A liberal Democrat campaigning for the Texas House announced a list of endorsements and a number of them are turning heads.

John Turner, the Democrat candidate for Texas House District 114 against Republican Lisa Luby Ryan, announced a slate of endorsements from “business leaders” in Dallas this week. Notably included in the list is Jim Pitts, an Austin lobbyist who was elected as a Republican in the Texas Legislature from 1993 until 2015.

Though he served as the head of the House Appropriations Committee when he left the Texas Legislature, Pitts is perhaps better known now in the Capitol for one of his more recent gigs—lobbying for strip clubs.

During the legislative session in 2015, Pitts worked as a lobbyist for Texas Entertainment Association, the family table-appropriate brand name for the trade association of Texas strip clubs.

While Pitts no longer works on behalf of the group, he continues to lobby for other clients in Austin. And now the former Republican lawmaker and strip club lobbyist is showing his true colors and endorsing a Democrat for the legislature.

Of course, it shouldn’t come as a surprise for those that may have followed Pitts’ voting record in the House. During his last session in office, Pitts scored a dismal 29 on the Fiscal Responsibility Index, one of the lowest scores recorded by a Republican legislator, for repeatedly voting against taxpayers.

Pitts isn’t the only Republican throwing a fit over Ryan’s victory in the primary election earlier this year. State Rep. Jason Villalba, whom Ryan defeated in the March primary election, threw a temper tantrum on Twitter where he declared that would not vote for Ryan in November.

Republican voters in Dallas’ decision to nominate a conservative candidate, rather than the establishment incumbent, is continuing to shed light on who truly stands with the Republican Party’s grassroots and platform.

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility has endorsed Lisa Luby Ryan in the race. The general election will take place on November 6.

Brandon Waltens

Brandon serves as the Senior Editor for Texas Scorecard. After managing successful campaigns for top conservative legislators and serving as a Chief of Staff in the Texas Capitol, Brandon moved outside the dome in order to shine a spotlight on conservative victories and establishment corruption in Austin. @bwaltens

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