In Texas’ 7th Congressional District, the Republican primary is revealing how open primaries can allow Democrat‑aligned money and voters to influence GOP nominations. For example, one GOP candidate in a Houston-area seat has deep family ties to Democrat causes yet is now asking Republican voters to send him to Congress.
FEC records show Alex Kalai’s father, Bashar, has given more than $145,000 to Democrats and Democrat‑aligned committees over the years. That includes $36,100 to Hillary Clinton’s joint fundraising committee, $30,700 to the Democratic National Committee, $25,000 to the House Majority PAC, and thousands more to Beto O’Rourke, Sheila Jackson Lee, and other Texas Democrats. In contrast, Bashar Kalai’s giving to Republican candidates totals just $2,800.
Alex Kalai, who has never voted in a Republican Primary, has loaned more than $100,000 to his campaign, presumably money from his salary at his father’s company, Amerapex.
“My father is a Democrat and I am a Republican, and I’ve always been a lot more like my mother in this way,” Kalai told Texas Scorecard.
“The way this district is drawn, there’s no way for a Republican to win without getting votes from people who have not traditionally voted for Republicans,” added Kalai. “I hope to break new ground with a message of safe neighborhoods, rising wages and job opportunities, and a bright future for our children – values that Lizzie Fletcher has abandoned as she serves the DC special interests who keep her in power.”
Lizzie Fletcher is the incumbent Democrat representing the district. According to Ballotpedia, “based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is D+12. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district’s results were 12 percentage points more Democratic than the national average.”
Some of the other candidates seeking the GOP nomination for CD 7 have a different view of Kalai’s bid.
“This is not a candidate with an independent record of conservative achievement,” said Alex Hale. “This is a family enterprise seeking a congressional seat.”
As Texas does not have party registration or closed primaries, any eligible voter can choose which party’s primary to vote in on Election Day. That means Democrat voters can legally cross over and vote in the Republican primary, even if they plan to support Democrats in November.
The Texas GOP is currently suing the secretary of state to close its primary elections and prevent Democrats from crossing over to vote for less conservative candidates.
