How contentious primary races could further polarize the Texas House

More than a dozen Republican lawmakers are facing primary election challengers from the conservative ideological pole of their party on Tuesday, as two prominent right-wing megadonors look to gain ground in the halls of the Capitol this cycle. Similarly, at least two Democrats running for reelection to the Texas House are facing challengers backed by a political organization looking to elect “better” Democrats to the statehouse. The outcome of many of these primary races likely will determine the victor in the general election, after lawmakers reduced the number of competitive districts statewide during the decennial redistricting process last year, drawing more districts that heavily favor one party or the other. If elected, political experts said the challengers would deepen divisions within each party, draw the state further to the right on key issues and create further polarization at the statehouse.

“What you’re seeing right now is both parties being reactionary, and they’re moving further and further apart — primarily because you’re seeing a split within the nation and people are frustrated,” said Eric McDaniel, a University of Texas political science professor. “Party is such a strong part of people’s identity, and you have kind of a purity test going on at both parties.” In the final weeks ahead of the Tuesday primary, a political action committee bankrolled by billionaires Tim Dunn of Midland and Farris Wilks of Cisco has poured millions of dollars into the campaign coffers of nearly 20 Republican challengers to incumbent GOP House members, according to campaign finance reports. The Defend Texas Liberty PAC raised $5.4 million in the weeks preceding the election — primarily from Dunn and Wilks, who earned their fortunes in the West Texas oil patch — and then doled out all of those dollars to campaigns across Texas. As of Feb. 22, the PAC had $377,238 remaining in the bank. The biggest contributions from the PAC have gone to Don Huffines, a former state senator from Dallas challenging two-term Gov. Greg Abbott. Huffines’ campaign received multiple donations from the PAC in the latest fundraising period, totaling $2.6 million.