Ahead of early voting, one poll suggests potential runoff in Texas governor’s race

By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square

Ahead of early voting in Texas’ primary election, seven Republican challengers to incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott are hoping they can split the vote enough to force a run-off election.

One poll suggests they might have a shot, with one challenger, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Allen West, receiving 42.61% support compared to Abbott’s 34.18%.

The poll, by Paradigm Partners LLC, was conducted among 1,500 voters and has a margin of error of +/- 2.49%.

If elected, West would become Texas’ first black governor.

A 22-year U.S. Army combat veteran and former Florida congressman, West began rallying against Abbott’s lockdown and COVID-19 policies nearly two years ago, arguing they were unconstitutional. He was elected chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, a post he held for one year before announcing his bid for governor.

Abbott’s initial executive order shutting down the state, which designated some businesses as nonessential and threatened owners with fines and/or jail if they violated it, resulted in more than 10,000 small businesses closing, many for good, and more Texans filling for unemployment than at any time in state history.

Unemployment fraud and bankruptcies also skyrocketed. Business owners and others sued, with many still ongoing, but a Dallas hair salon owner who went to jail after refusing to comply made national headlines, forcing Abbott to amend his order.

His mandates, including initially labeling houses of worship as nonessential, were unconstitutional, West argues, and wouldn’t happen if he were governor.

While Abbott’s directed $3 billion to border security efforts and began building a wall, directives no Texas governor has ever made, West says h would take even stronger measures.

But after some involved in the border security efforts in the Texas National Guard contacted West, and problems in the Texas Military Department have been reported, West called for its leader, Maj. Gen. Tracy Norris, to resign. The Texas Military Department issued a statement in response to news reports, and Abbott has expressed continued support for Norris.

Abbott’s pledge to reduce property taxes if elected to a third term, and newly launched “taxpayer bill of rights,” hasn’t gone over well with conservatives. They argue he’s had seven years to do this and pointed to skyrocketing property taxes under his watch.

West pledges to reduce, and eventually eliminate, property taxes by implementing broader consumption-based taxes. The Texas Public Policy Foundation proposed away, over time, to eliminate property taxes, but Abbott and the Republican-controlled legislature didn’t take up the proposal in any of the four legislative sessions last year.