Ex-Senator Launches Bid to Oust Abbott
with Pledges on Wall and Election Fraud

Capitol Inside
May 10, 2021

Former Texas Senate Republican Don Huffines took aim at Governor Greg Abbott on Monday when he launched a bid for the state's top job with a vow to take up where Donald Trump left off with the completion of a barricade that separates Texas from Mexico.

A wealthy Dallas developer who served one four-year term in the Legislature's upper chamber, Huffines didn't mention the incumbent governor by name in a statement that said Texans were sick and tired of politicians who fail to live up to promises and try to hide their ineptitude with deceptive spin.

"I am ready to take on the federal government and the entrenched elites of the Austin swamp," Huffines declared. "We will finally finish the wall and secure our border—and we’re not going to ask for permission to do it. We will put Texas on a path to eliminating property taxes. And we will enforce our sacred voting laws, so that the voices of lawful voters are preserved and not diluted through corrupt election procedures.”

Huffines captured a Senate seat in 2014 after unseating longtime incumbent John Carona in the GOP primary election that year with less than 51 percent of the vote. Huffines ran unopposed in the general election in his first Senate race in a district where Democrats hadn't fielded a candidate because they'd expected Corona to be the nominee again in a battle that he would have been a prohibitive favorite to win.

Democratic State Senator Nathan Johnson of Dallas ousted Huffines in his first and only re-election race in 2018. The swath of the Dallas area that Huffines represented in Senate District 16 had been trending Democratic before Trump dramatically escalated the transformation of the major cities and suburbs in Texas from red to blue with the most turbulent four years in the White House in modern history.

While Huffines said nothing about Trump specifically, he sought to capitalize on the lies on which the ex-president's election challenge revolved by falsely suggesting that Texas elections had been tainted by the kind of fraudulent behavior that Republicans in the Legislature have implied there to be when they all know that isn't true.

But Abbott and the Republicans in Texas have sought to perpetuate the same incorrect claims about the integrity of elections in the Lone Star State to sell legislation that's designed to improve the GOP's prospects here in 2020 by making it more difficult for Black and Hispanic people here to vote.

Huffines has contended that his own election was stolen three years ago in a scheme that he accused Abbott and state election officials of refusing to investigate despite substantial evidence that he'd claimed to have.

Huffines, who described himself as a "self-made businessman," is a product of a wealthy family in the Dallas area where his father has been one of the most prominent car dealers. The ex-senator's brother - James Huffines - has been an Abbott ally as the governor's choice to lead a strike force that advised him on the reopening last year in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I’m a proud fifth-generation Texan,” Huffines said. “For too long, Texas has been let down by politicians who offer nothing but excuses and lies. Our border is still wide open. Property taxes keep going up. And our election laws continue to be ignored. Plain and simple, our politicians aren’t getting things done, and Texans have rightfully run out of patience."

Don Huffines Statement on 2022 Governor Race

DALLAS, TX, May 10, 2021—Don Huffines announced today his bid to become governor of Texas. Huffines is a self-made businessman who earned a reputation for being one of Texas’ most fearless and conservative lawmakers while in the state senate.
 
“I’m a proud fifth-generation Texan,” Huffines said. “For too long, Texas has been let down by politicians who offer nothing but excuses and lies. Our border is still wide open. Property taxes keep going up. And our election laws continue to be ignored. Plain and simple, our politicians aren’t getting things done, and Texans have rightfully run out of patience.
 
“I will fight and win on behalf of Texans. We will protect our great state and secure our freedoms. I am ready to take on the federal government and the entrenched elites of the Austin swamp. We will finally finish the wall and secure our border—and we’re not going to ask for permission to do it. We will put Texas on a path to eliminating property taxes. And we will enforce our sacred voting laws, so that the voices of lawful voters are preserved and not diluted through corrupt election procedures.”
 
The only state level office holder in Texas history to never accept a penny of government money during his tenure, Huffines is recognized as an effective defender of government accountability and the Constitution. While in office, he fought to support term limits, protect life, expand school choice, and defend Second Amendment rights. He led an initiative that brought down the largest government corruption scandal in Texas history, eliminating a state agency that stole tens of millions of dollars from taxpayers. Six people were imprisoned after Huffine’s efforts uncovered their roles in the scheme.
 
“I am running for governor because I love Texas and am determined to solve the critical problems that have been neglected for too long,” Huffines said. “Texas deserves actual Republican leadership that will act urgently and decisively—no more excuses or lies. Our state is a lighthouse of freedom for our nation and the world. We will unapologetically defend that freedom.”