Primaries Turn Texas a Deeper Shade of Red
Most of the moderate or establishment
"There's been a gradual shift toward the more conservative wing of the party, and that continued in Tuesday's primary," says
Around the country, there's been a longstanding battle within the
The results in
Last year, House Speaker
Straus didn't seek reelection, but various conservative groups -- such as Empower Texans,
Although 14 of the 21 candidates endorsed by Empower Texans were defeated on Tuesday, they managed to knock off a couple of incumbents and take advantage of open seats to expand the ranks of lawmakers who share their points of view.
"Since the establishment is on the defensive, any loss is significant for them," says
Lt.
"Everybody else will be in lockstep with Lt.
The outcome wasn't as dire for establishment conservatives in the House, where several Straus allies managed to hold on. However, some populist conservatives who were targeted also beat back primary challenges. All told, the
"The most important vote these members will take in 2019 is for speaker of the House," he says. "That could be someone like
Not every race came down to loyalty to a particular party wing, says
"Geren is a well-known candidate and the result may have had more to do with that, rather than whether Empower Texans was behind
Gov.
Two of them won anyway. The third, state Rep.
"I will not be told by anyone in
It's always dicey for governors to challenge incumbents in primaries. They risk reducing their own stature when they don't prevail. In Abbott's case, the results suggest that while he polls as the most popular politician in the state, that popularity may not be transferable to others.
"If he's going to involve himself in primary fights, he needs to win," says Rottinghaus, the
Abbott, who has raised more than
If he wins, Abbott will find himself working with a
"The movement conservatives view this not as a single battle but as a war with a long time horizon," says Jones of
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