AUSTIN, Texas — The Republican runoff race in House District 21 has statewide implications as incumbent Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan is challenged by political newcomer David Covey.
Former Gov. Rick Perry made the case for Phelan at a campaign event Monday night in Beaumont. Across town, Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller did the same for Covey.
Covey has secured endorsements from former President Donald Trump, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton who all want to see Phelan ousted.
For the next week, Phelan and Covey are trying to get as many of their supporters to the polls.
“This might be the future of the Republican Party. Is the Texas House going to be the Texas House, or is the Texas House going to be a holy home subsidiary of the Texas Senate? I can’t allow that to happen. We have to have two independent chambers that can run and function as grown men and grown women,” said Phelan.
Perry is one of Phelan’s only state level endorsers.
“You know what happens if you got a freshman member of the legislature? He’s not even a speed bump,” said Perry.
Both questioned what Covey could do as a freshman lawmaker for the district that Phelan couldn’t do.
“I reduced tuition by 50% for our three two-year colleges, Lamar Orange, Lamar Porter Arthur and LIT. That has to be in the budget next cycle, or guess what? It goes up 50%,” said Phelan.
Meanwhile, Covey spoke with his supporters who say they want someone who represents their party’s values.
“We’re a conservative district, but he gave power to the Democrats and enabled them to pass their legislation,” said Covey.
Covey and many GOP leaders, who want to see Phelan ousted, blame him for the failure of the school voucher bill, which would allow public dollars to be used for private schools.
“We have to empower parents to make the best decision for their kids that they can. And so the speaker came to that vote, and he abstained from voting, so why would he abstain when the kids of Texas are at stake,” said Covey.
Experts suggest this runoff race isn’t about changing minds.
“I think a lot of what the race will come down to is whether people have positive images of things Phelan has done in office in terms of disaster relief and other issues, verses whether they think he’s gone far enough on some causes that are near and dear to cultural conservatives.,” James Nelson, a Lamar University professor of political science, said.
Phelan’s supporters come mainly from Beaumont and Jefferson County.
“I’m concerned at how Republicans are attacking one of their own people in Dade Phelan,” said Andy Jirrels, a Beaumont resident.
Covey’s support comes from his home in Orange County.
“As speaker of the House, you’re invested in the whole state and all the districts all over. You’ve got to juggle a lot of things. I think it’s time we have somebody that’s going to be fully invested in House District 21,” Brian Elliott, an Orange County resident, said.
Jasper County is the third county that makes up House District 21.
Experts suggest the rural makeup could drive more conservative voters seeking a change in leadership to the polls. There is no Democratic candidate, so whoever wins this race will be the presumed representative for this area.
Rents nationwide have cooled from historic highs, according to the latest inflation figures. Austin, Texas, is one of the places where rents are showing a downward trend, but lower-income families say their rents are often staying the same or even increasing. Blair Waltman-Alexin of Austin PBS reports.
Elon Musk’s tunneling company, The Boring company is destroying Texas’ natural beauty and has worsened the life quality of rural Texans, according to Bastrop residents, where the company is located.
“It is beyond heartbreaking, I could start crying just talking about it,” Flynn, 62, a Bastrop resident, told The London Times. “We had these incredible vistas of outstanding natural beauty. It was breathtaking — you’d pull over and cry because it’s so pretty. And now, it’s gravel mines.”
Boring moved to Bastrop in 2021, the town has about 12,000 people and is located east of Austin.
According to Flynn and her husband, since Boring arrived, the landscape has worsened, with trucks operating everywhere, earth mounds scattered in the fields, heavy machines, and new gravel and sand mines erected to support the company’s operations.
Also, there have been numerous environmental concerns about the company’s operation, the company has applied for a permit to dump 145,500 gallons of treated wastewater per day into the Colorado River. The company has also received complaints regarding its handling of wastewater in the area.
Other residents have expressed concern over the rising cost of living produced by the arrival of more Austin newcomers.
“[T]he Austin people are now having to move to Bastrop, the people in Bastrop are having to move out in the country somewhere,” Kenneth Kesselus, the town’s former mayor, told the Times. “We’ve got some houses that in a giant hurry went from half a million dollars to a million.”
However, Flynn hopes that there still will be people who fight to preserve the environment.
“I have three children and don’t want them to think it’s all over,” Flynn said. “I’m a big believer in the pendulum swinging back, and right now we’re in an extreme time of bullying and bad behavior and bad decisions and greed. But it’s going to swing back.”
Flynn owns a farm in Bastrop and an organic site in Austin.
Anybody with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the APD Homicide tip line at 512-974-8477. This marks Austin’s 27th homicide of 2024.
Originally published on mytexasdaily.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.
President Biden had front row seat to dog, Commander, repeatedly biting Secret Service agents: report
171,000 Traveled for Abortions Last Year. See Where They Went.
Trump travels to DC to meet with congressional Republicans, speak with nation's top business executives
It's easy to believe young voters could back Trump at young conservative conference
Swiss summit demands 'territorial integrity' of Ukraine
Biden’s ’pre-9/11 posture’ to blame for ISIS migrants slipping through cracks: expert
Russian warships in Cuba: Is it a port of call or show of strength?
Election aftermath – MEPs to watch on economic and financial policy
