Seven Republican incumbents who voted for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment lost in Tuesday's primary election to challengers backed by Gov. Greg Abbott or Paxton.
Eight more, including state House Speaker Dade Phelan, were pushed into runoffs.
Losing in Tuesday's primary were:
District 18, Ernest Bailes lost to Janis Holt
District 24, Jacey Jetton lost to Matt Morgan
District 55, Hugh Shine lost to Hillary Hickland
District 60, Glenn Rogers lost to Mike Olcott
District 62, Reggie Smith lost to Shelley Luther
District 65, Kronda Thimesch lost to Mitch Little
District 121, Steve Allison lost to Marc LaHood
Phelan was forced into a May 28 runoff with David Covey, an oil and gas consultant and party activist endorsed by Paxton and former President Donald Trump.
“Let this runoff be a rallying cry for all conservatives across Texas,” Paxton said. “The battle lines are drawn, and our resolve has never been stronger.”
Paxton was acquitted of corruption and abuse of office allegations in a historic Texas Senate trial in 2023. He blamed Phelan for leading that effort and mounted a political campaign to oust the House leader and others who supported the unsuccessful attempt to drive him from office.
Phelan said: “The barrage aimed at our campaign over the past year was meant to be my undoing, and yet here I am, emerging from the most contentious and expensive primary in state history still fighting and more determined than ever.”
Also on Tuesday, three judges targeted by Paxton on the Court of Criminal Appeals also lost. They were part of an 8-1 majority that stripped Paxton of the power to prosecute voter fraud without permission from local prosecutors. Paxton accused them of being “activist” judges after the court majority ruled the law had been a violation of the state Constitution’s separation of powers.
Judge Barbara Hervey, who was first elected in 2001, was defeated by attorney Gina Parker. Presiding Judge Sharon Keller, who was elected in 1994, was defeated by attorney and former appeals court judge David Schenck. Judge Michelle Slaughter, who was elected in 2018, was defeated by challenger Lee Finley.
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