AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton used the Texas primary election to get revenge on fellow Republicans who made them angry, according to the Texas Tribune.
The pair have endorsed dozens of challengers to incumbents across the state, forcing many unaccustomed to competitive primaries into expensive — and sometimes ugly — campaigns.
Abbott campaigned against representatives who killed his school voucher bill and he put his money where his mouth is. With the help of a $6 million campaign contribution from pro-voucher billionaire Jeff Yass, the governor has spent mightily on ads, canvassing and polling for his candidates.
After Paxton narrowly survived allegations of corruption and abuse of office in last year's historic impeachment trial, he quickly pivoted to launch fierce, bare-knuckle campaign attacks seeking to rid the GOP-dominated House of those Republicans who backed the impeachment drive.
He campaigned to defeat those political rivals in his own party in a test of his clout and that of his biggest backer, former president Donald Trump.
Paxton found his biggest target in House Speaker Dade Phelan, leader of the attempt, along with more than 30 of Phelan’s Republican House colleagues who voted against the attorney general on the corruption and abuse of office allegations. His aim to overthrow the leadership of the House was being widely watched as an attempt to push an already conservative chamber further to the right.
Besides drawing support for his endorsed candidates from Trump, Paxton’s intensive and broad campaign of political revenge also prompted third-party groups to pour in millions of dollars of donations into the campaign.
Seven House members are particularly on notice Tuesday night, facing opposition from both Abbott and Paxton: Gary VanDeaver, Glenn Rogers, Hugh D. Shine, Steve Allison, Land & Resource Management Committee Chair DeWayne Burns, Stan Lambert and Higher Education Committee Chair John Kuempel.
But Paxton’s fury extends beyond the House.
Angered that the Criminal Court of Appeals ruled that his office could not unilaterally prosecute voter fraud, Paxton endorsed the primary challengers of three of the court’s judges. The three jurists, Presiding Judge Sharon Keller, Judge Barbara Hervey and Judge Michelle Slaughter, say they were simply following the state Constitution in ruling against Paxton. Nevertheless, his involvement in what are normally sleepy judicial races has turned the contests into some of the most intriguing in this primary.
“The Court follows the law, period,” Slaughter posted on X. “We cannot and will not be partisan political activists."
Paxton still faces ongoing legal issues. He is scheduled for trial in April on felony securities fraud charges that could land him in prison for 90 years if convicted. He also is facing an ongoing federal probe involving some of the same allegations raised in his impeachment.
This story comes from The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans - and engages with them - about public policy, politics, government, and statewide issues. Read more here.
