This article has been updated.
Gov. Greg Abbott is coming out against state GOP Rep. Steve Allison in his March primary — part of a wider effort to oust Republicans standing in the way of a school voucher program.
Allison was one of the 21 Republicans who joined Democrats in shutting down a plan to allow taxpayer money to fund private school tuition last month. The former Alamo Heights Independent School District board president signed onto an amendment stripping that provision out of a larger school funding bill, which was approved 84-63 during a fourth special legislative session.
On Monday, Abbott issued an endorsement for Allison’s primary opponent in Texas House District 121, Marc LaHood.
“Marc will help me secure our border, keep us on a path to eliminate property taxes, and empower parents to choose the best education for their children,” Abbott said in a statement. “Marc LaHood has the energy, tenacity, and backbone to deliver real results for his constituents.”
Allison’s campaign responded with a statement Tuesday touting his work on border security issues, including support for a controversial bill the House approved in the most recent special session that would make illegally crossing the Texas-Mexico border a state misdemeanor.
Allison’s campaign also pointed out his support for Senate Bill 3, which the House approved Friday, appropriating $1.54 billion for immigration enforcement, including building a barrier along the Texas-Mexico border.
Both proposals could face legal challenges, but Abbott is expected to them sign any day.
“The Texas Legislature is focused on stopping criminals from entering Texas,” Allison’s campaign said in the statement. “Conservative Republican Steve Allison recently voted to give Texas law enforcement the right to arrest illegal immigrants and helped pass the toughest border security plan in Texas history.”
Despite those recent policy victories, Abbott has already vowed to keep calling lawmakers back for more special sessions until they approve the creation of an Education Savings Account program. He has also endorsed a number of GOP candidates this election cycle who support the idea, including at least one who is challenging a Republican incumbent.
Abbott’s past success campaigning against incumbents, however, has been limited.
In 2018, Abbott campaigned for former Hollywood Park Mayor Chris Fails in his challenge to former GOP state Rep. Lyle Larson. Fails lost the primary by more than 19 percentage points.
LaHood ran unsuccessfully for Bexar County District Attorney last year. In a statement Monday he vowed to “fight alongside the governor to continue state-led border security measures, slash our property taxes, and finally deliver real choice for parents in education.”
LaHood’s state House campaign is being run by Austin-based political consultant Eliott Griffin, who previously worked for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
Allison’s reelection campaign is overseen by Austin-based consultant Craig Murphy, a longtime aide to former Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, who also ran LaHood’s district attorney campaign.
In the statement Tuesday, Allison’s campaign attacked LaHood’s law firm for representing clients who are undocumented.
“LaHood does not see illegal immigrants who come here to commit terrible crimes as a problem,” the campaign said. “Time after time, LaHood has taken dangerous illegal immigrants as clients — even getting some of them off on technicalities to possibly commit more crimes.”
LaHood shot back: “Clearly, Steve Allison does not believe that everyone deserves their day in court and should not be afforded a defense, which is a constitutional right guaranteed in our Bill of Rights.”
A third Republican, military veteran Michael Champion, is also running in the March 5 primary.
Allison, a business attorney, was reelected to his third term with more than 55% of the vote in 2022. He enjoyed more than $500,000 in campaign help from Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, Associated Republicans of Texas and other GOP-aligned groups.
His Northeast Bexar County district includes the municipalities of Alamo Heights, Olmos Park, Terrell Hills and portions of Hollywood Park, as well as San Antonio neighborhoods. Under new maps drawn after the 2020 census it would have supported Donald Trump over Joe Biden by 2.3% in 2020.
