House Minority Whip Steve Scalise will rally Tarrant Republicans
Rep Steve Scalise, the Louisiana lawmaker shot in the hip 2 1/2 years ago during a congressional baseball practice, is heading to Tarrant County to rally fellow Republicans.
Scalise, the House Minority Whip, will be the keynote speaker Feb. 8 during at the Tarrant County Lincoln Day Dinner.
“Tarrant is one of the top 10 must-win counties for President Trump in 2020,” said Kaye Moreno, the event chair. “Having a high-ranking member of the Congressional Republican leadership participate in this event shows the level of importance that Tarrant County has on the national stage.”
Scalise, 54, was among the Republicans practicing for the annual congressional baseball game on June 14, 2017, when a gunman started firing. Then-U.S. Rep. Joe Barton of Ennis, team manager, and U.S. Rep. Roger Williams of Austin, team coach, were also at the practice.
Scalise was at second base when he was shot in the hip. He underwent multiple surgeries and months of recovery before returning to Congress.
Many believe Tarrant is a bellwether that serves as a guide to any political shift that might happen in Texas. The percentage of Tarrant voters backing Republicans in presidential elections matched the statewide results in 2008, 2012 and 2016.
Then, in the fierce 2018 battle for the U.S. Senate, Republican Ted Cruz won his re-election bid, but lost Tarrant County by 3,869 votes to Democrat Beto O’Rourke.
The question is whether Tarrant County — which was named one of “10 counties that will decide the 2020 election” by The Hill in Washington, D.C. — will come through this year for President Donald Trump.
The annual Lincoln Day Dinner raises money for the Tarrant County Republican Party year-round. For the first time, the dinner this year be on the field of AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Texas is considered a crown jewel for Super Tuesday, when voters in 10 states head to the primary polls on March 3.
This story was originally published January 6, 2020 at 4:15 PM.
