Kay Granger has Trump’s support. Here’s why it might not be enough to win her primary.
The Republican primary for the 12th Congressional District is one of the hottest races in town.
In this race, U.S. Rep. Kay Granger — a 77-year-old former Fort Worth mayor, teacher and insurance agent who has represented this district since 1997 — is seeking a 13th term in office.
She’s being challenged by Chris Putnam, a well-funded 50-year-old former Colleyville city councilman who has put more than $250,000 of his own money into this campaign and turned up the heat by questioning, for instance, whether Granger is pro-choice.
“Putnam represents Granger’s first credible election challenge in either the Republican primary or general election in 24 years,” said Mark P. Jones, a political science professor at Rice University. “Given that she has not had to campaign for two dozen years ... one would not want to completely count out Chris Putnam.”
Some may have thought this GOP race was all but over when Granger, the highest ranking Republican on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, drew a coveted endorsement from President Donald Trump.
They would have been wrong.
Recently, Putnam picked up support from The Club for Growth, an anti-tax group that is funding about $1 million in ads against Granger. Club for Growth officials say they try to get the candidates they believe are the most conservative into office.
At stake is a two-year term that pays $174,000 a year. The district includes the western part of Tarrant County, all of Parker County and the eastern part of Wise County.
Early voting for the March 3 primary runs from Feb. 18-28.
The winner will face the winner of the Democratic primary, either Lisa Welch or Danny Anderson.
Opponent says Kay Granger is pro-choice
One of the biggest issues in the race right now is whether Granger is pro-choice.
Commercials on behalf of Putnam have been airing, showing a video clip from 2007 in which Granger referred to herself as a “pro-choice Republican.”
The ad, funded by the Protect Freedom PAC, replays a TV interview where Granger said 13 years ago that abortion is a decision a woman makes “with her own self and her own physician, and her own family.”
“If that is the best that Putnam and company can come up with, I don’t think Granger has all that much to worry about,” Jones said.
Granger maintains that she is pro-life and that her position on the issue has evolved since 2007. She has voted to ban federal health coverage that includes abortion, restrict interstate transportation of minors for abortions and ban partial-birth abortion except to save a mother’s life, drawing a 0% score from NARAL Pro-Choice America, records show.
Trump tweeted support for Granger in December, stating that she “has worked hard for Texas and been a strong supporter of our #MAGA Agenda. She’s strong on #2A and Securing our Border and is 100% pro-life. Kay has my Complete and Total Endorsement!”
Rebecca Deen, chairwoman and associate professor at UT Arlington’s political science department, said she’s not sure Trump’s endorsement is enough to lock in a win for Granger, but she said it helps balance “the impact of her 2007 statement about being a pro-choice Republican.”
National Right to Life, which praised Granger’s perfect 100% pro-life record in the 116th Congress, endorsed the incumbent.
“You are a strong advocate for life,” the group’s letter of support for Granger stated. “This endorsement reflects your commitment to strengthening a culture of life throughout the nation and in the U.S. House. We look forward to working with you to protect the most vulnerable members of the human family.”
Putnam released audio where Granger recently said at a campaign event that she was pro-choice. Her campaign said she misspoke.
Putnam said he has made his position on the issue clear. “I will not stop defending the unborn and will lead on pro-life issues in Congress.”
The Texas Right to Life PAC has endorsed Putnam and encouraged others to support him, too.
“The political establishment fears candidates like Chris Putnam because he has a record proving voters can trust his resolve to defend our most foundational rights, especially the Right to Life, regardless of what the establishment wants,” the group said in a statement.
Is Kay Granger conservative enough?
Granger is known for working behind the scenes to help her district, from spearheading the Panther Island enterprise — a $1.17 billion project that would reshape the Trinity River north of downtown Fort Worth — to being a staunch defender of the military and F-35 fighter jets, built in Fort Worth by Lockheed Martin.
An independent review of Panther Island last summer found confusion surrounding the project and suggested changes to the management structure. In October, the Trinity River Vision Authority changed the role of J.D. Granger, the former executive director of the TRVA and the son of Granger.
Putnam made the news in 2017 when he tweeted he would “call ICE to let them know” about a public Chorizo & Menudo breakfast community gathering in Fort Worth where attendees talked about a then-new Texas immigration law. “Blog other meet times/locations so we can help enforce the law,” Putnam tweeted.
Some say this primary fight is a battle between grassroots and establishment Republicans.
Others disagree.
“There is a conservative vs liberal divide,” Julie McCarty, who headed the NE Tarrant Tea Party that has renamed itself the True Texas Project, told the Star-Telegram by email. “Granger is a 24-year dinosaur in politics who believes in cronyism and has one of the most liberal voting records of any Republican in Congress.”
The Congressional Leadership Fund is among those backing Granger, releasing ads on her behalf, such as one that features Trump thanking Granger for her work on his agenda.
“When he needs help, President Trump turns to Kay Granger because he knows no one delivers for Texas the way she does,” said Calvin Moore, a spokesman for the leadership fund.
Some describe the race as a Washington insider versus a conservative outsider.
Granger has raised $1.5 million in this race, which includes more than $730,000 contributed from other committees, and has nearly $774,000 in cash on hand. Putnam has received $535,593, which includes a $250,000 loan from himself, and he has $407,000 in the bank, federal election records show.
Political observers note that House incumbents generally win primary elections.
“But every cycle, there usually is an upset or two,” said Kyle Kondik, managing editor for Larry J. Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics. “It is hard to know what the real state of play is in the TX-12 primary, but the amount of money being spent and the involvement of outside groups like the Club for Growth suggests that this may indeed be a competitive race.”
Granger, Putnam earn multiple endorsements
Putnam and Granger have sent out a flurry of emails announcing endorsements, above and beyond those showing Trump and the National Right to Life’s support for Granger and The Club for Growth and Texas Right to Life’s support for Putnam.
Among them:
▪ Former Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell, the Susan B. Anthony List, National Association of Realtors and state Reps. Charlie Geren, Craig Goldman and Phil King for Granger.
▪ Parker County Commissioner George Conley, Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn, Hudson Oaks Mayor Marc Povero and former Tarrant County GOP Chairmen Steve Hollern, Tim O’Hare and Darl Easton for Putnam.
“These ... are nice, adding legitimacy to the candidates, but we are talking voters who barely know who their legislator is, much less state rep and county party chairs,” said Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha, who heads the political science department at the University of North Texas in Denton.
The Club for Growth endorsement is key for Putnam because it comes with big bucks that can take his campaign far.
And in a year where some might be tempted to skip the Republican primary to vote for a presidential candidate in the crowded Democratic primary field, those who vote in the GOP primary likely will be the most ardent Republicans.
“I’m not sure that’s good news for the congresswoman, as those folks might be more persuaded by the efforts of Club for Growth,” Deen said.
Even so, “Putnam has a tall hill to climb” in this race, Eshbaugh-Soha said.
This story was originally published February 10, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
