Eye on Politics: Political matchups take shape for Texas general elections
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan has been forced into a runoff in what's being called a "Battle for the soul of Texas." Democratic North Texas Rep. Colin Allred is now set to challenge Republican incumbent Ted Cruz for U.S. Senate. A Dallas doctor who had to leave Texas to get an abortion due to a troubled pregnancy was invited to attend the State of the Union Address. She shares her story with Jack.
Jack Fink covers these stories and more in the latest edition of Eye on Politics (original air date: March 10).
Marquee matchup
The U.S. Senate race is the marquee matchup in Texas this fall. Rep. Colin Allred won a crowded Democratic primary Tuesday night and will face two-term incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz in November.
This is going to be a very expensive race, with Allred raising more than $21 million and Cruz more than $13 million – and they're just getting started.
Jack spoke with Cruz about the upcoming election and his new initiative to court Democratic voters. Watch their discussion below:
Jack requested an interview with Allred and we hope to speak with him next week.
Meanwhile, we now know who will likely fill two of three open congressional seats in North Texas.
In the 32nd Congressional District, Democratic state Rep. Julie Johnson won her primary outright, despite facing nine Democratic opponents. The district is considered a safe seat for Democrats, who are a majority in the district, meaning Johnson is heavily favored to win this fall and fill the vacancy left by Allred.
In the 26th Congressional District, Republican newcomer Brandon Gill won this seat outright, beating 10 other Republicans in the process. He was backed by former President Donald Trump and Cruz. This is a majority Republican district, considered safe for the GOP, so Gill will most likely succeed the retiring Rep. Michael Burgess in the House.
The 12th Congressional District is heading for a runoff. Well-funded Republican state Rep. Craig Goldman is now set to face businessman John O'Shea, who's backed by Attorney General Ken Paxton because Goldman voted to impeach him. Goldman has the backing of Gov. Greg Abbott, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker and various other local Republicans. Long-time Rep. Kay Granger is retiring from the Republican-majority district.
"Battle for the soul of Texas"
State Rep. Dade Phelan, the Speaker of the Texas House, was forced into a runoff in his Beaumont-area district against challenger David Covey. It's a race that has statewide implications.
Covey had some Republican heavyweights backing him: Paxton, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Trump. Paxton is angry that Phelan gave the green light to a secret House investigation into the AG that ultimately led to his impeachment last May.
In a statement Tuesday night, Paxton said:
"Today's election results have revealed that the battle for the soul of Texas is far from over. Let this runoff be a rallying cry for all conservatives across Texas."
Phelan also issued a statement:
"This runoff is not just another race, it's the frontline of the battle for the soul of our district. 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."
The speaker is not a statewide office holder, but oversees the House and can influence what bills pass and how the chamber is run.
"This is a very local race that took on a very statewide feel," said Joshua Blank with the Texas Politics Project at UT Austin.
"Tons of money was spent on this race to unseat a sitting speaker which is pretty unusual, and ultimately, he's not out of the woods yet."
Blank said he expects millions of dollars to pour into this race leading up to the runoff.
Watch more analysis of Tuesday night's election results by watching this week's full episode at the top of this page.
Reproductive rights
Democratic candidates in races up and down the ballot are making reproductive rights a campaign issue.
We spoke with Dr. Austin Dennard, a Dallas OBGYN, who shared her story about her troubled pregnancy and having to leave Texas to have an abortion.
She attended the State of the Union address at the invitation of Allred.
Watch Jack's interview with Dennard below:
Jack also spoke one-on-one this week with state Rep. Mihaela Plesa, a Plano Democrat. She wants the state to protect in vitro fertilization, or IVF, after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled people there are legally liable if they destroy embryos.
You can watch that discussion below:
Every week, CBS News Texas political reporter Jack Fink breaks down some of the biggest political stories grabbing headlines in North Texas and beyond. Watch the latest episode of Eye on Politics in the video player above and watch new episodes every Sunday at 7:30 a.m. on air and online.
