Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, a Republican who led the failed effort to impeach and remove Attorney General Ken Paxton, is projected to win the primary runoff for his legislative seat against David Covey. Covey, backed by Paxton and former President Trump, conceded the race for the Beaumont-area district. Phelan faced opposition from influential hard-right figures in the Texas GOP, finishing second to Covey in the first round of voting in March.
Paxton and Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick criticized Phelan as a speaker supported by Democrats because all members of the House are allowed to vote on who oversees the chamber. Phelan was a target in Paxton’s revenge tour against state House Republicans who voted to impeach him last year, along with seven other state House Republicans forced into runoffs. State Rep. Justin Holland also lost his primary runoff for his Dallas-area district to Katrina Pierson, Trump’s former national spokesperson.
In the Republican primary runoff for Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, two-term incumbent Tony Gonzales narrowly leads challenger Brandon Herrera. The race for the border district has been expensive and bitter, drawing over $8 million in television advertising. Gonzales was censured by the Texas Republican Party last year for voting against Republican priorities, including bipartisan gun safety legislation and protecting same-sex and interracial marriage.
The rift between Gonzales and Herrera was over gun policy, specifically Gonzales’ vote for gun safety legislation following a school shooting in Uvalde. Herrera’s campaign was backed by several House Republicans, including Rep. Matt Gaetz and Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good. The runoff highlighted divisions within the GOP, with hard-right members willing to derail the party’s agenda over compromises with Democrats. Gonzales emphasized the importance of governing in a conservative manner.
The primary winner of the runoff will face Democrat Santos Limon in the election, although the 23rd District is not a target for Democrats this fall. Trump carried the district by 7 points in 2020. The contest sheds light on the GOP’s internal struggles amid disagreements over policy and strategy. The outcome of the primary runoff will set the tone for how Republicans govern and work together moving forward. There is a clear message being sent to the party about the need for unity and adherence to conservative principles.
