AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa issued the following statement: 

“The staggering primary defeats suffered by GOP incumbents, previously deemed ultra-conservative, unequivocally demonstrate that MAGA extremists have seized complete control of the Republican Party. Aspiring oligarchs Greg Abbott, Ken Paxton, and Dan Patrick—whose disdain for democratic principles is only surpassed by their thirst for power—may have bought and paid for 15 House seats, but they have handed control to a duo of West Texas oil billionaires.

“Despite being one of the most conservative speakers to ever lead the Texas House, Dade Phelan was forced into an unprecedented, precarious primary challenge after refusing to condone corruption. Congressman Tony Gonzales narrowly escaped defeat by a C-List YouTube gun influencer after being censured for supporting common sense gun legislation aimed to prevent tragedies like the Uvalde massacre from taking place again.

“These barely-secured wins only amplifies the Republican Party has been hijacked by the most extreme fringe of the far-right and is grossly unfit to lead. The Texas Democratic Party calls upon all Texans—regardless of partisan affiliation—to stand against this depravity. It has never been more important to support candidates who believe the government should be a place where people come together to solve problems and improve lives, who believe that no one man should be above the law, and who believe that the party should not come before principle.”

###