Just days after Gov. Greg Abbott’s school choice priority died in the Texas House, the governor endorsed 58 incumbents who voted against stripping the education savings account provision from the education omnibus bill.
Twenty-one Republicans voted with the present Democratic members to kill the provision 84 to 63. Of those 63 Republicans who voted with Abbott’s preference, 58 are seeking re-election — each of whom received the governor’s support on Monday.
“These House Republicans were instrumental in passing and sending critical legislation to my desk, including major border security efforts to continue to build the Texas border wall, combat human smuggling and drug trafficking, and create penalties for illegal entry into Texas; the largest property tax cut in Texas history with $18 billion going back to Texas taxpayers; and parent empowerment laws to give parents more rights in their child's education and remove inappropriate books from school libraries,” Abbott said in a campaign press release.
“Our work for Texas parents and students is not done. Each of these House Republicans are proven fighters, and I am proud to endorse every one of these strong conservatives who are seeking reelection. I encourage Texans to join me in supporting them for re-election so we can pass school choice for all Texas families and continue to build a safer, brighter, and more prosperous Texas of tomorrow."
Local state representative John Smithee (HD86) was one of the incumbents endorsed by Abbott.
"Today, I received the endorsement of Governor Greg Abbott. I am humbled by the continued support of my colleagues in the Legislature and the continued support of my constituents throughout District 86," Smithee said.
The other incumbents endorsed by Abbott are:
Trent Ashby (R-Lufkin)
Cecil Bell Jr. (R-Magnolia)
Greg Bonnen (R-Friendswood)
Brad Buckley (R-Killeen)
Ben Bumgarner (R-Flower Mound)
Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock)
Angie Chen Button (R-Richardson)
Briscoe Cain (R-Deer Park)
Giovanni Capriglione (R-Southlake)
David Cook (R-Mansfield)
Tom Craddick (R-Midland)
Charles Cunningham (R-Humble)
Mano DeAyala (R-Houston)
Mark Dorazio (R-San Antonio)
James Frank (R-Wichita Falls)
Frederick Frazier (R-McKinney)
Gary Gates (R-Richmond)
Stan Gerdes (R-Smithville)
Ryan Guillen (R-Rio Grande City)
Sam Harless (R-Spring)
Caroline Harris (R-Round Rock)
Cody Harris (R-Palestine)
Brian Harrison (R-Midlothian)
Richard Hayes (R-Denton)
Cole Hefner (R-Mt. Pleasant)
Lacey Hull (R-Houston)
Todd Hunter (R-Corpus Christi)
Carrie Isaac (R-Dripping Springs)
Jacey Jetton (R-Richmond)
Stan Kitzman (R-Pattison)
Stephanie Klick (R-Fort Worth)
Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa)
Jeff Leach (R-Plano)
Terri Leo-Wilson (R-Galveston)
Janie Lopez (R-San Benito)
J. M. Lozano (R-Kingsville)
John Lujan (R-San Antonio)
Will Metcalf (R-Conroe)
Morgan Meyer (R-Dallas)
Candy Noble (R-Lucas)
Tom Oliverson (R-Cypress)
Angelia Orr (R-Itasca)
Dennis Paul (R-Houston)
Nate Schatzline (R-Fort Worth)
Mike Schofield(R-Houston)
Matt Shaheen (R-Plano)
Shelby Slawson (R-Stephenville)
David Spiller (R-Jacksboro)
Lynn Stucky (R-Denton)
Valoree Swanson (R-Spring)
Carl Tepper (R-Lubbock)
Kronda Thimesch (R-Lewisville)
Tony Tinderholt (R-Arlington)
Steve Toth (R-The Woodlands)
Ellen Troxclair (R-Lakeway)
Cody Vasut (R-Angleton)
Terry Wilson (R-Marble Falls)
Of the five others not endorsed here, Abbott added, “I also want to thank Representatives Anderson, Goldman, Morrison, Patterson, and Schaefer for their hard work while serving in the Texas House on these critical legislative accomplishments and more to make our communities safer, cut property taxes, empower parents, and secure our border.”
Three of those members are not seeking re-election — state Reps. Doc Anderson (R-Waco), Genie Morrison (R-Victoria), and Matt Schaefer (R-Tyler) — while state Rep. Craig Goldman (R-Fort Worth) is running for Congress to replace U.S. Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX-12), who is not running again in 2024.
State Rep. Jared Patterson (R-Frisco) is expected to announce a bid for the open Texas Senate District 30 in the coming weeks, but he has not yet made that official. Patterson told The Texan last week he is “considering and preparing for” a run for Senate.
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