Democrats are being urged to participate in the Republican primaries this year in a bid by liberal Republicans to thwart conservative reforms. This isn’t a supposition; it’s what State Rep. Patricia Harless (R–Spring) encouraged Democrats to do at an Austin conference.
Worried she would suffer defeat in the 2016 Republican primary, Harless has announced she won’t seek reelection.
So now she is actively campaigning to get Democrats to bring their failed liberal ideology to the Republican primary.
Here’s video of Harless exhorting Democrats to vote in the Republican Primary:
Harless credited Democrats who crossed over with her wins in the past.
“That’s how I’d get elected, a lot of times, is because my constituents that are Democrats vote in the Republican primaries because they know there are not competitive races on the Democratic side,” Harless told attendees at the Austin event.
Before retiring, Harless was a member of the coalition of Democrats and liberal Republicans who have controlled the Texas House and obstructed widely supported conservative reforms. Her record in the legislature shows she worked against fiscal reforms, commonsense taxpayer protections, as well as opposed pro-life initiatives and other conservative measures.
This session, specifically, Harless turned against pro-life advocates by voting against pro-life reforms on the House Calendars Committee.
The confidant of liberal House Speaker Joe Straus (R–San Antonio) is merely putting to words what has been the House coalition’s practice the last several election cycles.
For example, in an (unsuccessful) 2014 primary challenge to taxpayer champion Jonathan Stickland (R–Bedford), his “Republican” opponent’s yard signs were found in the yards of staunch Democrats – including Democrat Party officials. Moreover, the “Republican” challenger was openly supported by the Democratic nominee who Stickland would later face, and defeat, in the November elections. Stickland’s opponent was funded by the Austin establishment coalition.
