The Latest Breaking News from Defend Texas Liberty

The runoff features two Republicans from dueling factions of the party, Jill Dutton and Brent Money, vying to finish the term of former state Rep. Bryan Slaton, R-Royse City.

Five Republicans and one Democrat were on the ballot for the ruby-red seat, but most of the drama has focused on two GOP candidates, Dutton and Money.

The far-right political action committee is getting involved in a critical special election for the Texas House, the first major test of its influence since its then-leader was spotted meeting with a prominent white supremacist.

Matt Rinaldi has been defiant amid calls for him to cut ties with political ally Jonathan Stickland after meeting with white supremecist Nick Fuentes. Rinaldi is also accused of embracing antisemitic leaders of a new young Republicans organization.

Chris Russo has anonymously aligned himself with Nick Fuentes’ white supremacist movement on various social media platforms under the username “Optics Respecter.”

While Fuentes’ unapologetic hate mongering has made him one of the nation’s best-known white supremacists, he was merely the latest in a long line of people who have been embraced by Defend Texas Liberty and its close allies.

More than two weeks after the influential PAC’s leader met with a Hitler admirer, Lt. Gov. Patrick said the GOP must ”root out” antisemitism. Patrick had initially said he’d keep the PAC’s money.

Luke Macias, a longtime conservative political consultant, is listed as the new president of the conservative PAC on its website. Jonathan Stickland, the former president, met with Fuentes for nearly seven hours.

The group has funded candidates and groups like the Texas GOP who have pushed fellow Republicans to take a harder line against things like illegal immigration and transgender people.

Two other Republican lawmakers are giving away donations after Nick Fuentes was seen visiting the office building associated with Defend Texas Liberty PAC President Jonathan Stickland. The meeting has roiled the party, leading to many Republicans calling on their peers to return money from the PAC.

Fuentes often praises Adolf Hitler and has publicly fantasized about marrying a 16-year-old. Last week, he visited the office of a Texas operative who runs a deep-pocketed political group.