Governor Switches Horses in House Races
after Pair He Backed in Past Lost in Primary

Texas House & Senate Races Rankings - Statewide Fundraising

Capitol Inside
January 20, 2026

Governor Greg Abbott traveled to Abilene to lead the cheers for Republican challenger Liz Case in early 2024 in a bid to oust a GOP state representative who he'd targeted for elimination in the primary election as revenge for votes to kill a prized school vouchers bill the year before. Abbott lavished praise on Case - promising voters in the West Texas city that she'd be one of the better lawmakers in Austin if they heeded his advice and elected her to represent House District 71.

But Case never got the chance to live up to the billing after losing to State Rep. Stan Lambert of Abilene by almost six percentage points in the GOP primary election that year. She thought her odds had improved dramatically in a comeback bid in 2026 in HD 71 where Lambert would no longer be an obstacle as a legislator who isn't on the ballot again.

Case learned on Tuesday, however, that she was one and done as far as the governor's support is concerned in a district where Abbott found a candidate he likes better in the running for the majority party nomination HD 71 in 2026.

Abbott issued an endorsement to Abilene Republican Jay Hardaway on Tuesday afternoon for the open contest in the district where Lambert was elected initially in 2016. The governor's latest shift of allegiance in HD 71 came just four years after Abbott endorsed Lambert there enthusiastically for re-election before the West Texan's defiance on school choice. Hardaway is the third candidate who Abbott has supported in HD 71 in the three most recent election cycles.

Bellmead Republican Kathaleen Wall knows how Case feels after the snub from Abbott with his pitch for her chief rival in the primary election on March 3. Abbott endorsed Wall in an open congressional race in the Houston area in 2018 in a district that U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw won that year in a runoff. Despite a substantial war chest advantage along with the governor's stamp of approval, Wall finished third in the GOP primary election for Congressional District 2 in 2018.

Wall relocated to North Texas where she's a candidate for the Texas House in a district where Abbott is pulling for her to lose this time around. The governor moved on from Wall like he did with Case - and Abbott is backing GOP State Rep. Angelia Orr of Itasca instead in 2026 in a bid for a third term in the Texas Legislature's lower chamber in House District 13. Abbott campaigned for the incumbent on Sunday in Hillsboro where he spoke to a room packed with Orr supporters.

Abbott's pitch for Hardaway in HD 71 this afternoon sounded a lot like the plug he bestowed on Case two years ago. "Jay Hardaway is exactly the kind of dedicated community leader we need in the Texas House. He'll secure the border, crack down on illegal immigration, support sweeping reforms to reduce property taxes, strengthen education, and protect our conservative Texas values," Abbott said in a statement that he post on X.

The governor lauded Case as the best choice in HD 71 in an email that his campaign circulated in February 2024. "Liz Case is a staunch conservative who will fight with me to secure our border, cut property taxes, and expand school choice for all Texas parents and students," Abbott said at the time. "Liz won't just be another member of the Republican delegation in the Texas House, she will be a strong conservative leader Texans in House District 71 can trust to represent their values in Austin. I urge everyone across House District 71 to join me in supporting Liz Case for State Representative."

The governor felt the same way about Wall in the race for the U.S. House in 2018. "Kathaleen Wall has been a champion for the conservative cause for many years," Abbott said. "From fighting for the unborn, to working to secure our border, to helping the greater Houston area recover from Hurricane Harvey, I have complete trust in Kathaleen to get the job done."

Abbott took sides in a pair of open federal races as well this week with endorsements that he doled out on Monday and Tuesday to Abraham Enriquez in Congressional District 19 and Jace Yarbrough in Congressional District 32. Located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, CD 32 is one of several that Republicans hope to flip in Texas in November on a map they crafted in special session last summer.

The candidates who the Texas governor is supporting in the primary election six weeks from now will hope that his words of praise and official endorsements will translate into generosity on the campaign trail for them. Abbott ended 2025 with north of $105 million in cash on hand after rounding up nearly $43 million from donors in the past 12 months.

State Rep. Gina Hinojosa of Austin expects to get a shot at Abbott in the fall as the favorite for the Democratic nomination in the gubernatorial competition of 2026. Hinojosa, who entered the race for Abbott's job late last fall, raised more than $1 million from supporters in 2025 to go with $300,000 in loans. She began the new year with $661,000 in cash reserves.

more to come ...

ALERT: Governor @GregAbbott_TX endorses @JayHardaway for House District 71.

Jay Hardaway is exactly the kind of dedicated community leader we need in the Texas House.

He'll secure the border, crack down on illegal immigration, support sweeping reforms to reduce property taxes,… pic.twitter.com/7ABD0nIMjM

— Texans for Abbott (@AbbottCampaign) January 20, 2026

Senator @TedCruz says it best.

“Don will bring real change with DOGE to the Comptroller’s office. His unwavering commitment to returning money to the hardworking people of Texas is exactly what we need in this critical role.”

As Comptroller, @DonHuffines will DOGE Texas… pic.twitter.com/ZuwolBKCoM

— Don Huffines Campaign (@TeamHuffines) January 20, 2026