Gov. Greg Abbott has taken a more combative approach in recent weeks, using social media to lash out at critics of his push for school vouchers — a departure from his typically measured public persona.
Abbott’s sharp rhetoric has included calling Democratic state Rep. James Talarico a “scam artist” and labeling Rep. Alma Allen, who holds a doctoral degree, a “fake doctor.” He also took aim at former gubernatorial challenger Beto O’Rourke, branding him a “repeat loser.”
The aggressive shift comes as Abbott faces mounting pressure to deliver on one of his top legislative priorities: passing a private school voucher program. The governor spent much of last year campaigning against House Republicans who opposed the measure, a rare move to target members of his own party. Now, with a narrow majority of House Republicans backing a new voucher proposal, Abbott is doubling down.
James Henson, a political scientist at the University of Texas at Austin, described Abbott’s approach as a sign of how invested the governor is in securing a win.
“Nobody should expect the governor to ease up on this now when the goal he’s after is within reach,” Henson told The Houston Chronicle.
The bill, which has the support of 76 House Republicans, would allocate $1 billion for education savings accounts that families could use for private school tuition, tutoring, and other educational expenses. The proposal still faces a tough road, with opponents warning that public schools could lose funding if students leave for private institutions.
Abbott has pushed back against those concerns, frequently sharing “myth vs. fact” graphics on social media.
However, his messaging has at times been misleading. While Abbott has claimed public education funding is at an “all-time high,” that figure does not account for inflation or enrollment growth. On a per-student basis, adjusted for inflation, public school funding has decreased during Abbott’s tenure.
Abbott has also offered conflicting statements about whether vouchers would impact public school funding. In one post, he acknowledged that state funding follows students to private schools, only to later accuse Democrats of spreading “lies & fear mongering” by making the same argument.
Democrats, however, see Abbott’s tactics as a sign of desperation.
“I’ve never seen the governor this angry before,” Talarico, a former public school teacher, told The Houston Chronicle. “It does seem personal, he does seem angry. He seems frustrated. I know what a politician looks like when they’re winning, and this is not that.”
The outcome of the voucher fight could have lasting implications for Abbott’s legacy, as well as the future of public education in Texas.
