Texas Gov. Greg Abbott celebrated the success of every Republican candidate he endorsed in the Texas House races, with two of these candidates notably flipping historically Democratic districts in South Texas.
However, candidates were expected to support a controversial policy—school vouchers—to earn the governor's high-sought backing, a condition that further highlights Abbott's commitment to his legislative agenda.
Every candidate that I backed in Texas House general election races won tonight.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) November 6, 2024
We even had Republican candidates win seats that had been held by Democrats.
There are more than enough votes to pass school choice in Texas.
"There are more than enough votes to pass school choice in Texas," Abbott said. "[Democrats] thought the public would reject school choice. They were wrong & lost all those races."
Abbott has repeatedly failed to pass school voucher legislation due to widespread opposition to giving public school dollars to private schools. While Republicans held a majority in the Texas Legislature before this election cycle, many rural Republicans joined Democrats in opposing the legislature, claiming that it would be detrimental to public schools.
The Republican governor says school vouchers will allow taxpayer dollars to help parents pay for private school tuition, giving them more options for their children's education.
Republicans who opposed school vouchers and were up for reelection this year failed to gain Abbott's endorsement and most of them lost their bids in the primary elections.
According to the Texas Tribune, the governor spent around $4.4 million endorsing their opponents, including Don McLaughlin and Denise Villalobos, who flipped two House seats in South Texas.
McLaughlin defeated Democrat Cecilia Castellano in his bid for House District 80, located south of San Antonio. Villalobos won in her bid for House District 34—a Corpus Christi-area district—in a race against Democrat Solomon Ortiz. Both candidates support school choice legislation.
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