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Two years ago, intraparty warfare resulted in a massive scrambling on the GOP side, but Tuesday’s election results — which suggested at least three incumbents would be ousted — showed that some divisions remain in the majority party while highlighting the departures of Democrats who sought higher office.
The most expensive state House primaries this cycle were proxy wars over issues including legalizing casinos, tort reform and a lingering battle between establishment Republicans and more hardline conservatives.
The major factions included candidates backed by Miriam Adelson, owner of the Las Vegas Sands casino empire, against gambling opponents backed by hardline oil billionaire Tim Dunn; and candidates backed by Texans for Lawsuit Reform, a Republican fundraising juggernaut that has pushed to make it harder for injury victims to sue, against opponents funded by trial lawyers and medical PACs.
Republican Rep. Cecil Bell Jr. of Magnolia lost to retired real estate and commercial photographer Kristen Plaisance, whom Dunn backed. And as of Wednesday morning, Stan Kitzman of Pattison was trailing retired Air Force fighter pilot and former Flatonia Mayor Dennis “Goose” Geesaman, who was also backed by Dunn.
But Dunn’s efforts to oust Rep. Ken King, R-Canadian, and Angelia Orr, R-Itasca, appear to have fallen short.
Texans for Lawsuit Reform notched three losses in their bids to oust incumbents who last year resisted its proposed medical malpractice caps: Reps. Marc LaHood, R-San Antonio; Mark Dorazio, R-San Antonio; and Andy Hopper, R-Decatur.
In another blow, Keller Mayor Armin Mizani is poised to defeat businessman Fred Tate in the race to succeed retiring state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake. Mizani, who challenged Capriglione for the seat in 2018, overcame millions from TLR PAC in the Tarrant County district, the most expensive open race of the state House. Cheryl Bean, who lost in the runoffs in 2024, will either defeat or head to another runoff against a TLR candidate. And in a Democratic-held Rio Grande Valley district that President Donald Trump carried, TLR’s chosen candidate finished in third.
