Paxton Seeks in Runoffs to Pass Abbott
in Quality Wins in Targeted House Races
Capitol Inside
April 19, 2024
| Texas House Runoff Rankings 2024 |
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Republicans |
| 1 |
HD 21 |
Dade Phelan (Inc) 43.2%
David Covey 46.3%
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| 2 |
HD 64 |
Lynn Stucky (Inc) 43.3%
Andy Hopper 46.7% |
| 3 |
HD 91 |
Stephanie Klick (Inc) 48.1%
David Lowe 46.1% |
| 4 |
HD 1 |
Gary VanDeaver (Inc) 45.5%
Chris Spencer 43.1%
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| 5 |
HD 33 |
Justin Holland (Inc) 38.8%
Katrina Pierson 39.5%
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| 6 |
HD 58 |
DeWayne Burns (Inc) 41.2%
Helen Kerwin 48.9% |
| 7 |
HD 44 |
John Kuempel (Inc) 45.0%
Alan Schoolcraft 48.1%
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| 8 |
HD 61 |
Frederick Frazier (Inc) 32.1%
Keresa Richardson 39.8% |
| 9 |
HD 12 |
Ben Bius 32.7%
Trey Wharton 35.0% |
| 10 |
HD 29 |
Jeffrey Barry 48.4%
Alex Kamkar 44.1% |
| 11 |
HD 30 |
Jeff Bauknight 42.1%
AJ Louderback
40.5% |
| 12 |
HD 97 |
Cheryl Bean 49.6%
John McQueeney 29.6% |
| 13 |
HD 76 |
Summara Kanwal 35.7%
Lea Simmons 35.5% |
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Democrats |
| 1 |
HD 146 |
Shawn Thierry (Inc) 44.4%
Lauren Simmons 49.5% |
| 2 |
HD 80 |
Cecilia Castellano 27.1%
Rosie Cuellar 25.5% |
| 3 |
HD 77 |
Norma Chavez 32.2%
Vince Perez 38.0% |
| 4 |
HD 37 |
Ruben Cortez 32.5%
Jonathan Gracia 25.4% |
| 5 |
HD 97 |
Diane Symons 44.1%
Carlos Walker 34.6% |
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Attorney General Ken Paxton is trying to show Governor Greg Abbott who the real kingmaker in Texas Republican ranks happens to be in the primary runoff election this spring as the featured guest at fundraisers next week for a pair of challengers in fights with lawmakers who the state's top leader supports.
Paxton is teaming up on Monday with future Texas House member Shelley Luther of Sherman for an event in Hurst where David Lowe will be passing the plate for a duel with Abbott-backed State Rep. Stephanie Klick of Fort Worth on the May 28 runoff ballot in House District 91.
The attorney general will have more firepower on Tuesday with first-round victor Mitch Little of Lewisville and Luther in tow at a "pizza party" in Denton to raise campaign cash for Decatur Republican Andy Hopper for a bid to oust the governor's candidate - State Rep. Lynn Stuckey of Sanger - in overtime.
Abbott demonstrated the strength of his support for Stuckey last week when he campaigned door-to-door with the incumbent in House District 64. According to a report in the University of North Texas student newspaper, the governor knocked on five doors with Stuckey before leaving. Abbott played up his token involvement in HD 64 nonetheless.
“It's not TV advertisements that win elections,” Abbott said. “It’s not radio advertisements, not mail, it's going door-to-door. It’s that individual contact with somebody in the room.”
Little - a lawyer for Paxton in impeachment proceedings last year - unseated an incumbent for whom Abbott campaigned vigorously in round one. Luther had Paxton in her camp as well when she beat State Rep. Reggie Smith of sherman in the March primary vote in a House District 62 contest that Abbott avoided.
Nine House Republicans lost seats in the first election of 2024. Abbott went 6-2 in those particular races after remaining on the sidelines in the bout between State Rep. Reggie Smith of Sherman and Luther in HD 62. State Reps. Jacey Jetton of Sugar Land and Kronda Thimesch of Lewisville represented Abbott's only first-round failures in battles with Matt Morgan and Little respectively.
Paxton emerged from the March primary with a record of 8-1 with State Rep. Travis Clardy of Nacogdoches as the lone defeat in House races that challengers won. The AG would run the table in OT if challengers prevail in all eight House contests that will be decided next month at the polls.
Abbott would finish with four wins against three losses in a challenger sweep scenario in the second round. The governor has remained neutral officially in House District 21 where Paxton is backing David Covey over Speaker Dade Phelan in the runoff election.
But one of those would have a major asterisk beside it in light of the governor's refusal to participate before the initial election in a House District 33 race that he entered on Paxton's side for overtime. Paxton would deserve substantially more credit than Abbott if challenger Katrina Pierson of Rockwall defeats State Rep. Justin Holland in OT.
The fights that pit Stuckey and Klick against Hopper and Lowe respectively have been elevated to the second and third spots on the Capitol Inside Races to Watch for the House on the runoff ballot. Both represent a significant test of Abbott's muscle in comparison to Paxton after the governor's recognition by Time this week as one of the world's 100 most influential people.
Abbott poured massive amounts of his own donor's money into the re-election campaigns for Jetton and Thimesch. He has a chance for redemption with three incumbents who he's endorsed - State Rep. Frederick Frazier of McKinney, Klick and Stuckey - fighting to survive in overtime amid challenges from Keresa Richardson, Lowe and Hopper.
Abbott appeared at an event for Klick in early February. Stuckey has appeared to be a higher priority for the governor in OT.
Proud to be out in Denton with @RepLynnStucky yesterday to support his re-election campaign to House District 64," the governor said in a post on X. "Rep. Stucky has the experience and STRONG conservative values that will help me ensure Texas remains the land of freedom and prosperity."
Abbott notched nine quality wins in the initial vote with House challengers Mike Olcott of Aledo, Travis Clardy of Nacogdoches, Marc LaHood of San Antonio, Hillary Hickland of Belton, Janet Holt of Silsbee and Brent Money of Greenville and a trio of incumbents in State Reps. Jeff Leach of Plano, Morgan Meyer of Dallas and Ellen Troxclair of Lakeway.
Paxton scored eight quality wins with Hickland, Holt, LaHood, Money and Olcott as well along with challengers Abbott opposed or refused to support in Little, Morgan and Luther.
more to come ...
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