Bursting a balloon of hope heard nationwide by Democrats, the special election to fill the vacancy in Texas House District 28 in Fort Bend County saw the Republican candidate whip the Democrat by 16-points. The Dem had the help of most of the nation’s Democrat activists with Beto Pancho being on the ground in the supposed swing district for weeks.
There is much to say about how wrong the media and partner Democrats got this race and a big lesson on how to win a seat from victorious Republican Gary Gates. But looking forward there is something far more important for Texas politicians, both state and local, to learn from this “bellwether” race: The bell tolled for high spending and taxing local government officials.
Pay attention Rep. Lambert of Abilene and others of the same pro-local government spending caucus in the House:
…there is something far more important for Texas politicians, both state and local, to learn from this “bellwether” race…
“During his campaign, Gates said rising property taxes were among the top concerns he had heard when he talked to voters. “In this district, which has grown rapidly with the prices of homes rising so rapidly, property taxes were probably the No. 1 issue I heard from voters,” he said,” according to the Houston Chronicle.
“Gates said he had talked to many retired homeowners now on a fixed budget paying increasingly high property taxes on a home where their value had doubled in recent years. Often, these homeowners told Gates they were being forced to sell their family home because they could no longer afford the property taxes,” the Chronicle story reported.
Gary Gates heavily outperformed the seat’s previous liberal-leaning Republican occupant, Rep. John Zerwas, in the face of unprecedented national money and organization for a Texas House seat in the “bellwether district.” He did so by clearly understanding that voters have had enough of ever-rising local property taxes.
HD28 GOP win sends a big message for RINO’s in the Texas House
There is much to say about how wrong the media and partner Democrats got this race and a big lesson on how to win a seat from victorious Republican Gary Gates. But looking forward there is something far more important for Texas politicians, both state and local, to learn from this “bellwether” race: The bell tolled for high spending and taxing local government officials.
Pay attention Rep. Lambert of Abilene and others of the same pro-local government spending caucus in the House:
…there is something far more important for Texas politicians, both state and local, to learn from this “bellwether” race…
“During his campaign, Gates said rising property taxes were among the top concerns he had heard when he talked to voters. “In this district, which has grown rapidly with the prices of homes rising so rapidly, property taxes were probably the No. 1 issue I heard from voters,” he said,” according to the Houston Chronicle.
“Gates said he had talked to many retired homeowners now on a fixed budget paying increasingly high property taxes on a home where their value had doubled in recent years. Often, these homeowners told Gates they were being forced to sell their family home because they could no longer afford the property taxes,” the Chronicle story reported.
Gary Gates heavily outperformed the seat’s previous liberal-leaning Republican occupant, Rep. John Zerwas, in the face of unprecedented national money and organization for a Texas House seat in the “bellwether district.” He did so by clearly understanding that voters have had enough of ever-rising local property taxes.