The national Democratic super PAC Forward Majority plans to spend more than $2 million on Texas House races this year, group officials told NBC News, as they seek to use Republican infighting to reduce the party’s lead in the chamber.
The group said the state has ongoing feuds with leading Texas Republicans and former President Donald Trump is campaigning against Incumbent lawmakers who vote against the impeachment of state Attorney General Ken Paxton or Gov. Greg Abbott’s school voucher program push GOP candidates to the right and create an opening for Democrats in a traditionally red state.
Forward Majority initially plans to spend on advertising, mailings and other efforts to get voters to register and vote in three to five state House districts in the run-up to the November election. They are considering 10 Texas counties for investment, primarily suburban areas.
One such area is state House District 121 near San Antonio, where Republican challenger Mark LaHood unseated state Rep. Steve Allison in the March primary. Allison voted for Paxton’s impeachment and against the school voucher program. Laurel Jordan Swift, a medical sales representative who ran on a promise to better fund public schools, won the Democratic nomination.
“This district is moving higher on the list of people’s concerns because Republicans chose to get rid of a very popular incumbent who I think is out of touch with the constituents he serves,” said Jeff Rotkoff, Texas state director of Forward Majority.
Eight Republican incumbents face a runoff primary on Tuesday, including state House Speaker Dade Phelan, who is overseeing impeachment efforts against Paxton. In Texas, if no candidate passes the 50% threshold in the primary, the top two vote-getters go to a runoff election.
Texas Republicans currently hold a 22-seat majority in the state house. The party also controls the state Senate and the governorship.
Forward Majority CEO David Cohen and Rotkoff said they expect the initial $2 million investment to be followed by future investments. In 2020, the group held $12 million in Texas House races.