Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) endorse different candidates in six Republican primary runoff elections on May 28

By

Ethan Sorell

Welcome to the Wednesday, May 22, Brew. 

By: Ethan Sorell

Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:

  1. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) endorse different candidates in six Republican primary runoff elections on May 28
  2. Fifty-two members of Congress have announced they will not seek re-election this year–more than at this point in 2020 but less than in 2022 and 2018
  3. Upcoming voter participation deadlines

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) endorse different candidates in six Republican primary runoff elections on May 28

Thirteen Republican primary runoffs for the Texas House of Representatives will take place on May 28. Six of those races feature competing endorsements from two powerful Texas political figures – Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton.

There were 59 contested Republican primaries on March 5, 46 of which had an incumbent on the ballot. Nine incumbent House Republicans lost, and 29 advanced to the general election without going to a runoff. The 13 runoffs—eight of which have an incumbent on the ballot—are taking place in districts where no candidate won more than 50% of the primary vote.

Battleground primary runoffs

Ballotpedia identified 10 of the 13 Republican primary runoffs as battleground primaries, all but two of which have an incumbent running. 

  • Of the 10, six are races where Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) endorsed different candidates.
  • Six are races where the incumbent finished second in the March 5 primary.
  • Four are races where Abbott and/or Paxton have endorsed a challenger running against an incumbent.

The primaries are taking place in the context of two votes in 2023 that divided the House GOP caucus. One was the impeachment of Paxton, and the other was the vote to remove a school voucher provision from an education bill.

(1) The House voted 121-23 to impeach Paxton. 

  • 60 Republicans joined with 61 Democrats in support of impeachment.
  • Paxton has endorsed three incumbents who voted against impeachment, one incumbent who voted for impeachment, and 35 challengers to Republican incumbents who voted for impeachment.

(2) The caucus split over removing a provision for school vouchers from an education bill.

  • The House voted 84-63 to remove vouchers from the education bill. Twenty-one Republicans and 63 Democrats voted to remove the voucher provision.
  • Abbott supported the measure and says he is opposing legislators who voted against it.
  • Abbott has endorsed all 59 Republican incumbents who voted in favor of the proposal and are running for re-election. 
  • Abbott endorsed 11 challengers to incumbents who voted against school vouchers.

On February 10, the Texas Republican Party voted to censure House Speaker Dade Phelan (R), who is running in the May 28 primary runoff. Phelan voted “present” on vouchers and voted in favor of impeaching Paxton. The censure resolution mentioned Phelan’s vote for impeachment and support for the impeachment process as two of the five counts against him. This was the fourth time the state party voted to censure a Republican elected official. Former President Donald Trump (R) and Paxton endorsed David Covey (R), who is challenging Phelan in the primary runoff.

All eight incumbents in runoffs voted to impeach Paxton. Four voted in favor of school vouchers, three voted against, and Phelan voted “present”.

Six of the eight incumbents running in primary runoffs finished second in the March 5 primaries. Incumbents DeWayne Burns (R) and Frederick Frazier (R) finished 7.7 percentage points behind their runoff opponents, the largest vote margin of any incumbents in the runoff.

In 2022, one Democratic incumbent lost in the primaries, and one Republican incumbent lost in the primary runoffs. In 2020, no incumbents lost in primary elections, and four lost in runoffs.  

Click here to read more about state legislative elections across the country.

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Fifty-two members of Congress have announced they will not seek re-election this year–more than at this point in 2020 but less than in 2022 and 2018

As of May 20, 52 members of Congress—eight Senators and 44 Representatives—have announced they will not seek re-election this year. This is more than at this point in 2020 but less than in 2022 and 2018.

Since our April 16 Daily Brew update on congressional incumbents not seeking re-election, U.S. Reps. Jacob LaTurner (R-KS) and Bill Posey (R-FL) announced their retirements. Additionally, Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-N.J.) died while in office. Ballotpedia does not include incumbents leaving office early in our analysis of incumbents not seeking re-election.

Senate

Of the eight U.S. Senate members not running for re-election, seven—U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.), and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.)—announced their retirements from public office, while the other—U.S. Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.)—is running for governor of Indiana.

Six U.S. Senators had announced their retirement at this point in the 2022 election cycle. Four had done so at this point in 2020, and three had done so at this point in the 2018 cycle.

House

Of the 44 U.S. House members not seeking re-election:

  • 12 – three Republicans and nine Democrats – are running for the U.S. Senate.
  • Two—one Democrat and one Republican—are running for state attorney general.
  • Two – one Democrat and one Republican – are running for governor.
  • One Democrat – Dean Phillips – is running for President of the United States.
  • 27—12 Democrats and 15 Republicans—are retiring from public office.

As of May 20, 2022, 48 U.S. House members had announced they were not running for re-election. Thirty-five members had announced at this point in the 2020 cycle, and 51 had announced at this point in the 2018 cycle.

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Upcoming voter participation deadlines

With the 2024 election season well on its way, we are taking a look at the important deadlines voters need to be aware of over the next two weeks to participate in their state’s primary election. 

Eleven states and the District of Columbia have important voter participation deadlines in the next two weeks. These include voter registration deadlines, early voting opening and closing dates, deadlines to request absentee/mail-in ballots, and deadlines to return those ballots. 

The map below shows the states with voter participation deadlines scheduled in the next two weeks. The bulleted list below includes every state with deadlines between May 22 and June 4. 

  • D.C.: May 26 to June 2 (early voting dates), June 4 (in-person voter registration deadline), June 4 (absentee/mail-in return deadline).
  • Idaho (Democratic presidential primary): May 23 (in-person voter registration deadline), May 23 (absentee/mail-in return deadline).
  • Iowa: June 4 (absentee/mail-in return deadline).
  • Montana: May 6 to June 3 (early voting dates), June 3 (absentee/mail-in request deadline), June 4 (in-person voter registration deadline), June 4 (absentee/mail-in return deadline).
  • Nevada: May 25 to June 7 (early voting dates).
  • New Jersey: May 29 to June 2 (early voting dates), May 28 (absentee/mail-in request deadline by mail), June 3 (in-person absentee/mail-in request deadline), June 4 (absentee/mail-in return deadline).
  • New Mexico: May 7 to June 1 (early voting dates), June 4 (in-person voter registration deadline), June 4 (absentee/mail-in return deadline).
  • Oklahoma: May 24 (voter registration deadline), June 3 (absentee/mail-in request deadline).
  • South Carolina: May 24 (in-person voter registration deadline), May 27 (voter registration deadline by mail), May 28 (online voter registration deadline), May 28 to June 7 (early voting dates), May 31 (absentee/mail-in request deadline).
  • South Dakota: April 19 to June 3 (early voting dates), June 3 (absentee/mail-in request deadline), June 4 (absentee/mail-in return deadline).
  • Texas (primary runoff): May 20 to May 24 (early voting dates), May 28 (absentee/mail-in return deadline)
  • Virginia: May 28 (voter registration deadline by mail and online), May 3 to June 15 (early voting dates).

Looking ahead

We’ll bring you all the voter participation information you need for the 2024 election cycle, so stay tuned!
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