After a wild 2023 in Texas politics that included a failed impeachment trial against the attorney general and four special legislative sessions, the 2024 primaries are rife with political intrigue. Especially on the Republican side, where Gov. Greg Abbott is taking an exceptionally active role. Abbott is endorsing or opposing GOP House candidates based on how they voted on his school choice plan. "Abbott's big issue---in fact, really his only issue---in this primary, is school choice," says Brad Johnson, reporter at the The Texan. "He has endorsed every returning House Republican who voted his way, while he's also jumped into races against some incumbents who voted against him on that issue."
Abbott's strategy is not surprising, considering that after school choice failed in the fourth special session, he vowed to "continue the fight for school choice, in the Texas Legislature and at the ballot box." Johnson says Abbott has both the campaign funds and the political capital to spend on this issue. "He bet big on school choice last year, and made that his top issue," he tells KTRH. "So now he feels like he sort of needs to throw everything at the wall...in order to get that across the line."
What makes it more intriguing is some of Abbott's endorsements on school choice go against the endorsements of Attorney General Ken Paxton or Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who are each taking their own stand in the primary. "You've got Abbott with school choice, Paxton's issue of course is his impeachment, and Dan Patrick has been critical of the (Texas) House Speaker (Dade Phelan)," says Johnson. "All of these different headwinds are jockeying for which one is going to be the most forceful."
The answer will come March 5th with the Texas primary. "Right now, I think Governor Abbott with his massive war chest of 23-million dollars, probably is best positioned to move the needle in this race," says Johnson.
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