March 1st might be a month away, but it is prudent to sound the alarms for the upcoming Texas Primary. Unfortunately, the primary process often goes ignored or overlooked as too many think “their guy” and the “Magic R” will Make America Great Again. So let us late the time to explore the various primaries ongoing that appear within reach and possess enough profile to warrant interest. While the Democrats are defiantly wicked, the Republicans are subversive to the will of their voters, and in a state like Texas, we see this subversion prevalent in what should be a heavily conservative state. The following will include both the gubernatorial and several congressional races of interests. De-horning the RINO’s should be a priority as several Texas districts were favorably redrawn.
Governor Candidates:
In this race, there are only two candidates that matter: Greg Abbott and Allen West. Should the former fail to achieve a 50% threshold on March 1st, there will be a runoff in May. These same rules apply to all races. Greg Abbott might have landed third in the Power Rankings for 2021, that is largely due to the weak slate of Republican governors and the prominence of Texas. Let’s face it, Cincinnati might have finished the season 13-0, but they were still the worst team in the college playoff when compared to their one loss counterparts. Politically, Texas is a dominant SEC team, which is why even with an underperforming record, they are more impactful than their lesser peers.
Instead of leading Texas in a more conservative direction, Greg Abbott has largely been a follower on issues of importance while inviting Silicon Valley to set up shop, which if unchecked could turn Texas blue. In 2020, Abbott issued mask mandates and lockdowns antithetical to the spirit of freedom that embodies Texas. Though he finally stood up for the interests of his voters in 2021, his actions were often following that of another prominent governor and Texas legislatively failed to address the issues despite having a trifecta. While I wholeheartedly approve of those on our side ruling with a pen and a phone, Texas should be able to legislatively enact reforms to curb Tranny Madness. The Texas GOP needs fresh blood, and the climate of complacency and apathy towards the base has led to ineffective governance.
For this and other measures, Abbott is vulnerable, even having been booed at a Trump Rally. In certain polls, Allen West is even leading Greg Abbott, so it is imperative to draw attention to this race. Texas deserves strong leadership, and unlike his counterpart, Allen West is more likely the man for our times.
Texas 2nd District
It is no secret that Dan Crenshaw is a globalist RINO who favors endless wars and Vaccine Databases. Calling Jesus a superhero archetype while juxtaposing him to “real” heroes like Rosa Parks, whose entire claim to fame was staged, drew the ire, especially after he snapped at an 11 year old girl, much like the Apostle Peter. The vitriol is real at the ground level, so here are the alternatives:
Jameson Ellis seems to be the most prominent of those contending for his seat. Having been redistricted to Crenshaw’s district, Ellis is running as a grassroots activist who prominently supports law enforcement. Ideologically, Ellis seems strong from a faraway perspective and appears to have the superior ground game compared to his primary counterparts. Then there is Milam Langella, who seems identical to Ellis in terms of platform with likely less name recognition. The primary difference between the two being that whereas Ellis brands himself as a cowboy, Langella touts his military service. The last candidate is Martin Etwop, a Liberty University graduate who is likely the longshot in this race. Personally, I think Etwop would be better suited running for local office, where his education background would better serve Texans.
In assessing this race, I would conclude that Ellis is the primary alternative to Crenshaw, though all three juxtapose themselves well against the incumbent. Ellis appears to have the most name ID, largest twitter following, and most local endorsements.
Texas 8th District
This is an open seat in a heavily Republican district, so therefore it has drawn numerous contenders; however, only two candidates matter. Christian Collins has the endorsement from Ted Cruz and Marjorie Taylor Greene and previously served as an advisor to outgoing incumbent Kevin Brady. Against him is Morgan Latrell, a former Navy Seal and official at the Department of Energy under Trump. Representatives Crenshaw and Gonzales, both RINO’s who voted for HR 550, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, and former Governor Rick Perry have endorsed Latrell. This is a clear Establishment vs Base election, and if Latrell wins, the eighth district will be represented by a two-eyed Dan Crenshaw.
Texas 23rd District
Unseating RINO Tony Gonzales is unlikely to happen given that his two primary opponents lost to him previously, but if Alia Garcia can muster the troops in a low turnout primary, then there is hope for a better representative to what is a heavily Hispanic district. However, Garcia has thus far been unable to secure victory in any primary she has ran. Good news is that this district was made more conservative in the new map.
Texas 26th District
Currently, the 26th district is represented by Michael Burgess, who boasts a liberty score of 75.5%, but more disturbingly voted in favor if HR 550. Burgess is a career politician seeking his 11th term.
Challenging Burgess, Raven Harrison who boasts a sizable war chest of $126K going into the primary season. Harrison is a seemingly solid conservative mother with a standard platform, with emphasis on forced jabs, both upon the military and the private workforce.
Second in funding behind Harrison is Isaac Smith, who features suggested legislation on his platform. Being the child to missionaries, Smith comes across as a solid Christian conservative. Whether he is the best man for the job remains to be seen. He quotes the 10th amendment in decrying the federal pandemic response, yet the “reserved to the states” comes across as unaware that the states imposed the lockdowns at the behest of the federal government and White House, so his suggested Pandemic Act would solve nothing.
Third in challenger funding is Brian Brazeal, who brands himself as an outsider conservative. Though his platform is the same as the other two, his rhetoric towards the left, globalism, covid tyranny, and immigration are harsher than his counterparts.
Last in this district is Vincent Gallo, owner of a local construction firm. Like his peers, the platform is quite similar, with an emphasis on decoupling from China explicitly listed. Though he appears quite solid, I might question whether he has the infrastructure of his like-minded peers.
Texas 31st District
Removing a well-funded John Carter is likely a longshot, but even more so if entirely ignored. Carter has a pitiful Liberty Score of 60.9%, and if you have not caught on yet, he also voted for HR 550. Moreover, Carter is down to clown with drafting women in the military and continuing the use of force in Iraq.
Ranking first in challenging Carter financially is Derrick Johns, a former Marine who identifies himself as a Constitutional Conservative. Johns focuses on supply chain security, border security, and curbing government abuse—including that committed by the FBI (though he omits January 6). Of the challengers, his campaign is the most serious and his simple, Texas centric platform probably resonates at the ground level.
Also challenging Carter are Michael Williams, a constitutional conservative and former firefighter, and Abhiram Garapati, both of whom have challenged Carter before, losing miserably in the previous primary challenges. While Williams seems solid ideologically, listening to him speak leaves much to be desired while Garapati is possibly Hindu, which would unlikely serve a Christian conservative agenda. Furthermore, neither seems to campaign against Carter other than decrying his career politician status.
Texas 38th District
The 38th District was created out of the 2020 census and likely Trump would have won it by 18%, making it a solid red seat. Leading the race financially is Wesley Hunt has garnered much support from the GOP, both the establishment and base. Included in his list of endorsements is Ted Cruz, Nikki Haley, Larry Elder, Kevin McCarthy, and Tim Scott. Previously, Hunt lost to Fletcher in the 7th district and dealt with allegations that he voted in the 2008 Democrat primary, which he contends was part of Operation Chaos, where Republican voters at the suggestion of Rush Limbaugh would vote in the democrat primary to prolong it. The veracity of this claim can never truly be known, especially with his lack of recorded voting history between. It very well could be that he was telling the truth or that he was a democrat in 2008 who voted for Barrack Obama prior to being “red-pilled,” whether authentic or not. Personally, Hunt comes across as the guy who will play ball with the establishment and is being propped up due to his melanin content, not his character—but we are not allowed to accuse the GOP of tokenizing because they would never do that! For better or worse, his war chest will likely carry him past the 50% threshold on March 1st.
However, the most prominent contender going against him is Mark Ramsey, member of the Republican State Executive Committee. Unlike Hunt, Ramsey boasts endorsements primarily at the local level and his platform is more in-depth from a conservative standpoint. While I do not think he can overcome the establishment forces, he is probably the best candidate in this race.
The last contender of note is Roland Lopez, a grassroots candidate who is running a similar platform to Ramsey. The main difference being that he did obtain the endorsement of Rep. Paul Gosar. Though the two are alike, Lopez likely lacks the name ID and relationships to position him as formidable of an opponent to Hunt.
Texas 15th District
With Rep. Vicente Gonzalez relocating to the 34th district due to the census, this should be an easily flipped seat of which Trump would have won by 3%.
Losing a close race in 2020, Monica De La Cruz has returned to the campaign trail with plenty of financial backing and name recognition, making her a clear favorite going into this primary. Furthermore, she boasts endorsements ranging from RINO’s like Elise Stefanick, Dan Crenshaw, and Tony Gonzales to the more solidly conservative Ted Cruz. Though it is reasonable to assume some of these endorsements are carryover from 2020, it is readily apparent that she is the establishment’s choice, not that there are stronger alternatives.
The clear underdog in this race is San Antonio nightclub owner Mauro Garza, who previously lost in a democratically skewed district in 2020 but has thrown his name in yet another open seat, just as he did in 2018 when he failed to attract more than 1% of the vote in Chip Roy’s 21st District. Though De La Cruz might be establishment, Garza is exceedingly worse. Garza’s nightclub is apparently of the homosexual variety, and he has been recognized by the Human Rights Campaign for donating over $100K to the Rainbow Jihad. Enough said.
Texas 32nd District
Following the census, this once solid red district is now likely unreachable, but a good example to the disparity which exists between candidates. Surprisingly, there has been some money spent by the candidates, according to the FEC filings.
Restauranter Antonio Swad has the largest war chest in this race, boasting $235,892.49 of cash on hand as of 12/31/2021. Seemingly, he is trying to take an entrepreneurial, businessman rout to Congress. While he does not own the franchises he founded, one has to wonder whether he is a solid conservative. Wingstop, for instance, has an ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) focus, which is basically social justice for businesses. Swad is not on the board of directors, but it should still be noted as a legitimate area of concern, especially since he does not even pander Christian Conservatism on his website.
Second in funding is Brad Namdar, a 33-year-old who seems to have attracted several high-profile endorsements and has a history of involvement in Texas GOP circles. Endorsing him includes Pete Sessions and The Dallas Morning News, which contends that he is the most winnable of the candidates. It is in the latter’s endorsement where the problems might arise. If the local media favors him, that bodes poorly. This is exasperated by them quoting Namdar as saying the following:
“Our strength is in our diversity,” Namdar, 33, told us of the district during an interview with five of the six Republicans running for the seat. He vows not to be “a congressman who says, ‘I will vote 100% one side or 100% the other side.
Namdar seems to promise some semblance of bipartisanship while touting diversity as a strength. Neither is good, and though he is the offspring to immigrants, he should be conscious to the fact that America’s founding ideals and principles, rooted in Christianity, are its strength—not the melting pot. The fact that the same editorial claims he gave a “rational view of what happened at the U.S. Capitol last Jan. 6, saying he condemns all who engaged in violence or broke the law.” This is weak sauce in light of everything that has been revealed.
Third in funding is Nathan Davis, who admittedly was my favorite of the candidates listed for this seat. He is by-far the most right-wing candidate in this race as demonstrated in his top three issues: Big Tech censorship, COVID Pandemic Policies, and the Economy, with a focus on the damage inflicted upon small businesses. He boasted that he received an anti-endorsement from the same aforementioned The Dallas Morning News.
The last candidate is Justin Webb, who touts his military service and a strong, conservative game on Twitter only to be quoted as describing January 6 as undoubtedly “an armed insurrection against this country.”
While Allred will likely retain his seat in November, this is why researching candidates matters.
One Response
Anthony Fava,
I disagree with your assessment of the Governor Candidates. The race is not nearly split to dismiss Don Huffines or Chad Prather. It is almost certain that there will be a runoff, so the question is who to support. While Texas may be like a “dominant SEC team” it’s underperformance when it comes to real results will see it leave the league. Greg Abbott and the corrupt establishment republicans are turning this state blue. Greg Abbott has a great relationship with big tech and all the corporations controlling the state. This relationship benefits him and the companies but not the people of Texas. I could not agree more when you said “The Texas GOP needs fresh blood.” That fresh blood is Don Huffines, who during is time in two terms of the Texas Legislature became the enemy of establishment career politicians of both parties. He is a proven real republican who will turn the tide. Allen West is a career politician in his second state who while head of the Texas GOP failed to get the republicans to pass critical pieces of their agenda and quit to climb to the governors mansion. He is as conservatives a Greg Abbott was 8 years ago. He is conservatives but shows signs of changing if he wins. Don Huffines is clearly the best candidate in this race and I request you update this article to reflect such.
Thank you
Concerned Texan