Results mixed in area Texas House primaries
It was a mixed election night for San Antonio state lawmakers who faced stiff primary competition from Republicans over their votes to oppose private school vouchers or to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton.
State Rep. Steve Allison, Rsan Antonio, lost to challenger Marc Lahood, a criminal defense attorney who had the support of Gov. Greg Abbott and Paxton. Allison was doubly targeted for rejecting vouchers and impeaching Paxton, and he lost to Lahood by double digits.
Physician’s assistant Michael Champion came in last place, according to unofficial tallies. The Associated Press called the race late Tuesday.
In nearby Bastrop County, state Rep. John Kuempel of Smithville is headed to a runoff election against GOP challenger Alan Schoolcraft. Kuempel similarly opposes Abbott’s plan and voted to impeach Paxton, and both statewide officials have endorsed Schoolcraft, the CEO of a law firm software company. Because no candidate earned a simple majority of the vote total, the pair will face a second round of voting on May 28.
Two other candidates, Greg Switzer and David Freimarck, trailed in third and fourth place.
“From Day One, I have demonstrated that I am undeniably the real conservative in this race,” Schoolcraft said late Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Rep. Ellen Troxclair of Lakeway — who voted to impeach Paxton but is a voucher proponent — won the GOP primary in her Hill Country district. The Associated Press called the race shortly after 1
a.m. Wednesday. She faced a challenge from former state Rep. Kyle Biedermann, who came under fire in recent weeks for defending a former lawmaker accused of giving a 19-yearold aide alcohol and having an inappropriate sexual relationship with her.
Troxclair, Allison and Kuempel have all faced a slew of attack ads in recent weeks from far-right groups allied with Paxton, who has promised political retribution for anyone who tried to oust him from office last year. The attorney general was acquitted and reinstated as attorney general by the state Senate in September.
Elsewhere in the San Antonio area, Republican state Reps. John Lujan and Mark Dorazio didn’t face primary opponents. Democratic Rep. Erin Zwiener of Driftwood sailed to victory in her primary, batting off a challenge from attorney Chevo Pastrano.