers in special session last month are pit against primary opponents in 2024. Governor Greg Abbott endorsed all 58 House Republicans who supported education savings accounts. Abbott has dished endorsements to a half-dozen challengers in first-round fights with incumbent Republicans. Bonnen the ex-speaker had been on the hunt for candidates to take on Republicans who helped Democrats kill an ESA provision in an education funding plan at the Capitol in November.
* Ten House Republicans who serve as committee chairs on the Phelan team are facing primary foes in 2024. All 10 backed Paxton's impeachment.
* The Democratic Party has candidates in races for 38 state House seats that are currently controlled by Republicans. The GOP fielded candidates in contests for 13 Democratic seats in the Legislature's lower chamber.
* Thirty-one House Republicans are running unopposed in the 2024 primary election: State Reps. Cecil Bell Jr., Brian Harrison, Angelia Orr, Will Metcalf, Terri Leo Wilson, Cody Vasut, Ryan Guillen, Todd Hunter, Janie Lopez, J.M. Lozano, Caroline Harris Davila, Brad Buckley, Richard Hayes, Shelby Slawson, James Frank, Carrie Isaac, Brooks Landgraf, Tom Craddick, Carl Tepper, Nate Schatzline, Tony Tinderholt, David Cook, Jared Patterson, John Lujan II, Mark Dorazio, Sam Harless, Charles Cunningham, Dennis Paul, Tom Oliverson, Mike Schofield and Valoree Swanson.
* Forty-five House Democrats are running unoppsed: State Reps. Ron Reynolds, Oscar Longoria, Sergio Munoz Jr., Erin Gamez, Armando Martinez, Terry Canales, Bobby Guerra, Richard Raymond, Sheryl Cole, Vikki Goodwin, Donna Howard, Gina Hinojosa, Lulu Flores, Mihaela Plesa, Suleman Lalani, Joe Moody, Claudia Ordaz, Ramon Romero, Salman Bhojani, Nicole Collier, Chris Turner, Ana-Maria Ramos, Rafael Anchia, Jessica Gonzalez, Terry Meza, Toni Rose, Yvonne Davis, Rhetta Bowers, John Bryant, Trey Martinez Fischer, Philip Cortez, Barbara Gervin-Hawkins, Diego Bernal, Josey Garcia, Ann Johnson, Jon Rosenthal, John Bucy, Gene Wu, Armando Walle, Senfronia Thompson, Ava Hernandez, Mary Ann Perez, Christina Morales, Jolanda Jones and Penny Morales Shaw.
* GOP State Senator Paul Bettencourt of Houston and Democratic State Senator Nathan Johnson of Dallas drew primary opponents in the past few days with Michael Pratt and State Rep. Victoria Neave Criado respectively.
* Four Republicans and three Democrats filed to compete in an open race for the Senate District 30 seat that State Senator Drew Springer of Muenster is giving up without a re-election bid. Five Democrats and one Republican will be on the ballot in the competition to replace State Senator John Whitmire in the wake of his election as Houston mayor on Saturday.
more to come ... |
