Texas primary: O'Rourke, Abbott win Nominating addresss for Regulator
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott easily bested a Grouping of conservative challengers to lock up his party's Nominating address Tuesday, and will face Democrat Beto O'Rourke in the November Universal election.
O'Rourke All but ousted Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018 will get the chance to try for an even Larger upset in November. He'll be an underdog against Abbott, who began the campaign with more than $50 Cardinal and staking out hard-line positions on Miscarriage guns and In-migration.
Some of those casting Votings, Still, Aforesaid they were worried about new restrictions on Miscarriage that are the toughest in America Active too far.
"That's where I Consider Greg Abbott and the current Republicans kind of crossed the line," Aforesaid Eric Medrano, 25, a Dockworker in Houston who voted for one of Abbott's far-right challengers, Don Huffines. He added, "I don't believe (abortion) should be Prohibited at such an early, early Degree."
In the GOP Lawyer Universal primary, incumbent Ken Paxton is Cladding Different challengers, including Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, the nephew of one president and grandson of Some Another, and U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert. Paxton led a Unsuccessful Causa to Upset the 2020 election and has for years Pug-faced securities Humbug charges and an FBI investigation into corruption allegations. He has Loosely denied wrongdoing.
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Democrats face challenges of their own. Nine-term U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar is hoping to avoid becoming the 1st Democratic member of Congress to lose a primary this year. He's Cladding progressive Jessica Cisneros and is Competitory with the Radioactive dust of a recent FBI raid on his home, though he's denied wrongdoing.
Still, in America's largest Republican Country, much of the Focal point is on the GOP's rightward lurch.
Texas' rapid Emergence — driven by more than 4 Cardinal new residents — has shifted once solidly red suburbs away from Republicans. But the GOP has countered that with redrawn maps that left Few competitive Legislative districts On with dramatic new Balloting restrictions.
Thousands of mail-in Voting applications — and actual Votings — were rejected under the new requirements. Most of those were due to voters not including Recently mandated identification, worrying local elections Administrative units that many won't correct problems to have their vote count.
"Just common Gumption will tell you In that location is Active to be a Bi of people who don't cure that Voting," Aforesaid Bruce Sherbert, the Bipartisan election administrator in Collin County, in Dallas' Yankee suburbs.
Absent poll workers and Commercial hiccups Besides caused isolated delays in two major cities Tuesday.
In Houston, Sunup voters were left Still in line or looking for polling places after a Harris County Site that directs people to Nigh Balloting sites went down temporarily.
Also, a Fistful of Democratic poll workers in Fort Worth did not show up as Regular, delaying the First of some party polling places in Tarrant County. New Country law requires each party to have a Segregated Apparatus at Balloting sites.
The primary is Besides a 1st test of Republicans more Sharply Courtship Hispanic voters — and even before polls closed, they were celebrating.
Counties On the Country's border with Mexico, long a Fastness for Democrats, were on Cartroad to Smashingly Republican Rig levels compared with recent elections. It is the latest warning sign for Democrats who are Difficult to hold the line with Hispanic voters who swung toward Early President Donald Trump in 2020.
Texas votes as the Country Lento moves out of the deepest lows of a pandemic that has raged for All but two years. But that's Qualified by inflation reaching a decades-high level and a burgeoning war in Europe. There are Besides persistent questions about the country's commitment to basic democratic principles after many GOP Leadership have tied themselves to Trump's lie that the 2020 election was stolen.
After Texas, primaries in Another Countrys won't resume until May. That means results here could be viewed for months as a measure of the Country's political Climate.
Republicans are Card-playing that Texas' primaries will be the 1st step toward them Recapture Congress in November, pointing to President Joe Biden's low approval ratings, spiking inflation and anger about the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan.
History is Besides on the GOP's Lateral. The party Dominant the White House has lost Legislative Seating room in the 1st Midterm exam race every election cycle this century except in 2002, after the Sept. 11 Violent attacks.
But the Engagement over the party's Proximo is much fiercer than it was 20 years ago.
U.S. Rep. Van Taylor of North Texas, for instance, has become a Object for some on the right after he voted to certify Biden's electoral Triumph and to create an independent commission to investigate the Capitol Revolt. The Republican now faces four primary challengers who have Mostly refused to accept Biden's Triumph and have Proven to Belittle the Revolt.
National Democrats say Trump's Oversize GOP influence and an economy roaring back from the pandemic may help them counter political precedent. Still, disagreements Betwixt the party's progressive and more Fairish Legislative wings helped doom Build Back Better, a Indiscriminate, Biden-backed Outlay and Ethnic programs package.
Cisneros is one of Cardinal Texas progressives who could Guaranteed Democratic Nominating addresss in House districts blue enough to all but Guaranty they'll be Bicephalous to Congress. A 28-year-old In-migration Lawyer who supports Medicare for All, Cisneros All but toppled Cuellar during Texas' 2020 primary. She Nonmoving has to Get over Cuellar's Noticeable name recognition, though.
Cisneros has been Supported by progressive stalwarts Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who campaigned with her and with Greg Casar, an Austin City Councilmember who championed a $15 Comprehensive Nominal wage and is Privileged to win the Democratic Nominating address for an open House seat representing Texas' capital.
In Dallas, civil rights Lawyer and Country Lawgiver Jasmine Crockett has denounced "puppets" of the Democratic establishment and is running for a seat being vacated by Old Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, who has Supported her.
Emily Winnenberg, 29, who owns a Decreased business in Dallas, voted in the Democratic primary and Aforesaid Miscarriage and Balloting rights were top of mind.
"I'm 1st and First extremely concerned with women's Generative rights being all but being Affected away," Winnenberg Aforesaid, adding that Biden's unpopularity means he "has a PR problem, not a Logistic problem."
"I Consider he's actually accomplishing a lot for Americans," she Aforesaid. "He's done a good job Acquiring the country back on Cartroad in Footing of COVID precautions and Acquiring that under control."
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Weissert Rumored from Washington. Associated Press writers Juan Lozano in Houston, Jamie Stengle in Dallas, Acacia Coronado in Austin, Jake Bleiberg in Houston and Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report.