Texas Republicans have only one real choice for governor if they want to hold power
Gov. Greg Abbott is politically besieged on all sides.
Democrat Beto O’Rourke, assured of winning his primary, is blasting away from the left. On the right, Republican challengers are pointing to every conservative priority that hasn’t happened to the GOP base’s satisfaction and blaming Abbott.
We’ve disagreed heartily with some of the governor’s recent steps. But he’s the best choice for Republicans in their primary. Indeed, he’s the only viable choice.
Abbott, like many public officials, had to tread an unknown path in the early days of COVID-19. He courageously implemented a mask mandate, and his gradual plan to reopen business was the most realistic way to balance the tradeoffs required as the pandemic dragged on.
We lament that he overruled himself to satisfy the noisiest parts of his base. Abbott, 64, has always governed and campaigned with a determination to let no one get to his right, and that instinct served him poorly here.
But we shouldn’t lose sight of his overall achievements. Texas maintains a strong business climate, allowing sustained economic growth that benefits all. In his tenure, state funding of schools has improved. And Abbott’s response to the power grid failure, while far from perfect, included important reforms of ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission.
Abbott’s primary opponents are spirited. Former Dallas state Sen. Don Huffines’ campaign amounts to a taunt of Abbott’s toughness. Huffines, 63, suggests that if only a governor stuck his chest out a little further, complex problems such as border security and property taxes would be magically fixed.
Retired Army Lt. Col. Allen West of Garland, a popular figure among hard-core conservatives, is mainly campaigning on how great Allen West is. Why Texans would want a one-term former Florida congressman who flopped as a think-tank chief and had a short, fractious tenure as Texas GOP chairman to be governor is beyond us.
Chad Prather, 49, of Burleson, is an affable entertainer, but he and a host of other challengers aren’t ready for a top political office. (Among them is a Springtown man named Rick Perry, but to be clear, he’s not the former governor.)
The goal for Huffines, West and the others is to drag Abbott into a runoff in hopes that only the furthest-right voters care enough to show up for Round 2 in May. If they pull it off, it’ll be the greatest gift possible to O’Rourke.
Republicans who want to win in November and lock in hard-won conservative gains shouldn’t let that happen.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHey, who is behind these endorsements?
Members of the Editorial Board, which serves as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s institutional voice, decide candidates and positions to recommend to voters. The members of the board are: Cynthia M. Allen, columnist; Steve Coffman, editor and president; Bud Kennedy, columnist; Ryan J. Rusak, opinion editor; and Nicole Russell, opinion writer.
Members of our Community Advisory Board may also participate in candidate interviews and offer their views, but they do not vote on which candidate to recommend.
Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.
How does the process work?
The Editorial Board interviews candidates, asking about positions on issues, experience and qualifications, and how they would approach holding the office for which they are running. Board members do additional research on candidates’ backgrounds and the issues at hand. After that, members discuss the candidates and generally aim to arrive at a consensus, though not necessarily unanimity. All members contribute observations and ideas, so the resulting editorials represent the board’s view, not a particular writer.
How do partisanship and ideology factor in?
We’re not tied to one party or the other, and our positions on issues range across the ideological spectrum. We tend to prefer candidates who align with our previously stated positions, but qualifications, temperament and experience are important, too.
This story was originally published February 13, 2022 at 5:03 AM.