On Tuesday, Governor Greg Abbott visited a BBQ restaurant in Cypress, where he promised to make Harris County “dark red”, directing $90 million from his campaign fund.
Speaking before a crowd of 350 people, Abbott explained his plan: “I have two priorities in this election. Number one is to win reelection. Number two is to win Harris County. So I got $90 million in my bank account, and I’m going to spend most of it in Harris County, Texas to make sure, precinct by precinct, we turn out voters who voted in the presidential election, turn out voters who never voted before.”
With a recent legislative win — the $1 billion private and homeschool voucher program — Abbott’s momentum does not stop there.
“The time has come for Texas to rank number one in education, and school of choice is one element of that, because what it does, it affects competition,” Abbott declared. “Our public schools are already competing for the students right now — our public schools, our private schools, our homeschools, and every possible education, our charter schools, all are going to be better because of the ability to choose the education path that’s best for each child.”
He urged support for all 17 statewide ballot propositions, including a measure to increase school district tax exemptions for elderly and disabled Texans.
Harris County Republican Party Chair Cindy Siegel, state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, and former District Attorney Kim Ogg also addressed the crowd. Ogg voiced support for Proposition 3, which she said would prevent “rogue” judges from releasing defendants accused of certain crimes on bond.
Standing beside Abbott were Cy-Fair ISD board candidates Natalie Blasingame, Radele Walker, and George Edwards Jr., who are running on a Republican-endorsed slate.
Opposition candidates Lesley Guilmart, Kendra Camarena, and Cleveland Lane Jr. gathered on Saturday to encourage early voting and promote their campaign priorities. They position themselves as advocates for removing partisan politics and religious influence from local education, emphasizing a focus on students’ needs rather than political agendas.
“I want to get the politics out of education and get it back to where it’s just about the kids,” Lane Jr had said to the Houston Chronicle.
A Facebook post by the host restaurant stated Abbott’s visit was to “support” the conservative slate, though his representatives said the event’s official purpose was to encourage voting on the ballot measures.
Political contributions have surged in the Cy-Fair ISD race, with political action committees raising more than $70,000 and individual candidates collecting nearly $100,000 combined, according to campaign filings.
