As acquitted Atty. Gen. Ken Paxton lashes out at fellow Republicans who dared impeach him or question his integrity, it's important to take a step back and ask a simple question. How did we get here? Paxton's career in state politics started off with a primary few Texans even noticed. Since 2002 when he ran for the Texas House from Collin County near Dallas, he's had the backing of West Texas billionaires Tim Dunn and the Wilks brothers, Farris and Dan. The Christian nationalists have played a long game, donating nearly $100 million over the years to campaigns, think tanks, websites and nonprofits. As we note in an essential and entertaining Sunday edtiorial, former GOP state Sen. Kel Seliger described the hold of Dunn and Wilks on his party as "a Russian-style oligarchy, pure and simple."
Here's the thing: Dunn and Wilks have had so much sway because so few Texans vote, especially in midterms, primaries and off-year local elections. That's why we work hard on researching candidate endorsements down ballot and why we value our readers' attentiveness. Our recommendations are based on research, interviews and analysis, not pay-to-play politics. We also share with you what we learn as we go along. Check out our page of short videos and questionnaires of Houston mayoral candidates. We've also begun publishing endorsements for City Council races and amendments to the Texas Constitution and the Houston charter.
Thank you for being an informed and active participant in government. Every vote counts, of course, but votes in low-turnout elections have an outsized impact. As always, we'd love to hear your perspective at viewpoints@houstonchronicle.com.
Saludos,
No comments:
Post a Comment