4 Texas House Republicans censured for campaign tactics
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Four Texas House members — including three from North Texas — were reprimanded this week for campaigning against their Republican colleagues.
Why it matters: A 2019 Texas House Republican Caucus rule prohibits members from campaigning against GOP incumbents, in hopes of eliminating discord and promoting solidarity.
- The censure doesn't have any consequences other than condemning a lawmaker's actions, but it does highlight a GOP divide.
State of play: The censured state representatives are: Brian Harrison of Midlothian, Nate Schatzline of Fort Worth, Tony Tinderholt of Arlington, and Steve Toth of The Woodlands.
- They had campaigned against several GOP incumbents, including House Speaker Dade Phelan, Rockwall's Justin Holland, Fort Worth's Stephanie Klick and Denton's Lynn Stucky, per the Texas Tribune.
Between the lines: Working alongside Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the censured lawmakers were going after "liberal incumbents," per a statement shared with the Tribune.
- Abbott and Patrick were pushing to unseat GOP members who opposed a school vouchers program. Paxton was seeking to unseat Republicans who voted to impeach him.
- Primary voters ousted eight anti-voucher Republican incumbents, five in the March primary and three in the May runoff. Holland was one of the losing incumbents.
- Klick and Stucky also lost their primary races. They had voted to impeach Paxton.
Context: The censure letter sent to Harrison says someone reported him to the Texas House Republican Caucus on May 28, runoff election day, alleging that he was financially supporting or campaigning for a candidate running against an incumbent Republican.
- The members could have been fined or suspended, per the Tribune.
- The executive committee decided to censure them and condemn their behavior "in the strongest terms."
What they're saying: Harrison called the censure "hilariously absurd" on X.
- "At a time when Republicans should be unifying against Democrats, the Caucus is divisively punishing conservatives," the censured Republicans said in a joint statement, per the Tribune.
- "The establishment Republicans in the Texas House have not learned their lesson even after 15 incumbents were sent packing," Paxton said on X.
The bottom line: The caucus' executive director told the Tribune that "the situation is now closed and the matter is no longer active."