Allen West To Challenge Texas Gov. Abbott In GOP Primary
AUSTIN, Texas (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — Republican Allen West, the former Florida congressman and firebrand who rode into office on the tea party wave a decade ago, said Sunday that he will run for governor of Texas.
His odds are far longer this time around: Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who is up for a third term and may also be eyeing a 2024 presidential bid, has already locked up the endorsement of Donald Trump — whose voters West would need to have any shot at winning a GOP primary in Texas.
The hurdles don't stop there. Abbott is the most prodigious fundraiser of any governor in America, having started the year with nearly $40 million already socked away, and West is shunned by powerbrokers in his own party. Last month, West stepped down as chairman of the Texas GOP after spending a year using the platform to antagonize Abbott and other Republicans who he deemed insufficiently conservative.
Still, West's celebrity in the grassroots that lingers from a combative one term in the U.S. House makes him the most prominent primary challenge Abbott has faced since becoming governor in 2015. Already there have been signs of Abbott moving to protect his right flank, passing ever-looser gun laws in Texas that he never previously endorsed and picking up Trump's immigration mantle along the U.S.-Mexico border.
"Let's stand up for God, for country and for Texas," West told those gathered Sunday at Sojourn Church in the Dallas suburb of Carrollton, where he made his announcement.
He later tweeted video of the service. His full announcement can be seen in the 1:14:20 mark of the video in his tweet.
Democrats, who continue to see Texas as a budding battleground even as their losing streak continues, have yet to put up a challenger to Abbott in 2022 although former congressman Beto O'Rourke isn't ruling it out.
West won a House seat in Florida in 2010 and quickly became a tea party favorite and lightning rod, at one point accusing Democrats of having as many as 80 communists in their House caucus. He failed to win reelection in 2012.
He later moved to Texas and largely stayed out of the spotlight until running for chairman of the state GOP party last year. After winning the job, West went about criticizing Republicans as much as Democrats, calling the GOP speaker of the Texas House a "traitor" for working across the aisle and leading a protest outside Abbott's mansion over coronavirus restrictions.
In May, West spoke at an event in Dallas that was organized by adherents of the QAnon conspiracy and included former Trump lawyer Sidney Powell.
After his resignation as the Texas GOP chairman, West also hinted at challenging Rep. Colin Allred in Texas' 32nd congressional district.
Abbott, who in previous years drew only token primary challengers, now faces two candidates who have previously held office. Former GOP state Sen. Don Huffines is also running.
Huffines released a statement on West joining the race, saying, in part: "I want to welcome Allen West to the race for Texas Governor. I look forward to Allen joining our efforts to make clear that Texans can do better than Greg Abbott. The open Texas border, skyrocketing property taxes, and leftward cultural shift occurring in our state must end—and it all starts with strong leadership."
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
