By Thomas Warren III, Editor-in-Chief
Next year, Republican primary voters in Texas will have their opportunity to return a verdict on the second term of Gov. Greg Abbott when at least five people will be facing him on the primary ballot. Many Texans may not be paying much attention to the primary election right now, but this race certainly is not one to ignore. In fact, I would argue next year’s Republican primary is perhaps one of the single most important elections that Texas has seen in the past decade.
Here’s why.
It is no secret that over the past four years, many Texas conservatives have felt left behind by Abbott and his constant catering to the Austin establishment. Abbott has left many conservative priorities out in the cold when outlining his legislative priorities and has played politics in a way that has hurt the electoral chances of true conservatives across our state. Abbott seemingly has been more concerned about sticking with the establishment than about ensuring that the priorities of conservative Texans have been addressed. This is truly a shame considering that Abbott has convinced Texas conservatives to back his campaign, not once, but twice.
Still, while many Texas Republicans may feel left behind by Abbott, they may not have paid attention to the movement on the campaign trail. Abbott has drawn a primary field of five challengers, including two former elected officials. The field includes former State Sen. Don Huffines, former Texas Republican Party Chair Allen West, comedian Chad Prather, attorney Paul Belew, and veteran Kurt Schwab.
The challengers are gaining traction and are turning heads for good reasons. In my opinion, it is clear that Huffines is about a million times more dedicated to addressing conservative priorities than Abbott. West has a record of public service longer than most elected officials in Austin. Prather has an ability to connect to Texans through his common sense wit and charm, boiling down complex issues into short videos that have reached all corners of the internet. And Texans must also not forget about Belew and Schwab, who are both political outsiders offering Texans a choice outside of the Austin establishment.
At this point, the Amarillo Pioneer Publisher’s Committee has not yet interviewed or vetted candidates in any races, from any parties, in relation to endorsements for next year’s election, although we do intend to conduct such a process. At any rate, while many Texans may just be tuning into this election, it is one that is worth paying attention to, for many good reasons.
In next year’s election, conservative Texans who are dissatisfied with the tenure of Abbott have no reason to sit on their hands and stay home. Alternatives are placing their names on the ballot. Now it’s up to Texans to decide whether they want to vote for change next year or reward Abbott for leaving conservatives behind.