Greg Abbott Moves To Cull Republicans Who Stand Against Him on School Vouchers
Texas Governor Greg Abbott may use the $19 million he raised over the last six months to oust Texas House Republicans who opposed his school vouchers proposal in the incoming primary season, according to his campaign.
For years, the Republican governor tried to rally support for introducing school vouchers in the Lone Star State but was met with resistance from both Democrats and Republicans in the state House of Representatives. The idea prompted four legal sessions and in November, the Texas House voted to remove school vouchers from the chamber's education funding bill, sinking what had been the governor's priority for 2023.
The provision of the bill would have created taxpayer subsidies for eligible students to attend private school and would have also given a huge boost to public schools, a conditional measure linked to the approval of the vouchers. But the provision never made it to Abbott's desk due to 21 House Republicans who voted to remove the provision from the bill together with all Democrats.
The voucher-like program would have given eligible parents $10,500 annually in taxpayer money for their children to attend private school.
On Wednesday, Abbott's campaign announced that the Texas governor has raised $19 million between July and December 2023 and now has a total of $38 million in cash across two political accounts—money that he can use against the House Republicans who have opposed his agenda.
"With the primary elections just around the corner, Governor Abbott has the resources needed to back strong conservative candidates who support his bold agenda to keep Texas the greatest state in the nation, including expanding school choice for all Texas families and students," Kim Snyder, Abbott's campaign manager, said in a statement quoted by The Texas Tribune.
Newsweek contacted Abbott's office for comment by email on Thursday.
The Republican governor has already endorsed at least seven challengers trying to oust some of the 21 House Republicans who voted against the school vouchers and are running for re-election in 2024. While Abbott endorsed all 58 House Republicans running for re-election who voted in favor of the school vouchers in November, not a single member who voted against the idea received the governor's backing.
The 21 who did not support Abbott's school vouchers are: John Raney, Steve Allison, Ernest Bailes, Keith Bell, DeWayne Burns, Travis Clardy, Drew Darby, Jay Dean, Charlie Geren, Justin Holland, Kyle Kacal, Ken King, John Kuempel, Stan Lambert, Andrew Murr, Four Price, Glenn Rogers, Hugh Shine, Reggie Smith, Ed Thompson, and Gary VanDeaver.
Sixteen of them are up for reelection in the March 5 primary, while the other five aren't running again.
Already in late November, Abbott endorsed Hillary Hickland in her bid to oust Shine in Temple, calling the activist mother "the kind of new conservative leader we need in Austin to deliver results in the Texas House."
In December, the Republican governor threw his support behind Joanne Shofner, who's challenging Clardy in Nacogdoches, and Stormy Bradley, who's running to replace Darby in San Angelo.
In the same month, he also gave his endorsement against Allison, backing his challenger to opponent Marc Lahood in the March primary for San Antonio, and against Price, who's facing a rival bid by Republican Caroline Fairly.
Abbott also endorsed challengers to Rogers in Graford and VanDeaver in New Boston.
