Abbott Plug Could Be Liability in SD 30
as Lightning Rod Due to Virus Orders

Mike Hailey
Capitol Inside
December 1, 2020

Governor Greg Abbott threw his support behind a North Texas lawmaker on Tuesday in a special state Senate runoff this month in a move that could be a double-edge sword in light of his radioactivity on the hard right as a consequence of restrictions that he's imposed during the coronavirus crisis.

Abbott made the pitch for GOP State Rep. Drew Springer in a 30-second video that portrayed the special Senate District 30 overtime contender as a property tax reform champion who's the only candidate with an endorsement from the National Rifle Association.

But the Republican governor has the added incentive of trying to keep Springer foe Shelley Luther out of the Legislature as his most high-profile critic on pandemic regulations with the possible exception of Texas GOP Chairman Allen West.

Abbott had set the stage for Luther's meteoric rise to super stardom this spring when he gave local officials the authority to put people in jail for violating his emergency orders including a temporary shuttering of non-essential businesses like the beauty shop she owns in Dallas.

The governor elevated Luther to an even higher level of celebrity when he erased the threat of incarceration for people who break the emergency laws that he had issued in an attempt to protect the public health and safety in the state that leads the nation in COVID-19 cases.

Abbott gutted the emergency decree immediately after learning that the Texas Supreme Court had ordered Luther's release from the Dallas County jail where she'd spent one night in early May for operating her business illegally and effectively daring Democratic local officials to arrest her for her defiance.

The gubernatorial pandering in an apparent state of panic failed to pay off as Luther escalated the Abbott attacks in a nationwide pandemic protest tour that culminated in her political debut as a candidate for the seat that Republican State Senator Pat Fallon of Frisco decided to give up in favor of a run for Congress.

Luther has run hard to the right in the special SD 30 race that will be on the ballot on December 19. Luther led Springer by a mere 115 votes out of more than 69,000 that were cast in round one in October in the special Senate contest. Three other Republicans and a Democrat were eliminated from the SD 30 competition when Luther and Springer claimed spots in OT with 32.04 percent and 31.87 percent of the initial vote respectively.

While Abbott has been the most popular Republican leader in Texas by far during a half-dozen years as the governor, an endorsement now in a runoff that will be dominated by conservative voters has the potential to backfire for the Springer campaign in a low turnout race.

Governor Greg Abbott Endorsement in SD 30

“It is critical that we have principled conservatives in the Texas Senate, which is why I am proud to endorse Drew Springer for State Senator in District 30. Drew Springer is a proven leader who fought to secure historic property tax reform for Texas homeowners and businesses, and he is the only candidate in this race who is endorsed by the NRA. As a member of the Senate, Drew will work on behalf of North Texans to grow the economy, secure our border, and defend our Texas values. The people of District 30 can trust Drew Springer to fight for the issues that matter most to them, and I urge North Texas voters to support him in the upcoming runoff election.”