Texas held its primary elections March 1. Here’s what you can find in this reporting from ATPE’s lobby team:

• VOTER TURNOUT: First, ATPE Lobbyist Mark Wiggins writes about the primary election’s voter turnout, which tends to be lower in mid-term elections as they do not have a presidential race on the ballot.
• FEDERAL RACES: Texas gained additional seats in the U.S. House following last year’s redistricting. ATPE Lobbyist Andrea Chevalier writes about a few of those noteworthy federal races, as well as one lawmaker's stunning announcement after the election.
• STATEWIDE CANDIDATES: All statewide candidates were on the ballot this time, but most incumbents secured their party’s nomination without a runoff, save for one high-profile race.
• SBOE: ATPE Governmental Relations Director Jennifer Mitchell highlights some of the more interesting races for State Board of Education (SBOE), where two pro-public education incumbents are projected to lose their seats and one of the costliest races in SBOE history turns heads.
• STATE LEGISLATURE: Mitchell also writes about several of the most competitive state legislative races in which public education issues were often a focal point and PACs were spending heavily to influence the outcomes.
• HIGH-STAKES PRIMARIES: Because there were many races in which all the candidates who filed to run were members of the same party, some of last night’s winners will face no opposition in November and will automatically assume their offices in January 2023. You can peruse the unofficial results of those “winner-takes-all” primaries below.
• OPEN SEATS: Also, check out the results in the numerous open seats on the ballot this year where the incumbent was not seeking re-election.
• BALLOT PROPOSITIONS: Finally, we share the breakdown of votes on non-binding ballot propositions that were on this year's Republican party’s ballot. ATPE Senior Lobbyist Monty Exter offers some perspective on the results, which serve merely to inform party leaders of their voters’ opinions on popular issues.

Several of yesterday’s primary races featured more than two candidates. When no one candidate receives at least 50% of the vote, the top two finishers head to May 24 primary election runoff. We’ll have more information about the runoff contenders and how you can participate in those elections over the next couple of months here on Teach the Vote.
 
Keep in mind these tallies are unofficial, as some large counties such as Harris, Dallas, and Tarrant encountered technical difficulties that slowed their counts. Also, mail-in ballots are still being counted, and some of those are being rejected for non-compliance with new Texas voting laws. There is a six-day period in which those voters can correct their mail-in ballots. We will update this post as additional information becomes available.
 
For complete election results, visit the Texas Secretary of State’s website here.
 

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VOTER TURNOUT

By Mark Wiggins, ATPE Lobbyist

Primary elections are typically defined by very low turnout, and this year was no exception. When the dust settled, 6.12% of voters participated in the Democratic primary and 11.11% in the Republican primary for a statewide turnout of 17.23%.  
 
This year’s turnout mirrored the last midterm primary election in 2018, when the statewide total was 17.17%. Both are lower than the 25.36% turnout we saw during the 2020 presidential primaries, but presidential years almost always feature higher turnout across the board. 
 
Because of partisan gerrymandering, the winners of most district offices were decided by the March 1 election. Based on the turnout, roughly 3 million voters determined who will likely represent the other 27 million people who live in Texas.  
 
Some races were not decided March 1 and will head to a May 24 runoff. Runoff elections are typically marked by even lower turnout, which means that an even smaller fraction of voters make the decisions for everyone else. For example, just 7.01% of voters participated in the last midterm runoffs in 2014 when both Democrats and Republicans had gubernatorial candidates on the ballot. In 2016, when both parties had runoffs in the presidential election, turnout was just 3.95%.  
 
The numbers show why it is critical that you vote not only in the primary elections but also in the runoffs. These elections will determine who ultimately represents each district in most cases. Because of the low turnout, your vote is exponentially more impactful in these races. 
 

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FEDERAL RACE HIGHLIGHTS

By Andrea Chevalier, ATPE Lobbyist
 
Election results for the 38 U.S. House of Representatives seats held by Texans included some shake-ups. Not only are several representatives retiring, but also Texas added two new congressional districts in Houston and Austin while reshaping all others during the 2021 redistricting process.  
 
While every other incumbent running for a U.S. House seat appears to be safe after March 1, two were forced into runoffs. Two-term Rep. Van Taylor (R) of Plano narrowly missed earning a majority of votes in yesterday's Republican primary. He was set to face hardline conservative Keith Self (R) in a runoff to represent TX-3. Taylor was one of a handful of Texas Republicans who accepted and voted to certify the 2020 presidential election results. In a stunning turn of events, Taylor sent an email to supporters today announcing he would withdraw from the runoff, citing an extramarital affair that was reported the day before the election, according to the Texas Tribune.
 
In South Texas’s TX-28, incumbent Henry Cuellar (D), whose house was raided by the FBI earlier this year, will face attorney Jessica Cisneros (D) in a runoff. Some consider the electorate’s preference for Cisneros—and others like Greg Casar (D), who won outright win in Austin-area TX-35—to be a signal that voters want further left-leaning progressives rather than centrists. Texas state representative Jasmine Crockett (D) also falls into this category. Crockett will likely face Jane Hope Hamilton (D) in a runoff for the Dallas-area TX-30 seat being vacated by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D). 
 
Several U.S. House seats were open this election, either because of a retiring incumbent or simply because it was a new district. Of note, in East Texas, Nathaniel Moran (R) will succeed TX-1’s Rep. Louie Gohmert (R), who unsuccessfully tried to unseat Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R). In north Houston area TX-8, Morgan Luttrell (R) leads the race against several other Republican primary candidates vying to succeed retiring Rep. Kevin Brady (R). In the new TX-38 district in Houston, Wesley Hunt (R) won the Republican primary, despite a field crowded with nine other challengers. Both Luttrell and Hunt are supported by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) against other candidates who are further right on the political spectrum. South Texas’s TX-15, which is no longer represented by Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D) after redistricting (he won the Democratic primary for TX-34), will have a runoff in the Democratic party between Ruben Ramirez and Michelle Vallejo; the Republican party nominee in this race will be Trump-endorsed Monica De La Cruz. 
 

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STATEWIDE RACE HIGHLIGHTS

By Jennifer Mitchell, ATPE Governmental Relations Director

Gov. Greg Abbott (R) survived a challenge within his own party from seven candidates and won the Republican nomination outright. Despite expensive campaigns mounted by former Texas State Sen. Don Huffines (R) and former Florida congressman and Texas GOP chair Allen West (R), in particular, Abbott carried two-thirds of the vote. On the Democratic side, former Texas congressman and presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke (D) unsurprisingly bested five other candidates to win his party’s nomination.
 
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) also scored an easy win on the Republican side, while Democrats Mike Collier (D), who challenged Patrick in 2018, and Michelle Beckley (D), a current state representative, appear to be headed for a runoff.

 
Governor – Republican Primary
 

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Greg Abbott (Inc)	1,266,726	66.54%
Allen B. West	233,560	12.27%
Don Huffines	225,491	11.84%
Chad Prather	72,719	3.82%
Rick Perry	60,952	3.2%
Kandy Kaye Horn	22,930	1.2%
Paul Belew	10,927	0.57%
Danny Harrison	10,445	0.55%

 
Governor – Democratic Primary
 

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Beto O'Rourke	954,451	91.3%
Joy Diaz	33,199	3.18%
Michael Cooper	31,852	3.05%
Rich Wakeland	12,934	1.24%
Innocencio (Inno) Barrientez	12,929	1.24%

 
 
Lieutenant Governor – Republican Primary
 

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Dan Patrick (Inc)	1,387,470	76.51%
Daniel Miller	123,869	6.83%
Tracye Bradford	118,431	6.53%
Aaron Sorrells	71,645	3.95%
Zach Vance	70,091	3.87%
Todd M. Bullis	41,869	2.31%

 
Lieutenant Governor – Democratic Primary
 

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Mike Collier	409,210	41.63%
Michelle Beckley	297,159	30.23%
Carla Brailey	276,670	28.14%

 

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) hoped to win his party’s nomination outright, but he did not earn enough votes to escape a runoff. He’ll face George P. Bush (R) again in May. In the Democratic primary, Rochelle Garza (D) was the frontrunner but appears headed to a runoff with the second-place finisher still too close to call as of 3 p.m. Thursday, March 3.
 
Incumbent Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller (R) landed his party’s nomination and will face Susan Hays (D) in November. Similarly, incumbent Comptroller Glen Hegar (R) won his primary, but there will be a runoff on the Democratic side between Janet Dudding and Angel Luis Vega. Runoffs are also expected in both party primaries for the Land Commissioner’s race.
 

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SBOE RACES OF INTEREST

By Jennifer Mitchell, ATPE Governmental Relations Director
 
SBOE District 1 became one of the most talked-about races heading into the primary election, largely because of its implications for charter schools. With incumbent Georgina Perez (D-El Paso) stepping down, three Democrats and two Republicans filed to run for the seat. Charter school CEO Omar Yanar (D) ran an unprecedentedly expensive campaign funded almost entirely by the Charter Schools Now PAC, as we wrote about in this blog post. Perez endorsed Melissa Ortega (D), while Laura Marquez (D) got the backing of Texas AFT. The charter groups’ investment (north of $200,000) in Yanar did not pay off, as Ortega and Marquez appear to be heading to a runoff. On the Republican side, Michael Travis Stevens (R) defeated prior SBOE candidate Lani Popp (R).
 
Other new PACs backed by longtime pro-voucher and charter school proponents spent considerable sums in the primaries for SBOE Districts 7, 14, and 15, as we similarly reported on our blog. “Texans for Excellent Education” spent nearly $100,000 in support of two candidates: Julie Pickren (R) in the SBOE District 7 race that opened up with Republican incumbent Matt Robinson’s decision not to seek re-election, and Evelyn Brooks (R), who was challenging incumbent Sue Melton-Malone (R) in SBOE District 14.

The SBOE District 7 race had not yet been called as of Thursday, March 3, but Pickren was leading the field in her primary. In SBOE District 14, results were slow to trickle in, but it’s now projected that Brooks has defeated Melton-Malone, who is a past state president of ATPE. Both Pickren and Brooks would face Democratic opponents in November.
 
SBOE District 14 Republican Primary
 

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Sue Melton-Malone (Inc)	57,683	42.76%
Evelyn Brooks	77,227	57.24%

 

The pro-charter school Freedom Foundation of Texas (FFOT) PAC spent heavily to try to defeat incumbent member Jay Johnson (R-Pampa) in SBOE District 15 and backed challenger Aaron Kinsey (R) in a winner-takes-all primary. As we wrote on our blog, the PAC was funded largely by investors in a charter school chain that saw its applications vetoed by SBOE members, including Johnson. Kinsey is projected to win the race with more than 52% of the vote, and he’ll have no opposition in November.

SBOE District 15 Republican Primary
 

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Jay Johnson (Inc)	75,743	47.8%
Aaron Kinsey	82,707	52.2%

 

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STATE LEGISLATIVE RACES OF INTEREST

By Jennifer Mitchell, ATPE Governmental Relations Director
 
Texas Senate District 11 voters had a choice between four candidates in the Republican primary, all vying to succeed the retiring Senate Education Committee chairman Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood). No candidates from any other party filed to run in this district. Current State Representative Mayes Middleton (R-Wallisville) was considered the frontrunner and ended up bypassing all three of the other candidates for the outright win.
 
The retirement of longtime Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. (D-Brownsville) prompted competitive primaries on both sides of the aisle in Texas Senate District 27. On the Democratic side, Morgan Lamantia and Sara Stapleton Barrera are advancing to a runoff. (Current state representative Alex Dominguez was the third-place finisher.) Adam Hinojosa was leading the Republican field for SD 27, but it was too close to determine if he would avoid a runoff.
 
In Texas Senate District 31, where Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo) is not running for reelection, Kevin Sparks (R) pulled off a surprising win without a runoff, despite facing three other candidates. This was a winner-takes-all primary, given that there will be no other candidates on the ballot in November.
 
A few state representatives faced repeat challengers in this year’s primary election. In Texas House District 1, Rep. Gary VanDeaver (R-New Boston) went up against George Lavender (R), who once held the seat until losing to VanDeaver in 2014 and again in 2016. Despite the participation of a third candidate, VanDeaver scored a trip back to the Legislature in the winner-takes-all primary.
 
Rep. Steve Toth (R-Magnolia), known for authoring last year’s controversial civics curriculum bills, easily defeated the Parent PAC-endorsed Maris Blair (R) in Texas House District 15. He’ll face Kristin Johnson (D) in November.
 
Another Parent PAC-endorsed incumbent, Texas House District 18’s Ernest Bailes (R-Shepherd), had a big win against three challengers from his own party. As we wrote about in this recent blog post, voucher-supporting groups tied to the now defunct anti-public education group Empower Texans, including the newer Defend Texas Liberty PAC, spent heavily on ads attacking Bailes for his voting record.
 
In Texas House District 31, two candidates were challenging Rep. Ryan Guillen (R-Rio Grande City) in the Republican primary. Guillen only recently switched his party affiliation from Democratic to Republican, making him a target in the primary, but he rose to the challenge and won the Republican nomination with the help of a supportive House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Port Neches). A Democrat, Martha Gutierrez, will also be on the ballot in November.
 
Rep. Erin Zwiener (D-Kyle) scored an impressive primary win over two challengers, avoiding a runoff in Texas House District 45. She’ll face a Republican challenger on the November ballot.
 
Texas House District 60 incumbent Glenn Rogers (R-Graford) was also targeted by the Defend Texas Liberty PAC and the Betsy DeVos-founded American Federation for Children. Challenger Mike Olcott (R) benefitted most from the PACs’ support and ended up making it to a second-place finish and a runoff with Rogers. This winner-takes-all race won’t be decided until May.
 
Likewise, in Texas House District 62, incumbent Rep. Reggie Smith (R-Sherman) was challenged by Shelley Luther (R) in another winner-takes-all primary where public education issues became a focal point of the high-profile race. Texas Parent PAC and House Speaker Phelan endorsed the incumbent, and Smith scored a decisive victory against Luther, who also ran unsuccessfully for a Texas Senate seat last year.
 
Additionally, Texas House District 64 was a winner-takes-all primary between incumbent Rep. Lynn Stucky (R-Denton) and challenger Andy Hopper (R). Stucky was similarly targeted by far-right groups such as Defend Texas Liberty for his pro-public education voting record. The incumbent appears to have survived the challenge, but the results are close enough that a recount may be sought in this race.
 
Texas House District 73 was another closely watched race for an open seat currently held by Rep. Kyle Biedermann (R-New Braunfels), who did not file for reelection. In the Republican primary, former mayor Barron Casteel (R) was vying to represent the district once served by his mother, former Rep. Carter Casteel (R-New Braunfels), along with Carrie Isaac (R), who is the wife of former Rep. Jason Isaac (R-Dripping Springs), plus a third candidate. Casteel and Isaac will advance to a May 24 runoff. There will be a Democratic and Libertarian candidate on the ballot in November’s general election.
 
Only one race in this year’s primaries pitted two incumbent officeholders against each other after redistricting. Rep. Claudia Ordaz Perez (D), who is currently the state representative for House District 76, ran against Rep. Art Fierro (D) in Texas House District 79. This was also one of the “winner-takes-all primaries” in which there were only two candidates, both affiliated with the same political party. Ordaz Perez won the race handily, making Fierro the only legislative incumbent to have been defeated in this year’s primary election.
 
Rep. Stephanie Klick (R-Ft. Worth) faced a surprisingly contentious primary election this year in Texas House District 91. She came out ahead of four challengers from her own party, though it was unclear whether she would escape a runoff in this winner-takes-all primary.
 
With the coming departure of Rep. John Turner (D-Dallas), there were five candidates running in the Democratic primary for Texas House District 114. Candidate Alexandra Guio (D) appears headed to a runoff, but it’s still too close to determine if she’ll face former state representative John Bryant (D); Charlie Gearing (D); Chris Leal (D); or Kendall Scudder (D), who ran unsuccessfully for the Texas Senate four years ago.
 
Charles Cunningham (R) will succeed former House Public Education Committee Chairman, Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood) in Texas House District 127. Cunningham defeated Deanna Robertson (R) in this winner-takes-all primary.
 
Texas House District 131’s longtime Rep. Alma Allen (D-Houston) appears likely to escape a runoff in her primary. However, she’ll face Gerry "The 5 Star General" Monroe (R) on the ballot in November.

In Texas House District 142, another longtime Rep. Harold Dutton (D-Houston), who chairs the House Public Education Committee, is trying to fend off challenger and Aldine AFT President Candis Houston (D). Dutton had a lead of only 136 votes as of Thursday, March 3, with counting still being completed.
 
Finally, Rep. Valoree Swanson (R-Spring) easily survived a repeat challenge by former Rep. Debbie Riddle (R), plus two other Republicans in Texas House District 150. Swanson will face Ginny Brown Daniel (D) in November.

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WINNER-TAKES-ALL SBOE AND LEGISLATIVE PRIMARIES

By Jennifer Mitchell, ATPE Governmental Relations Director

Due to demographic trends and the way district maps are drawn by the Texas Legislature, most voting districts in Texas lean so heavily in favor of a single political party that there is little chance for a candidate in the opposing party to win. In some Texas races, all the candidates who filed to run for an office are affiliated with the same political party. That means the winner of the primary election will face no opposition in November and automatically becomes the person who will take office in January 2023.
 
These are unofficial results of the “winner-takes-all” races on the 2022 primary election ballot.

SBOE District 4 Democratic Primary

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Coretta Mallet-Fontenot	25,540	38.67%
Staci Childs	18,494	28%
Marvin Johnson	9,916	15.01%
Theldon Branch	7,219	10.93%
Larry McKinzie	4,879	7.39%

 
 
SBOE District 15 Republican Primary

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Jay Johnson (Inc)	75,743	47.8%
Aaron Kinsey	82,707	52.2%

 
 
Senate District 11 Republican Primary

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Mayes Middleton	38,988	56.44%
Bianca Gracia	11,912	17.25%
Bob Mitchell	9,135	13.23%
Robin Armstrong	9,038	13.08%

 
 
Senate District 31 Republican Primary

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Kevin Sparks	46,132	54.84%
Tim Reid	19,165	22.78%
Stormy Bradley	13,722	16.31%
Jesse Quackenbush	5,102	6.07%

 
 
 
House District 1 Republican Primary

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Gary VanDeaver (Inc)	13,251	62.88%
George Lavender	6,103	28.96%
Ray Null	1,719	8.16%

 
 
House District 2 Republican Primary

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Bryan Slaton (Inc)	16,557	82.37%
Clyde Bostick	3,543	17.63%

 
 
House District 3 Republican Primary

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Cecil Bell (Inc)	14,000	67.18%
Kelly McDonald	6,840	32.82%

 
 
House District 5 Republican Primary

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Cole Hefner (Inc)	20,146	80.98%
Dewey Collier	4,733	19.02%

 
 
House District 11 Republican Primary

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Travis Clardy (Inc)	13,780	52.74%
Rachel Hale	5,447	20.85%
Greg Caldwell	3,767	14.42%
Mark Williams	3,133	11.99%

 
 
House District 12 Republican Primary

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Kyle Kacal (Inc)	11,411	47.21%
Ben Bius	10,049	41.57%
Joshua Hamm	2,713	11.22%

 
 
House District 18 Republican Primary

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Ernest Bailes (Inc)	12,611	56.3%
Janis Holt	5,875	26.23%
Ronnie "Bubba" Tullos	2,613	11.66%
Stephen Missick	1,302	5.81%

 
 
House District 38 Democratic Primary

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Erin Elizabeth Gamez	5,415	58.26%
Jonathan Gracia	3,879	41.74%

 
 
House District 62 Republican Primary

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Reggie Smith (Inc)	15,416	58.67%
Shelley Luther	10,858	41.33%

 
 
 
House District 64 Republican Primary

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Lynn Stucky (Inc)	9,237	50.28%
Andy Hopper	9,135	49.72%

 
 
House District 68 Republican Primary

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
David Spiller (Inc)	21,423	69.8%
Mark Middleton	4,130	13.46%
Craig Carter	2,748	8.95%
Gary Franklin	2,391	7.79%

 
 
House District 79 Democratic Primary

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Art Fierro (Inc)	3,737	34.88%
Claudia Ordaz Perez	6,977	65.12%

 
 
House District 81 Republican Primary

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Casey Gray	2,565	20.05%
Brooks Landgraf (Inc)	10,229	79.95%

 
 
House District 83 Republican Primary

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Dustin Burrows (Inc)	18,229	82.55%
Austin Jordan	3,853	17.45%

 
 
House District 84 Republican Primary

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
David Glasheen	4,886	41.88%
Cheryl Little	574	4.92%
Carl Tepper	4,691	40.21%
Kade Wilcox	1,515	12.99%

 
 
House District 88 Republican Primary

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Ted Hutto	7,292	34.98%
Ken King (Inc)	13,556	65.02%

 
 
House District 91 Republican Primary

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Stephanie Klick (Inc)	6,383	48.96%
David Lowe	5,092	39.06%
Anthony Reed	811	6.22%
David M. Silvey	439	3.37%
Benjamin Damico	313	2.4%

 
 
House District 113 Democratic Primary

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Rhetta Bowers (Inc)	5,707	77.49%
Uduak Nkanga	1,658	22.51%

 
 
House District 127 Republican Primary

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Charles Cunningham	10,376	79.49%
Deanna Robertson	2,677	20.51%

 

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OPEN SEATS IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE AND SBOE

By Jennifer Mitchell, ATPE Governmental Relations Director

Quite a few officeholders decided not to run for reelection this year or opted to seek a different office. In some cases, that was because redistricting changes made it unlikely the incumbent could win because the new district map favored the other party. Here’s a look at the outcomes of the open seat races that were on the 2022 primary election ballot:

SBOE District 1

Incumbent Georgina Perez (D) did not seek reelection. Democrats Melissa N. Ortega and Laura Marquez are headed toward a runoff, while Michael Travis Stevens secured the Republican nomination.

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Laura Marquez	DEM	32,523	35.52%
Melissa N. Ortega	DEM	42,212	46.11%
Omar Yanar	DEM	16,817	18.37%

 

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Lani Popp	REP	22,686	36.28%
Michael Travis Stevens	REP	39,848	63.72%

 
SBOE District 2
 
Incumbent Ruben Cortez (D) opted to run for a legislative seat instead of seeking re-election. LJ Francis won the Republican nomination. Victor Perez and Pete Garcia appear to be headed to a Democratic primary runoff.

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
LJ Francis	REP	37,909	57.48%
Hilda Garza DeShazo	REP	28,046	42.52%

 

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Pete Garcia	DEM	17,767	24.36%
Thomas Garcia	DEM	15,216	20.86%
Victor Perez	DEM	21,594	29.6%
Wayne Raasch	DEM	3,934	5.39%
Michael Vargas	DEM	14,437	19.79%

 
 
SBOE District 4
 
Incumbent Lawrence Allen Jr. (D) opted to run for a legislative seat instead of seeking reelection. This open SBOE seat is also a winner-takes-all primary, which will require a runoff in May. Coretta Mallet-Fontenot (D) was the top vote-earner, and Staci Childs (D) appeared to be in second place.

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Staci Childs	18,494	28%
Coretta Mallet-Fontenot	25,540	38.67%
Marvin Johnson	9,916	15.01%
Theldon Branch	7,219	10.93%
Larry McKinzie	4,879	7.39%

 
 
SBOE District 7
 
Incumbent Matt Robinson (R) did not seek reelection. The Republican primary was too close to call as of this morning. On the other side, Dan Hochman (D) was unopposed. There will also be a Libertarian candidate, Alan Pyeatt, on the ballot in November.

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Abolaji Tijani Ayobami	REP	4,396	3.37%
Michael Barton	REP	41,132	31.57%
Julie Pickren	REP	65,750	50.47%
Danny Surman	REP	19,006	14.59%

 
 
Texas Senate District 11
Incumbent Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood) did not seek reelection. This Republican primary race was also a “winner-takes-all” election insofar as no candidates from other political parties filed to run in this district. Current Rep. Mayes Middleton (R) appears to have pulled off the win.

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Robin Armstrong	9,038	13.08%
Bianca Gracia	11,912	17.25%
Mayes Middleton	38,988	56.44%
Bob Mitchell	9,135	13.23%

 
 
Texas Senate District 12
 
Incumbent Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound) did not seek reelection. Tan Parker (R) and Francine Ly (D) will compete again in November.

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Tan Parker	REP	52,818	71.03%
Chris Russell	REP	21,538	28.97%

 

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Francine Ly	DEM	21,636	73.11%
Ferdi Mongo	DEM	7,956	26.89%

 
 
Texas Senate District 24
 
Incumbent Sen. Dawn Buckingham (R-Lakeway) opted to run for statewide office rather than seek reelection. Former Sen. Pete Flores (R) had the backing of Lt. Gov. Patrick and was hoping for an outright win, but he’ll face a runoff against Raul Reyes (R). Meanwhile, Kathy Jones-Hospod secured the Democratic nomination. There is also a Libertarian candidate, Holly Teel, on the ballot in November.

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Pete Flores	REP	38,024	46.03%
Lamar Lewis	REP	17,507	21.19%
Raul Reyes	REP	27,069	32.77%

 

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Kathy Jones-Hospod	DEM	20,566	79.95%
Jeremy Kohlwes	DEM	5,156	20.05%

 
 
Texas Senate District 27
 
Incumbent Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. (D-Brownsville) did not seek reelection. In this close race, Adam Hinojosa appears to have the Republican nomination by a slim margin. Morgan Lamantia and Sara Stapleton Barrera will face each other again in a runoff on the Democratic side. An independent candidate, Javier Rene Navarro, has announced his intent to run in November, too.

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Alex Dominguez	DEM	10,066	25.27%
Morgan Lamantia	DEM	13,445	33.75%
Sara Stapleton Barrera	DEM	13,037	32.73%
Salomon Torres	DEM	3,288	8.25%

 

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Adam Hinojosa	REP	13,314	50.97%
Israel Salinas	REP	3,768	14.43%
Raul Torres	REP	9,039	34.6%

 
 
Texas Senate District 31
 
Incumbent Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo) did not seek reelection. This is another “winner-takes-all” primary in which all the candidates were from the same (Republican) party, but Kevin Sparks scored the win last night without a runoff.

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Stormy Bradley	13,722	16.31%
Jesse Quackenbush	5,102	6.07%
Tim Reid	19,165	22.78%
Kevin Sparks	46,132	54.84%

 
 
Texas House District 13
 
Incumbent Rep. Ben Leman (R-Brenham) did not seek reelection. Angelia Orr won a tight race on the Republican side while Cedric Davis Sr. easily secured the Democratic nomination.

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Angelia Orr	REP	9,984	51.05%
Dennis D. Wilson	REP	9,573	48.95%

 

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Cedric Davis Sr.	DEM	2,424	73.1%
Cuevas Sean Peacock	DEM	892	26.9%

 
 
Texas House District 17
 
Incumbent Rep. John Cyrier (R-Lockhart) did not seek reelection. There will be a runoff for the Republican nomination, probably between Stan Gerdes and Paul Pape. The November general election ballot will also include Madeline Eden (D) and Linda Curtis (I).

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Jen Bezner	REP	1,358	6.51%
Stan Gerdes	REP	6,250	29.96%
Thomas Glass	REP	5,359	25.69%
Paul Pape	REP	5,783	27.72%
Trey Rutledge	REP	2,111	10.12%

 
 
Texas House District 19
 
Incumbent Rep. James White (R-Woodville) opted to run for statewide office instead of seeking reelection to the House. Democrat Pam Baggett will be on the November ballot, along with two independent candidates, Emilee Jordan and Kodi Elizabeth Sawin. They’ll compete against the winner of a Republican primary runoff, which appears to be set between top candidates Ellen Troxclair and Justin Berry.
 

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Justin Berry	REP	11,395	35.37%
Nubia Devine	REP	7,025	21.81%
Perla Hopkins	REP	1,472	4.57%
Ellen Troxclair	REP	12,324	38.25%

 
 
 
Texas House District 22
 
Incumbent Rep. Joe Deshotel (D-Beaumont) did not seek reelection. Jacorion Randle (R) and independent candidate Chad E. Gary will be on the November ballot, along with the winner of a Democratic primary runoff between Joseph Paul Trahan and Christian "Manuel" Hayes.

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Christian "Manuel" Hayes	DEM	4,426	42.71%
Joseph Paul Trahan	DEM	5,023	48.47%
Lisa C. Weber	DEM	915	8.83%

 
 
Texas House District 23
 
Incumbent Rep. Mayes Middleton (R-Wallisville) ran for Texas Senate instead of seeking reelection to the House this year. Vying to succeed him in HD 23 are Patrick Gurski (R) and former SBOE member Teresa Leo-Wilson (R), who will most likely meet again in a runoff. Democrat Keith G. Henry will also be on the ballot in November.

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Patrick Gurski	REP	5,191	31.36%
Teresa Leo-Wilson	REP	4,660	28.16%
Abel Longoria	REP	3,647	22.03%
Gina D. Smith	REP	3,053	18.45%

 
 
Texas House District 37
 
Incumbent Rep. Alex Dominguez (D) sought a Texas Senate seat instead of filing for reelection. In the Democratic primary, it appears current SBOE member Ruben Cortez will go up against Luis Villarreal Jr. in the May runoff. Janie Lopez secured the Republican nomination. Independent candidate Arnoldo Alonso announced his intent to run on the November ballot, too.

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Ruben Cortez	DEM	3,605	41.23%
Frank Puente	DEM	1,769	20.23%
Luis Villarreal Jr.	DEM	3,369	38.53%

 

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Janie Lopez	REP	4,733	69.37%
George Rivera	REP	2,090	30.63%

 
 
Texas House District 38
 
This seat was held by former Rep. Eddie Lucio III (D-Brownsville), who recently resigned. It was a “winner-takes-all” race in the Democratic primary between candidates Erin Elizabeth Gamez (D) and Jonathan Gracia (D). There will also be a special election in May to pick someone to serve the remainder of Lucio’s term this year, but with a win last night, Gamez will assume the office in January no matter who runs in the special election.

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Erin Elizabeth Gamez	5,415	58.26%
Jonathan Gracia	3,879	41.74%

 
 
Texas House District 50
 
Incumbent Rep. Celia Israel (D-Austin) decided not to seek reelection. Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin), who currently represents House District 52, is running in District 50 because of changes made to the electoral maps during redistricting last year. Talarico defeated David Alcorta (D) in the Democratic primary. The representative will be on the ballot in November against Victor Johnson (R) and Ted Brown (L).

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
David Alcorta	DEM	2,490	21.58%
James Talarico	DEM	9,051	78.42%

 
 
Texas House District 51
 
Incumbent Rep. Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin) sought election to a seat in the U.S. House this year instead of running for reelection. Lulu Flores (D) scored an impressive victory over six other candidates in the Democratic primary. She’ll face Robert Reynolds (R) in November.

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Cody Arn	DEM	268	2%
Albino "Bino" Cadenas	DEM	635	4.74%
Claire Campos-O'Neal	DEM	991	7.4%
Lulu Flores	DEM	8,074	60.26%
Mike Hendrix	DEM	498	3.72%
Cynthia Valadez-Mata	DEM	1,525	11.38%
Matt Worthington	DEM	1,408	10.51%

 
 
Texas House District 52
 
This seat is open because the incumbent, Rep. Talarico, is running in HD 50 instead. Candidate Luis Echegaray will be the Democrat on the ballot in November and will face the winner of a runoff in the Republican primary. As of this morning, the votes were too close to call.

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Caroline Harris	REP	5,095	31.36%
Nelson Jarrin	REP	4,187	25.77%
Patrick McGuinness	REP	5,706	35.12%
Jonathan Schober	REP	1,260	7.75%

 
 
Texas House District 61
 
Incumbent Rep. Phil King (R) is running for the Texas Senate this year instead of seeking reelection. Texas Parent PAC-endorsed Frederick Frazier (R) will compete against Paul Chabot (R) in a runoff. Democrat Sheena King will also be on the November ballot.

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Paul Chabot	REP	5,217	36.63%
Frederick Frazier	REP	6,018	42.25%
James Herblin	REP	3,009	21.12%

 
 
Texas House District 63
 
Incumbent Rep. Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound) is also hoping to move up to the Texas Senate this year and is not seeking reelection to his House seat. A Democratic candidate, H. Denise Wooten, will be on the November ballot, but a runoff will be needed on the Republican side. 

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Ben Bumgarner	REP	3,707	29.04%
Jake Collier	REP	2,431	19.04%
Nick Sanders	REP	3,122	24.45%
Jeff Younger	REP	3,507	27.47%

 
 
Texas House District 65
 
Incumbent Rep. Michelle Beckley (D-Carrollton) is running for lieutenant governor instead of seeking reelection to the House. Three Republicans competed for the right to represent her newly drawn House district, but Kronda Thimesch (R) won the nomination. Brittney Verdell (D) will be on the November ballot, too.

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Robert Cooksey	REP	2,020	13.95%
Peyton Inge	REP	3,820	26.38%
Kronda Thimesch	REP	8,639	59.67%

 
Texas House District 70
 
Incumbent Rep. Scott Sanford (R-McKinney) did not file for reelection. There will be runoffs in both the Republican and Democratic primaries to succeed him, but the votes were too close to call as of this morning.
 

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Eric J. Bowlin	REP	3,477	32.13%
Ladale A. Buggs	REP	237	2.19%
Daniel Chandler	REP	686	6.34%
Jamee Jolly	REP	4,106	37.94%
Hayden Padgett	REP	2,317	21.41%

 

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Cassandra Garcia Hernandez	DEM	2,480	34.14%
Mihaela Elizabeth Plesa	DEM	2,407	33.13%
Lorenzo Sanchez	DEM	2,378	32.73%

 
 
Texas House District 73
 
Incumbent Rep. Kyle Biedermann (R-New Braunfels) did not seek reelection. This Republican primary produced a runoff between Barron Casteel and Carrie Isaac. The November ballot will also include Justin Calhoun (D) and Brandon J. Snedeker Sr. (L).

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Barron Casteel	REP	12,966	45.63%
George Green	REP	2,726	9.59%
Carrie Isaac	REP	12,725	44.78%

 
 
Texas House District 76
 
The seat is open because redistricting caused incumbent Rep. Claudia Ordaz Perez to run in HD 79 instead. Democrats Suleman Lalani and Vanesia R. Johnson appear to be advancing to a runoff, while Dan Mathews had just over a majority on the Republican side.

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
James Burnett	DEM	1,694	19.29%
L. Sarah Demerchant	DEM	1,698	19.34%
Vanesia R. Johnson	DEM	2,172	24.74%
Suleman Lalani	DEM	3,216	36.63%

 

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Ramesh Cherivirala	REP	1,975	26.55%
Mike Khan	REP	1,626	21.86%
Dan Mathews	REP	3,838	51.59%

 
 
Texas House District 84
 
Incumbent Rep. John Frullo (R-Lubbock) did not run for reelection. All the candidates vying for this seat were Republicans, making this another winner-takes-all primary. This one is set up for a runoff in May between David Glasheen and Carl Tepper.

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
David Glasheen	4,886	41.88%
Cheryl Little	574	4.92%
Carl Tepper	4,691	40.21%
Kade Wilcox	1,515	12.99%

 
Texas House District 92
 
Incumbent Rep. Jeff Cason (R-Bedford) is not seeking reelection in this district that more heavily favors a Democratic candidate now due to redistricting changes. Three Democrats competed in the primary with Salman Bhojani securing the nomination. Republican Joe F. Livingston also will be on the November ballot.

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Salman Bhojani	DEM	3,707	57.51%
Tracy Scott	DEM	1,639	25.43%
Dinesh Sharma	DEM	1,100	17.06%

 
 
Texas House District 93
 
Incumbent Rep. Matt Krause (R-Ft. Worth) is running for Tarrant County District Attorney instead of seeking reelection. In the race to succeed him in the House, there will be a runoff on the Republican side between Nate Schatzline and Laura Hill. The winner will then face Democrat KC Chowdhury in November.

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Laura Hill	REP	4,188	36.53%
Cary Moon	REP	2,279	19.88%
Nate Schatzline	REP	4,997	43.59%

 
 
Texas House District 100
 
Incumbent Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Dallas) is running for the U.S. House and not seeking reelection to her Texas House seat. The Democratic primary race is headed to a runoff with Sandra Crenshaw in the lead and a very close race for second place. A Libertarian candidate, Joe Roberts, will also be on the November ballot.

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Daniel Clayton	DEM	1,945	23.08%
Sandra Crenshaw	DEM	2,883	34.21%
Marquis Hawkins	DEM	1,445	17.15%
Venton C. Jones	DEM	2,155	25.57%

 
 
Texas House District 114
 
Incumbent Rep. John Turner (D-Dallas) is not running for reelection this year. It appears that Alexandra Guio and former state representative John Bryant are most likely on their way to a Democratic primary runoff. Mark Hajdu (R) will also be on the November ballot.

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
John Bryant	DEM	2,458	21.21%
Charlie Gearing	DEM	2,010	17.34%
Alexandra Guio	DEM	2,857	24.65%
Chris Leal	DEM	2,073	17.89%
Kendall Scudder	DEM	2,191	18.91%

 
 
Texas House District 122
 
Incumbent Rep. Lyle Larson (R) is not seeking reelection. The November ballot will also feature Angi Aramburu (D) and Stephanie Berlin (L), along with the winner of a runoff in the Republican primary between Elisa Chan and Mark Dorazio.

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Adam Blanchard	REP	4,645	23.37%
Elisa Chan	REP	7,344	36.96%
Mark Cuthbert	REP	2,418	12.17%
Mark Dorazio	REP	5,465	27.5%

 
 
Texas House District 124
 
Incumbent Rep. Ina Minjarez (D) is running for a different office this year and not seeking reelection. Josey Garcia (D) picked up the win in the Democratic primary last night. Also vying for this seat on the November ballot will be Johnny Arredondo (R).

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Josey Garcia	DEM	4,887	69.92%
Steven Gilmore	DEM	526	7.53%
Gerald Lopez	DEM	1,576	22.55%

 
 
Texas House District 127
 
Incumbent Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood) is not seeking reelection, which opened the door for a winner-takes-all Republican primary race that has been won by Charles Cunningham (R).

CANDIDATE NAME	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Charles Cunningham	10,376	79.49%
Deanna Robertson	2,677	20.51%

 
 
Texas House District 133
 
Incumbent Rep. Jim Murphy (R-Houston) did not file for reelection. The November ballot for his seat will also include Mohamad Maarouf (D) and James Patrick Harren (L), along with the winner of a Republican primary runoff. Candidates Shelley Torian Barineau (R) and Mano Deayala (R) appeared to be leading the field in that race.

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Shelley Torian Barineau	REP	3,960	28.73%
Mano Deayala	REP	3,803	27.59%
Will Franklin	REP	1,791	13%
Bert Keller	REP	1,124	8.16%
Greg Travis	REP	3,104	22.52%

 
 
Texas House District 147
 
Rep. Garnet Coleman (D) announced he would retire this year and also decided to step down from his seat early at the end of February. Coleman’s departure spawned a crowded Democratic primary with seven candidates, plus two Republicans vying for the seat. A special election will be held May 7 to fill the representative’s unexpired term this year, but the November general election will determine who takes the seat for a full term in January 2023. Damien Thaddeus Jones (R) secured the Republican nomination last night, but we’re looking ahead to a runoff on the Democratic side between Jolanda Jones (D) and a second-place finisher not yet determined as of Wednesday morning.

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Reagan Denise Flowers	DEM	1,893	17.42%
Akwete Hines	DEM	269	2.48%
Somtoochukwu Ik-Ejiofor	DEM	344	3.17%
Jolanda Jones	DEM	4,523	41.63%
Danielle Keys Bess	DEM	2,170	19.97%
Namrata "Nam" Subramanian	DEM	750	6.9%
Aurelia Wagner	DEM	917	8.44%

 

CANDIDATE NAME	PARTY	TOTAL VOTES	PERCENT
Rashard Baylor	REP	802	46.07%
Damien Thaddeus Jones	REP	939	53.93%

 

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BALLOT PROPOSITIONS

 By Monty Exter, ATPE Senior Lobbyist

The major political parties often use the primary election to help shape their party platforms by asking voters’ opinions on various issues. The Republican Party of Texas (RPT) had 10 non-binding propositions on its 2022 primary ballot for its voters to answer “yes” if they agreed with the statement or “no” if they disagreed. The Texas Democratic Party did not include any such ballot propositions this year.
 
Here are the outcomes of the votes on the GOP ballot propositions, a few of which relate to public education issues such as curriculum and private school vouchers.

Republican Party Ballot Propositions for 2022:

Proposition No. 1	In light of the federal government’s refusal to defend the southern border, Texas should immediately deploy the National Guard, Texas Military Forces, and necessary state law enforcement to seal the border, enforce immigration laws, and deport illegal aliens.	93% of Texas Republican primary voters agreed, while 7% disagreed
Proposition No. 2	Texas should eliminate all property taxes within ten (10) years without implementing a state income tax.	76% of Texas Republican primary voters agreed, while 24% disagreed
Proposition No. 3	Texans should not lose their jobs, nor should students be penalized, for declining a COVID-19 vaccine.	89% of Texas Republican primary voters agreed, while 11% disagreed
Proposition No. 4	Texas schools should teach students basic knowledge and American exceptionalism and reject Critical Race Theory and other curricula that promote Marxist doctrine and encourage division based on creed, race, or economic status.	91% of Texas Republican primary voters agreed, while 9% disagreed
Proposition No. 5	Texas should enact a State Constitutional Amendment to defend the sanctity of innocent human life, created in the image of God, from fertilization until natural death.	83% of Texas Republican primary voters agreed, while 17% disagreed
Proposition No. 6	The Republican-controlled Texas Legislature should end the practice of awarding committee chairmanships to Democrats.	81% of Texas Republican primary voters agreed, while 19% disagreed
Proposition No. 7	Texas should protect the integrity of our elections by verifying that registered voters are American citizens, restoring felony penalties and enacting civil penalties for vote fraud, and fighting any federal takeover of state elections.	96% of Texas Republican primary voters agreed, while 4% disagreed
Proposition No. 8	Texas should ban chemical castration, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and genital mutilation surgery on all minor children for sex transition purposes.	93% of Texas Republican primary voters agreed, while 7% disagreed
Proposition No. 9	Texas parents and guardians should have the right to select schools, whether public or private, for their children, and the funding should follow the student.	87.5% of Texas Republican primary voters agreed, while 12.5% disagreed
Proposition No. 10	Texans affirm that our freedoms come from God and that the government should have no control over the conscience of individuals.	93% of Texas Republican primary voters agreed, while 7% disagreed

Ballot propositions are value statements put forth by a party to its share of the electorate. Although the subtext of ballot propositions may be more controversial, the ballot text historically tends to be drafted as a broad statement designed to draw in wide support. As noted above, primary ballot propositions have no force of law, but they are often used by political parties to help shape party platforms and influence lawmakers affiliated with the party when they vote on proposed legislation. 
 
Two of the 10 Republican ballot propositions this year spoke directly to public education. Proposition No. 4 calls for “Texas schools [to] teach students basic knowledge and American exceptionalism and reject critical race theory [CRT] and other curricula that promote Marxist doctrine and encourage division based on creed, race, or economic status.”
 
Rejecting the promotion of Marxist doctrine or the encouragement of division based on creed, race, or economic status sounds like a simple statement of mainstream American values, evidenced by the support of 91% of voters in the Republican primary. However, the proposition language does not define what might be labeled as CRT, Marxist doctrine, or racially or economically divisive. For example, former RPT party chair and failed gubernatorial candidate Allen West seems to believe public education itself is Marxist. As has been reported by ATPE and numerous other entities and individuals, Texas public schools, with exceedingly rare exception, do not currently teach CRT or promote Marxist doctrine.  
 
The second proposition directly related to public education, Proposition No. 9, asked if “Texas parents and guardians should have the right to select schools, whether public or private, for their children, and the funding should follow the student.” Eighty-seven percent of Republican primary voters agreed with this statement, which is intended to a be a proxy for private school voucher support. However, when asked directly about vouchers, which send public tax dollars to unaccountable private entities, the majority of Texans express opposition to them according to numerous polls.  
 
Proposition No. 2did not directly mention schools in the way Propositions Nos. 4 and 9 did, but it suggests an idea that would have a huge impact on public education if it ever became law. Proposition No. 2 asked whether “Texas should eliminate all property taxes within ten (10) years without implementing a state income tax.” Nearly two-thirds of the funding for Texas public education is generated by property taxes, in addition to those taxes’ providing significant funding for other public services such as police and fire. That the proposition provides no viable alternative funding mechanism for these critical services is perhaps why it is an outlier in terms of voters’ support for the proposition. Proposition two did still receive support from 76% of Republican primary voters who weighed in, but that is considerably weaker support than the other propositions received (about 90%, on average).