Texas Dems Getting Bonus Gain in Fall
in Wake of Lameduck Rep's Flip to GOP
Capitol Inside
August 30, 2024
The Republicans will be losing one more Texas House seat this fall than they could have expected after State Rep. Shawn Thierry's switch from the Democratic Party to the GOP on Friday amid massive fanfare in a move that had Governor Greg Abbott and Speaker Dade Phelan ecstatic.
Abbott and Phelan celebrated the Thierry defection and vowed to work with her hand-in-hand on the issues facing the state and the country. But neither one of the powerful Republican leaders mentioned that Thierry wouldn't be in the House long enough to cast another vote as a lameduck who was ousted in a primary runoff election during the spring.
A four-term Black lawmaker from Houston, Thierry lost to Lauren Simmons in overtime in House District 146 where the challenger won by 30 points. The GOP failed to field a candidate this year in HD 146. That's probably due to the fact that President Joe Biden received 80 percent of the vote in Thierry's district in 2020.
Thierry got the pariah treatment from fellow Democrats after voting with the Republicans in 2023 to ban medical care for transgender youth in transition. Thierry had a relatively liberal voting record before she delivered an emotional speech on the House floor in support of the discriminatory measure. After staving off a Democratic challenger in 2020 with 67 percent of the primary vote, Thierry ran unopposed for re-election in 2022.
But Phelan and Abbott rolled out the red carpet for Thierry today as though she'd won the nomination in HD 146 and would be guaranteed of flipping a solid blue seat to the GOP in the November general election as a result. That won't happen with Simmons as the Democratic nominee who will be picking up a seat that the Republicans will control for a mere four months without the Legislature in session.
The governor and speaker were elated nonetheless as the Republicans boost their advantage over Democrats in the lower chamber to 87-63 with the Thierry conversion.
"Awesome news," Phelan exclaimed in a post on X. "Welcome to the Republican Party,
@ShawnieT146! We are thrilled to have you join us in championing the rights of parents, protecting the innocence of our children, and ensuring all voices are heard. These are values you have always fearlessly advocated for, and your courageous decision to stand up for them when it matters most shows just how deeply you care for your community and its future. I look forward to seeing the incredible work you'll do to strengthen our party and our nation. It’s an honor to work alongside you in that effort!"
Abbott portrayed Thierry as a bellwether for the American electorate. "Today, I am proud to welcome Representative Shawn Thierry to the Republican Party - the party of opportunity, individual liberty, and economic prosperity," the governor said on X.
Abbott lamented that Democrats had "abandoned" Thierry after the speech of 12 minutes in support of the Republicans' trans treatment prohibition.
"Her decision to switch parties demonstrates that the radical leftist agenda of the Democratic Party does not align with a majority of Americans," Abbott contended. "I look forward to continuing to work with Representative Thierry to build a bigger, better Texas for generations to come."
Democrats have a shot to flip several House seats in 2024 with Kamala Harris running even or leading Donald Trump in the national polling and battleground states. They will get a bonus now with Simmons replaced the newly-minted Republican incumbent in HD 146.
Thierry could be hoping that the governor rewards her opportunistic maneuvering with an appointment after her stint in the House is history.
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