As the March 2024 Republican primary election gets closer, Parker County Conservatives co-founder Mike Olcott is looking to unseat current Texas State Rep. Glenn Rogers of Graford.
Rogers was first elected to represent House District 60—which includes Palo Pinto, Parker, and Stephens counties—in 2021.
This primary race will be a rematch of 2022 when Olcott ran against Rogers and narrowly lost by 300 votes.
Olcott said in his campaign announcement that he is running because residents deserve someone to truly represent them.
“I’m running because residents of House District 60 deserve a Representative who will truly represent them rather than the uniparty in Austin,” said Olcott in his campaign announcement. “Voters are fed up with an open border and skyrocketing property taxes. I will work to deliver real results, not campaign rhetoric.”
Candidate Overview
During the 88th Regular Legislative Session, Rogers joined 61 Democrats in voting to impeach Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. He also joined with them in amending the state’s budget to prohibit state funds from being used for Gov. Greg Abbott’s proposed school choice program.
According to Transparency USA, Republican Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan of Beaumont has provided Rogers with $55,000 during the 2024 campaign cycle. Rogers’ second biggest contributor is the Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC, which gave nearly $40,000 to his campaign.
Meanwhile, Olcott has received more than $42,000 from Abbott and $5,000 from former State Sen. Don Huffines.
For the 2023 legislative session, Rogers earned a failing rating of 46 on Texans for Fiscal Responsibility’s Fiscal Index, having voted for expanding corporate welfare and against transparency measures and an amendment to increase property tax relief.
He has also received a 67 from the Young Conservatives of Texas and a 78 from Texas Right to Life.
Rogers has received endorsements from all sitting members of the Palo Pinto County Commissioners Court and mayors of some cities within HD 60.
Meanwhile, Olcott has received endorsements from Abbott, Paxton, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, Texas Gun Rights, and Texans for Fiscal Responsibility. Grassroots organizations True Texas Project and Texans for Vaccine Choice have also recommended Olcott over Rogers in this primary election.
Both Olcott and Rogers have said their top priorities include securing the border and providing additional property tax relief. However, Olcott has said he does not support awarding Democrats committee chairmanships, while Rogers has defended Phelan’s decision to do so. Additionally, Olcott says he supports Educational Savings Accounts for students so parents are empowered to make decisions for their child’s schooling.
“If the parents are sending their kids to any particular private school and they’re not performing, that private school will go out of business and so that’s the way the free market works,” Olcott told CBS News.
Meanwhile, Rogers held firm on his anti-ESA stance, saying, “I’ve always been an anti-voucher public school supporter and that’s not changed. I support what my district’s constituents have told me what they want.”
Early voting for the March 5 primary election begins on February 20 and runs through March 1.
No ads. No paywalls. No government grants. No corporate masters.
Just real news for real Texans.
Support Texas Scorecard to keep it that way!
