‘U.S.’ Beats ‘Them’ in Texas Republican Primaries
With School Choice Focus, Voters Reject House Establishment Candidates
The Them vs. U.S. divide made a strong showing in the Texas Republican primary as voters in 16 highly contested state House of Representatives races chose insurgent candidates over establishment incumbents with six wins, another four headed into runoffs and only six of the 16 retaining their seats.
These results are consistent with a recent Them vs. U.S.: The Two Americas and How the Nation’s Elite Is Out of Touch with Average Americans study.
The Committee to Unleash Prosperity authored the report and opened with this finding:
The people who run America, or at least think they do, live in a bubble of their own construction. They’ve isolated themselves from everyday America’s realities to such a degree their views about what is and what should be happening in this country differ widely from the average American’s.
School choice was not only a major statewide primary issue, but it illustrates the Them vs. U.S. divide. The embattled 16 incumbents were part of a 21-member House Republican coalition that, during the most recent Texas legislative session, joined with Democrats to neuter a major education bill over its inclusion of an Education Savings Account provision. The five other members chose to not seek reelection.
In detailing “some of the profound attitudinal differences between elites and average Americans,” the report findings further included:
In stark contrast to the rest of America, 70% of the Elites trust the government to “do the right thing most of the time.”
Two-thirds (67%) say teachers and other educational professionals should decide what children are taught rather than letting parents decide.
With the first point, think government-run (public) schools. And regarding the second, remember public schools with dismal-to-failing academic test scores, sexually explicit library books, critical race theory curriculum, gender ideology and last, but not least – pedophile teachers.
Per Them, America’s elites, teachers and educational professionals should decide what children are taught. Yet for U.S., parents instead prefer deciding to not embrace every bad decision or trendy, often untested and even dangerous policy or curriculum dictate sent out by the public education industry including, but not limited to, the “Union of Professionals” Texas AFT (an organization affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers and AFL-CIO), the National Education Association-affiliated Texas State Teachers Association, the Texas Association of School Administrators, the Texas Association of School Boards or the American Library Association.
And the March primary shows parents plainly have a different preference.
In addition to being the electoral battleground for the anti-school choice incumbents, the Republican primary ballot contained a proposition asking voters if “Texas parents and guardians should have the right to select schools, whether public or private, for their children, and the funding should follow the student.”
Statewide results found 79.53% saying yes to the measure. The same measure was on the 2022 Republican primary ballot and received 87.78% support. A 2012 Republican primary ballot similarly featured a proposition that “allowed parents the freedom to choose their child’s school.” Statewide, 84.6 percent voted in favor of that measure.
While school choice opponents may celebrate the apparent decline of school choice support within just two years, this decrease is easily explainable when factoring the aggressive public education industry get-out-the-vote effort that included encouraging Democrats to vote in Texas’ open Republican primary system.
Voting on a curve
An aggressive public ed campaign likely decreased votes supporting the school choice ballot proposition while helping to boost vote totals for anti-school choice incumbents. Grading on a curve, the long-time performance inflating school practice, seems the strategy similarly deployed during this election.
Ahead of the Republican primary, the following was noted:
Texas’ Democrat-led public education system has a big challenge this primary election cycle and if overcoming it requires hook or crook, crook in the form of Democrats voting in Republican primaries seems the chosen option.
The challenge is the protection and preservation of public education’s monopolistic hold on Texas K-12 students as discussed in School Choice Debate Shows Texas Public Ed More “For the System” than “For the Children.” And the course of action it seems is Democrats planning to vote in Republican primaries.
The public education industry views Texas’ recent movement toward school choice legislation as a major threat and has therefore adopted a “kill it in the crib” mentality. Can’t win on substance (i.e., the issue)? Then up next is style meaning that with few areas having significantly competitive Democrat races, targeting Republican primary contests becomes the emerging strategy.
A disturbing handout from a Raise Your Hand Texas advocacy training session further highlighted public education’s election influence efforts.
As the public education industry never appreciates challenges to its dominance of the K-12 domain, school-related electioneering allegations ahead of the March 5 primary reinforce that point. And in that context, a Raise Your Hand Texas advocacy handout takes on new significance with regard to school employee privacy and voting rights.
The handout is used in school board trainings and features three categories of electoral activism: Electoral Engagement, Issue Development & Campaigns and Effective Communications. An “Activate” sub-category under Electoral Engagement offers three action items including “Track and report on staff member voting rates.”
And then there is old-fashioned, in-your-face electioneering that has been alleged throughout the state. And while most of these cases suggest blatant wrongdoing instigated by school districts, a Bell County case points to state Rep. Hugh Shine’s potential illegality and promotion of further bad acts by at least one of his district’s school systems.
In retrospect, parent empowerment margins of victory may have been even greater than final totals show as the Democrats’ vote dilution strategy appears to have achieved some degree of success.
Your local Them isn’t happy with U.S.
The Them vs. U.S. divide has been on full display across the state with my local Bell County a perfect example. Insurgent candidate Hillary Hickland first challenging and then defeating incumbent Hugh Shine – 53.1% to 39.5% - has been met with an increasingly angry Bellstocracy. And despite the November general election still ahead, no doubt discussions of a 2026 challenger are already underway. The Bellstocracy can’t allow such a victory to become a trend. Even The Texas Tribune acknowledges Hickland’s was not just any win.
Them is your local Bellstocracy, the establishment in your community. Them is not used to being challenged, certainly not used to losing and likely angry over outcomes of the recent election.
Who in your community comprises Them? A self-appointed kingmaker cabal, Them is usually longtime or influential residents, business owners, politicians, other government officials and of course, the local “cool kids.” Them has wide-ranging influence that includes ensuring election of the “right” representation to serve establishment interests and expects full U.S. “support your local oligarch” participation.
A movement emerges
Emergence of insurgent challengers coupled with enthusiastic U.S. support that threatens or results in electoral victory demonstrates people are waking up to realize their lives are too often run by a combination of establishment-centered politicians, unelected/unaccountable bureaucrats and influential cabals with self-interested agendas often in conflict with the people’s best interests.
It's pro-citizen, taxpayer-centered candidates who are gaining popularity over historically pro-government, special interest focused politicians. It’s people choosing representation demonstrably reflective of their priorities and values that’s on the upswing.
Keep the momentum going forward
The people are on a roll. They’ve had enough of disconnected politicians. It’s not always easy to vote against a controlling authority, but it’s a critical piece of re-establishing a system that works for more than a chosen few or a monopolistic bureaucracy; the elite, the establishment or whatever other name with which they may be tagged.
U.S. is flexing our electoral muscle while Them no doubt crafts both short- and long-term responses. Don’t let Them undercut this powerful primary victory. Maintaining momentum is important across the board, but it’s especially critical for those living in districts with May 28 primary runoffs. Turnout is key so getting back to the polls is a must.
We’re seeing rejections of establishment candidates at the federal and state levels. And we’re seeing it at local levels. It may be a little uncomfortable at work, school, church or even the grocery store, but your life, your livelihood, your family, your kids, the future of our country (!) are worth it.
The people are well served with the energy shown this primary season. Let’s keep the momentum going forward!
Lou Ann Anderson is a writer, former radio producer and current podcaster at Political Pursuits. Her tenure as Watchdog Wire–Texas editor involved covering state news and coordinating the site’s citizen journalist network. As a past Policy Analyst with Americans for Prosperity–Texas, Lou Ann wrote and spoke on a variety of issues including the growing issue of probate abuse in which wills, trusts, guardianships and powers of attorney are used to loot assets from intended heirs or beneficiaries. She holds a degree from the University of North Texas in Denton.