|
Governor Has Wrong Era for GOP Rep Pitch
in Template Plugs for Texas Congress Bouts
Capitol Inside
December 31, 2025
Governor Greg Abbott appeared to be lost in a time warp when he made a pitch for the re-election of current U.S. Rep. Roger Williams on social media last week. The third in a pack of 15 congressional members who Abbott endorsed for re-election in the past two weeks, Williams might wish he could get a mulligan from the governor who made him look more like a moderate GOP lawmaker from the 20th century than a MAGA warrior that he and most Republican colleagues have tried to be in the present age.
"Roger Williams is a steadfast conservative and businessman who supports Texas jobs, lower taxes, and limited government," Abbott declared in a post on his campaign's page on X. "Rep. Williams is a champion for Main Street!"
Say what? The quotes that Abbott served up with the Williams endorsement conjured memories of Texas Republicans in the 1990s and early 2000s when the party's mantra still began with less government and local control. The GOP politicians in Texas today are polar opposites in regard to those two principles that had been sacred talking points for their counterparts in the state that George W. Bush and Rick Perry led as governors for 19 years before Abbott got the job.
While few if any of the Republicans here will be the last to admit it, the definition for conservative in Texas has changed dramatically over the course of the past decade.
In a state where big business and insurance bankrolled the Republicans' successful quest to seize the majority in Austin, the far right sealed its status as the new establishment in the GOP throughout the year that ends on Wednesday night. Abbott deserves a substantial amount of credit and blame for that with constant attempts to please President Donald Trump and show the MAGA faithful that the two are alike in every imaginable way.
The current Texas governor steered a steady course an inch or two from the center stripe during his first six years in his current post. But the covid pandemic that blew up Trump's re-election bid in 2020 knocked Abbott off track just as badly as far as his leadership style, priorities and position on the political spectrum are concerned. After closing businesses, imposing social distancing rules and requiring Texans to don masks in public in the first few months of the coronavirus siege, the remake in Trump's image got under way in earnest the following year when the new Abbott led a crusade to ban governors like the old Abbott from imposing rigid restrictions for the sake of protecting the public health during a crisis.
The ruling Republicans in Austin relied on a federal bailout from Joe Biden and the Democrats in Washington D.C. in the $40 billion range to balance the state budget in 2021. Williams and all of the other Republican in Congress voted against the emergency funding during the health crisis that set the stage for a budget surplus in 2023 that would not have materialized if not for the handout from the Democrats. The Republicans vote against the stimulus package marked the last hoorah for less government in the Lone Star State. They've gone 180 degrees the other way since that time - doing everything they could to expand the powers of the state at the expense of cities, counties and school districts.
The reference to Main Street in the Roger Williams endorsement could be confused by some Republicans in the current era as a glorified term for local control. People think local when they hear the term Main Street - which spawns visions of folks like the representative from Congressional District 25 drinking coffee at a diner on the courthouse square where the old-timers swap stories about the good old days. As a 76-year-old business owner who served as secretary of state under Perry for two years in the mid-2000s, Williams probably can remember the time when less government and local control were in the same league with tax relief and the economy as priorities.
State government is bigger now in terms of its size and the reach of power. Main Street is an Antifa protest site in the eyes of the ruling party's leaders here. Abbott made the Texan who's represented Congressional District 25 for a dozen years sound like some guy who'd been left behind in time.
But Williams could find a measure of consolation by reading the X endorsements that Abbott issued to the aforementioned incumbent Republicans and several GOP contenders in open U.S. House races. All are contrived in cookie cutter fashion with a mix of the same buzz words and hot button topics and no hint of concerted effort by the governor's team to make him look sincere.
But endorsements from Abbott are the gold-standard in Texas as far as the recommendations of leaders at the state level go for primary contests go. That's especially true in open races with crowded fields in districts where Abbott plugs make candidates the instant favorites. Williams appears to be a strong bet for a new term with no primary opposition in a district where a pair of political unknowns - Dione Sims of Fort Worth and Williams Marks of Arlington - are competing for the Democratic nomination in 2026.
Abbott tossed his support last week to State Rep. Briscoe Cain and former New York Yankees star Mark Teixeira for open contests in Congressional District 9 and Congressional District 21 respectively. Abbott added several more Republicans who are running in open races to the endorsement list on Tuesday with endorsements that he touted on X for Jessica Steinman in Congressional District 8, Trever Nehls in Congressional District 22 and Chris Gober in Congressional District 10.
Teixeira has no experience as an elected official. He was a three-time all-star in a long career that began with the Texas Rangers before stops in Atlanta and Anaheim en route to the Big Apple where he played seven years and arrived in time for a world series victory in 2009. That forced the governor's team to be a little more creative when coming up with a reason to support Teixeira at the polls in 2026. This is what they settled on.
"Mark “Tex” Teixeira has proven his commitment to Texas values, fighting for conservative principles and supporting Republican leaders," Abbott said.
The incumbent U.S. House Republicans who have yet to receive an endorsement from the governor include four who are facing the toughest re-election challenges in bids for new terms in 2026. These are U.S. Reps. Dan Crenshaw of Houston, Monica De La Cruz of McAllen, John Carter of Georgetown and Tony Gonzales of San Antonio.
Here are the main lines in the endorsements that Abbott's camp dished out this week on the social media site complete with photographs on a template graphic ...
Trever Nehls. "A veteran and law enforcement leader, Nehls believes in service before self and will stand strong for Texas values."
Chris Gober. "A proven conservative leader, Chris Gober will defend the Constitution, uphold the integrity of our elections, and fight for Texas values in Washington."
Jessica Steinmann. "@TeamSteinmann is a principled conservative leader who is committed to securing the border, strengthening our economy, and standing up for Texas values. Together, she and Governor Abbott will deliver results for Texans."
Michael Cloud. "Michael Cloud is a steadfast conservative who defends our border, protects Texas energy jobs, stands up for lower taxes and fights for our constitutional rights."
Lance Gooden. "Lance Gooden fights for Texas families, small businesses, and commonsense solutions in Washington. TX-5 needs his strong conservative leadership."
Pat Fallon. "Pat Fallon is a conservative leader with a record of defending our Constitution, supporting veterans, and championing Texas values in Congress..."
Brian Babin. "Babin stands strong for national security, secure borders, fiscal responsibility, energy jobs, and America First policies that work for East Texas families."
Brandon Gill. "Brandon Gill is fighting for Texas values in Washington, defending our economy, supporting small businesses, and putting Texas families first. TX-26 deserves strong, principled leadership."
Randy Weber. "Randy Weber is a proven conservative fighter for Texas families, standing strong for border security, energy jobs, lower taxes, and the Constitution. TX-14 needs his leadership."
Ronny Jackson. "A combat veteran and former White House physician, Ronny Jackson is a fearless conservative who fights for border security, a strong national defense, and Texas values. CD-13 needs his proven leadership in Washington."
Jake Ellzey. "Jake Ellzey is a dedicated public servant and veteran who works alongside Governor Abbott to keep Texas strong, secure, and economically competitive.
Mark Teixeira. "Mark “Tex” Teixeira has proven his commitment to Texas values, fighting for conservative principles and supporting Republican leaders.
Briscoe Cain. "Cain has fought for Texas values for nearly a decade in the Texas Legislature. He’s helped pass strong Republican policies that secured the border, combatted illegal immigration, and unleashed the Texas economy. Briscoe is the proven conservative champion Texans need fighting for them in Washington.
Keith Self. "Keith Self is a proven conservative leader in the U.S. House of Representatives. He fights for secure borders, a strong military, and accountability in government.
August Pfluger. "August Pfluger is a strong advocate for energy independence, national security, and Texas values.
Beth Van Duyne. "Beth Van Duyne has been a fierce defender of Texas families, economic freedom, and border security. Texas needs her continued leadership in Washington.
Nathaniel Moran. "Moran is committed to securing the border, strengthening our economy, and defending conservative principles that keep Texas prosperous.
Roger Williams. "Roger Williams is a steadfast conservative and businessman who supports Texas jobs, lower taxes, and limited government. Rep. Williams is a champion for Main Street!"
Pete Session. "Sessions stands for strong border security, fiscal responsibility, and upholding Texas values. Together, Governor Abbott and Pete Sessions will continue fighting for a stronger, safer, and more prosperous Texas."
Craig Goldman. "Craig is a conservative champion who supports common sense legislation to rein in wasteful spending and fights to keep more money in taxpayers' pockets."
| 
