INCUMBENTS HOLD ON THROUGH HOTLY CONTESTED PRIMARIES
Airwaves were blasted, mailboxes were flooded, and accusations were hurled.
But in the end, the March 6 party primaries changed little about the Texas Legislature.
Every statewide official on the ballot, including Governor Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick were handily reelected.
Senator Craig Estes (R-Wichita Falls) was the only member of his chamber to be defeated.
And in the Texas House, seven of the 150 members were defeated while two are headed to runoffs.
The NFRA bill which THCA supported last session was used by a couple of well-financed interest groups to attack legislators who supported it. Labeling it a “granny tax”, these groups spent thousands leveling accusations that the bill would hurt the elderly.
THCA worked to help its supporters answer those attacks. Social media, information kits, and paid advertising set the record straight on what the bill proposed to do.
When the votes were counted, the issue proved to be a complete dud. Twelve of the 15 members who came under fire for their support of NFRA were reelected. Two were defeated but the issue was not paramount in either race. One other candidate is headed to a runoff.
Those runoffs will take place on May 22. Early voting begins on May 14.