With Rick Perry’s decisive victory and conservative Republicans picking up seats in the Texas House, voters have made a clear policy choice, says the president of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility. Meanwhile, House Speaker Joe Straus has little choice but to quickly name a very different, and much more conservative, leadership team.
“Texas voters sent liberals packing in races up and down the ballot,” said Sullivan. “But in the Texas House, this will be a majority on probation. Voters embraced not the Republican label, but the conservative message the candidates campaigned on.”
Candidates endorsed by Texans for Fiscal Responsibility saw strong victories around the state.
“We’re excited to see so many of the conservatives we endorsed winning elections across the state,” added Sullivan. “But the campaign is over and now they have to perform. Texas’ voters are expecting this strong majority to govern the way they campaigned. This wave is about more than elections. There will be greater scrutiny on legislators in Texas than ever before.”
On the issue of the House governance, Sullivan said the impact was clear and Speaker Joe Straus must act quickly to demonstrate he understands the message sent by Texans.
“Speaker Straus has no choice now but to appoint a much more conservative committee leadership in the House. Texas voters are clearly uninterested in power-sharing and compromising with the failed policies of liberal Democrats. Speaker Straus is now free to make House committees more reflective of the conservative will of the people.”
