Texas will launch the 2022 midterm elections Tuesday. It will host a series of major primaries that could give clues about both parties’ direction, including a closely-watched Democratic congressional race and several Republican fights for statewide office.
The polls open at 7 a.m. CT and close in the west at 7 p.m. MT.
One of the marquees matches features Rep. Henry Cuellar. He is a centrist Democrat and will face another challenger from Jessica Cisneros. Cisneros is a progressive human right lawyer who he defeated in the 2020 primary. The January FBI raid at Cuellar’s house and campaign office was part of an investigation into U.S. businessmen’s ties with Azerbaijan.
Cuellar denied any wrongdoing, and has maintained a low profile ever since the raid. The race was a generational, and ideological battle. Cuellar (66) points out Cisneros support for the liberal left, raising doubts about her ability to be elected in a Democratic-leaning area where Republicans hope gains. Cisneros (28), describes herself as a candidate for change.
The race for governor, which was a high-stakes contest before actor Matthew McConaughey decided to run, appears headed for a November matchup between Republican incumbent Greg Abbott or Democrat Beto O’Rourke.
O’Rourke is the front-runner, and a former presidential candidate who lost in a tight Senate race in 2018. Abbott is also , with a catch. There are two aggressive opponents to him: Allen West, who was the former GOP chair in Texas and Don Huffines (a former state senator). Abbott’s opponents have criticised his handling of the pandemic in its early stages, but have pushed him to on other issues.
However, Abbott is well-funded and has the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. Recent University of Texas at Austin survey showed that the governor was leading the GOP field with 60% of the vote. This is more than enough to eliminate the need for a runoff of 50 percent.
Another top-statewide primary pits Republican AttorneyGeneral Ken Paxton against Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush and Rep. Louie Gohmert, as well as Eva Guzman (a former justice of the state Supreme Court). The clash between Paxton, who is Trump’s endorsed candidate, and Jeb Bush, the son of defeated Trump rival Jeb Bush has been the focus of much of the attention.
Recent polls show Paxton leading, but could be heading for a runoff. Bush polled in second place, but the U.T. According to an Austin poll, he was closely matched by Guzman or Gohmert.
Attention is also being paid to the race for Bush’s successor as land commissioner. The job is open to eight Republicans and four Democrats. The Alamo is a Texas landmark and the commissioner oversees cultural debates about the history of the revolution, including the role of slavery, according to a report from The Dallas Morning News.
State Sen. Dana White stated that “there will not be any reconstruction of the Alamo under mine watch.” Dawn Buckingham, a leading candidate to be a land commissioner, spoke to the newspaper in January.
Trump mentioned Buckingham’s Alamo position when he endorsed her last year. Trump has endorsed over 30 candidates in Texas, the majority of which are incumbents.
