NICK WAGNER/AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Three Republican incumbents seeking re-election — Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Attorney General Ken Paxton and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller — were in unusually close races as they narrowly led their Democratic challengers by single-digit margins as results poured in Tuesday night.
But Gov. Greg Abbott easily fended off Democratic challenger Lupe Valdez to win a second term although his margin of victory wasn’t nearly as large as it was four years ago when he faced off against former state Sen. Wendy Davis.
In 2014, Abbott and other statewide Republicans won by double-digit margins. On Tuesday, they were poised to win by single-digit ones — if at all.
Patrick — whom some considered among the more vulnerable statewide Republicans — was leading Democratic challenger Mike Collier by less than 3 points. Meanwhile, Paxton — a Republican incumbent who has served most of his first term under criminal indictment for securities fraud — was neck-and-neck with his Democratic opponent, Justin Nelson. Nelson made Paxton’s indictment the centerpiece of his campaign as Paxton ran a mostly under-the-radar campaign until the final weeks of the contest.
Acknowledging that Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s nationally watched race against Democratic U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke could be close, Paxton on Monday said in a radio interview that his campaign was taking this year’s election seriously.
“Mine could be close,” he said.
A similar story played out with Sid Miller, the state’s controversial, and colorful agriculture commissioner, who held a slim lead over Democrat Kim Olson, a retired air force colonel who has led a spirited challenge.
Still, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar and Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush seemed poised for victory, leading their Democratic challengers by healthy margins.
Abbott’s re-election to a second term had been in little danger throughout a campaign that has consistently shown him to be the heavy favorite. During his first term, Abbott drew largely positive reviews for his role as the state’s commander-in-chief in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. He also urged Congress to reform the “broken immigration system” and worked behind the scenes on a pitch to fix public school financing.
Valdez, a former Dallas County sheriff, made headlines as the first openly gay and Latina candidate to win a major party’s gubernatorial nomination in Texas, a title she notched after beating Andrew White in a tight Democratic runoff. During the only gubernatorial debate of the race, she came out swinging against Abbott in September, attacking him on Hurricane Harvey relief funding and guns in classrooms.
But she has long been the race’s clear underdog, plagued by a disorganized, poorly funded campaign since she stumbled over her announcement in 2017. Polls have consistently highlighted Abbott’s dominant advantage over Valdez — as did his fundraising totals easily dwarfed hers. Facing little competition in his own campaign for re-election, Abbott spent the early voting period campaigning for down-ballot Republicans in tighter races.
Despite coming under fire recently for potential conflicts of interest relating to her financial stakes in the West Texas oil and gas industry, Christi Craddick, the incumbent Republican railroad commissioner, was handily leading her longshot challenger, Democrat Roman McAllen.
Boosted by strong name recognition among voters and a sizable campaign war chest, Craddick, the daughter of former Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick, secured an early lead of seven points.
Texas Republicans were also poised to hold their hegemony on the state’s two high courts.
Three incumbent Republicans on the Texas Supreme Court — Justice Jimmy Blacklock, Justice Jeff Brown and Justice John Devine — held slim leads in early voting totals Tuesday evening. The strongest showing from a Democrat came from R.K. Sandill, a district judge in Houston who emerged as the best-funded Democratic challenger this election cycle.
The trend was the same on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, where two Republican incumbents — Presiding Judge Sharon Keller and Judge Barbara Hervey — seemed poised for victory along with Republican Michelle Slaughter, who is running for an open seat without a Democratic opponent.
Source: Texas Tribune Blue Government News
