With the legislative session just days away, Club for Growth says it is going to push hard for universal school choice and other conservative priorities in Texas.
In an interview with Texas Scorecard, Club for Growth President David McIntosh emphasized the organization’s commitment to advancing a bold conservative agenda in the upcoming session.
Club for Growth, a national organization focused on limited government and economic freedom, played a major role in shaping the political landscape in Texas last year, spending nearly $9 million in 14 races during the Republican primary and runoff elections.
“We’re going to be very engaged with the governor and the proponents of the school freedom bill, universal school choice,” McIntosh said. “We believe now there’s a majority in the House. Lieutenant Governor Patrick is a strong supporter in the Senate, and the governor wants it. We’re on the cusp of getting the bill passed, and we want to be there as allies of the proponents to help them get that done.”
Despite Texas being the largest Republican-controlled state, school choice legislation has faced significant challenges in recent years. McIntosh attributed these struggles to some Republicans who align with teacher’s unions and education bureaucracy groups for political safety.
“What I’ve noticed over time is that some Republicans want to play it safe,” he said. “They take campaign contributions and support from unions to protect themselves against attacks from the left, and then they oppose school choice. The results of the primaries and runoffs last year sent a clear message: Republicans are for school freedom, for letting parents control their children’s education. It’s no longer safe to be a teacher-union Republican.”
While school choice is the top priority for Club for Growth in Texas, McIntosh noted the organization’s broader commitment to conservative issues. “School choice is the number one agenda that brought us into the state legislative races,” McIntosh said. “Texas is blessed to already have zero income tax and a strong cryptocurrency environment, so while other issues are important, school choice is our primary focus this session.”
McIntosh also weighed in on the ongoing speaker race in the Texas House, comparing it to similar struggles in other states and in Washington, D.C. “Ohio had the same problem, where a small number of establishment Republicans teamed up with Democrats to elect a speaker,” McIntosh explained. “What we’re seeing is, Republican voters don’t tolerate that. I hope Texas follows the process and elects someone who best represents Republican values. In Washington, we had a little dust-up over Mike Johnson, but in the end, Republicans unified. I hope the same happens in Texas.”
When asked whether the Club for Growth PAC would remain active in Texas if school choice legislation fails, McIntosh didn’t hesitate. “Absolutely,” he said. “We’ll be keeping track of how people vote, and any Republican that votes against it should expect us to support their primary challenger.”
