Texas Scorecard by Brandon Waltens | May 20, 2024
Incumbents campaigning against colleagues has been a forbidden practice. Now it’s a three-day tour.There’s been an unwritten rule in the Texas House for a long time: incumbent members should never campaign against other incumbents.
Known by some as the “Incumbent Protection Program,” the “tradition” was so pervasive a few years ago, that the Texas House Republican Caucus actually enshrined the prohibition in their rules and has threatened to censure members who dare to violate it.
And so when I say it is remarkable that a group of incumbent and incoming legislators hit the road for three days to travel 1,000 miles around the state exposing their colleagues for cozying up to liberal leadership and killing conservative priorities, I mean it.
This is far from business as usual. This hasn’t been done before.
The Silver Bullet Tour, hosted by Gun Owners of America, started last Wednesday in Burleson with a campaign rally for Helen Kerwin, who is challenging State Rep. DeWayne Burns.
It wound through the metroplex, making stops for David Lowe (who is challenging State Rep. Stephanie Klick), Andy Hopper (who is challenging State Rep. Lynn Stucky), and Katrina Pierson (who is challenging State Rep. Justin Holland).
It wasn’t all smooth sailing.
The group encountered a torrential storm as they traveled to Beaumont.
But despite the weather and the long distances, the coalition trekked on, taking major shots as they told voters the record of the incumbents.
At a stop in Denton for Andy Hopper, State Rep. Brian Harrison rebuked the notion that those members seeking to pass the legislative priorities of the Republican Party of Texas were extreme.
“The only extremism in the Texas House comes from our liberal drunk Speaker Dade Phelan,” Harrison told the crowd at Robson Ranch to raucous applause.
Incumbents ignoring the grassroots was a common theme among all who joined the tour.
More:
https://texasscorecard.com/analysis/what-a-1000-mile-bus-trip-says-about-the-shifting-balance-of-power-in-austin/
