(The Center Square) – With early voting underway for 38 runoff elections in Texas, fallout continues after major endorsements have been made in key races.
Early voting is underway through Friday, May 22. The runoff election is Tuesday, May 26.
On Tuesday President Donald Trump endorsed Attorney General Ken Paxton for U.S. Senate, angering U.S. senators in Washington, D.C., and raising questions among Texas Republicans.
Gov. Greg Abbott endorsed Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright in a contentious race impacting the state’s most important industry: oil and gas.
Trump’s endorsement was based on what he described as “loyalty” to him, not on accomplishments, The Center Square reported.
In response, Republican political consultant and former Deputy Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush, Karl Rove told Fox News Trump “could have done this earlier and tens of millions of dollars would not have been spent. The polls have showed this race pretty close but they’ve showed Paxton’s image deteriorating because he’s got so many scandals surrounding him. He’s being divorced by his wife for ‘biblical reasons.’ After three girlfriends and mistresses she decided that was enough and he responded in his divorce by saying she doesn’t get a nickel. He’s gotten rich while he’s in office, nobody knows exactly how.
“He’s got a terrible record because he has been in essence in bed with a not only his mistresses but a corrupt business guy who went to jail for whom he did favors in return for hiring one of his girlfriends and paying $200,000 to renovate his home in Austin,” he said referring to allegations that were the basis for Paxton’s 2023 impeachment. The Texas Senate acquitted Paxton on all charges.
The Dallas Morning News made a similar argument. adding that “Being a Texas conservative used to mean something” but Trump endorsed Paxton who “has been credibly indicted for fraud, credibly impeached for abusing his office, sued for divorce over infidelity and somehow amassed untold riches with multiple homes on a state salary.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he didn’t agree with the president and continues to support incumbent Sen. John Cornyn. He told reporters “Sen. Cornyn is a principled conservative. He is a very effective senator for the state of Texas.”
Others in Washington, D.C., point to Trump’s endorsement creating friction in the U.S. Senate and losing a governing majority. After Trump’s endorsement, Republican senators voted with Democrats to pass a War Powers Resolution to hold the president accountable for the Iran conflict.
Abbott’s endorsement of Wright also included a criticism of his opponent, former Tarrant County GOP chair Bo French. For several years, Republicans have lambasted him for comments he’s made about Muslims, Jews and women. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Tarrant County precinct chairs also called for his resignation, which he ignored, The Center Square reported.
At a campaign event on Tuesday in Houston, Abbott said French “doesn’t know anything about oil and gas. His agenda would wreck the miracle that we have in producing more oil and gas than ever before … way more oil and gas than what Iran produces. We need Jim Wright to be reelected to continue to lead the way.”
Wright has received the most endorsements from the industry and from high level officials. His platform includes regulatory reform, water conservation, combatting organized crime, including oil field theft, among others.
The Houston Chronicle editorial board said Wright “was not our preferred candidate in the primary. We’ve criticized him for numerous conflicts of interests … Yet the gulf between Wright’s and French’s knowledge of oil and gas is wider than the Permian Basin. Wright at least has worked in oil and gas for decades and has made some attempt to improve industry practices.”
French later said he’s “running against the guy who thought it was a good idea to impose Biden EPA style environmental regulations on our oil industry, increasing red tape, delays, and cost.”
“Bo French should never be allowed to serve in any elected office in the state of Texas,” the Chronicle said, citing posts made by French that Jews are a “threat to America.”
“It often appears as if French has no idea what office he’s running for,” the Chronicle said. “His campaign has nothing to do with regulating producers or protecting our state’s natural resources. Wright isn’t perfect, but he at least understands the complexities of the oil and gas industry and has declined to engage in extremist, hateful rhetoric just to cater to the fringes of the Republican base.”
