CV NEWS FEED // Eight Republican members of the Texas House of Representatives who voted against a school choice plan last November lost the Republican nomination to pro-school choice challengers.
Three of the eight ousted lawmakers lost in their respective runoff elections on Tuesday. The other five previously lost during the March 5 primaries.
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott had personally endorsed seven of the eight successful primary challengers who beat the anti-school choice lawmakers.
The eight were part of a larger group of 21 Republicans who voted with Democrats to block school choice in November 2023. Three more of these Republicans did not seek re-election this year.
In Texas, runoffs are held when no candidate is able to amass 50% of the vote in a primary.
Observers have hailed the wave of successful primary challenges as a big win for Abbott.
Vinny Minchillo, a political consultant active in Texas Republican politics, said that Abbott “did a lot of campaigning” for his endorsed candidates. “He worked really hard to get what he got on primary night, and he didn’t lift his foot off the gas in the runoff.”
Following this week’s runoffs, the governor’s school choice plan is now projected to have enough votes in the state House and Senate to make it to his desk for a signature.
“The Texas legislature now has enough votes to pass School Choice,” Abbott wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday as the primary results were tabulated. “Congratulations to all of tonight‘s winners. Together, we will ensure the best future for our children.”
Prominent school choice advocate Corey DeAngelis, Ph.D., responded to Abbott’s post with the words, “IT’S HAPPENING.”
Angela Flood, president & CEO of the Invest in Education Coalition, said that Texas parents “sent a clear and powerful message” with their votes: “that they overwhelmingly want school choice and will hold those politicians who oppose giving parents the power to determine the best education for their children accountable at the ballot box.”
“There is clearly tremendous support among voters for Governor Greg Abbott’s school choice measures and these election results should be a wake-up call for politicians across Texas from local school boards to the state’s congressional delegation,” Flood added.
Invest in Education seeks to expand school choice to all 50 states. On its website, the coalition indicates that its mission is “to guarantee that every child in America has access to a great education.”
“We believe that expanding school choice and education freedom for America’s K-12 parents and students is the way to achieve this goal,” the group adds.
>> NOVEMBER 2023: THE DIFFERENCE SCHOOL CHOICE WILL MAKE IN TEXAS <<
On Tuesday, Rep. Justin Holland lost to Katrina Pierson, the national spokeswoman for Donald Trump’s successful 2016 presidential campaign and a well-known figure in conservative politics. The same day, Rep. John Kuempel lost to Alan Schoolcraft, and Rep. DeWayne Burns lost to Helen Kirwin.
In March, Reps. Travis Clardy, Ernest Bailes, Hugh D. Shine, Glenn Rogers, and Reggie Smith lost to their respective pro-school choice primary opponents.
Smith lost his bid for re-nomination to Shelley Luther, a salon owner who made headlines four years ago for refusing to close her business amid COVID restrictions.
Luther was notably the only challenger to oust an anti-school choice incumbent without Abbott’s endorsement. She did, however, garner endorsements from Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TX, and Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The Texas Tribune reported that Republicans who voted against school choice “were not the only casualties of Tuesday’s” Texas runoffs:
State Reps. Frederick Frazier, R-McKinney, Stephanie Klick, R-Fort Worth, and Lynn Stucky, R-Denton, all fell to their runoff challengers. All three backed school vouchers last year and received Abbott’s support in the runoffs, yet also voted to impeach [Paxton] last spring — another issue that became a flashpoint in the House primaries.