HeartPAC Report
Primary Elections and the November 8 General Election
HeartPAC is the Political Action Committee for the Texas Chapter of the American College of Cardiology (“TCACC”). HeartPAC has been dormant, but not any longer! It is time for cardiologists and cardiovascular practitioners to fully engage in the political and legislative process to ensure that Texas cardiologists’ and cardiovascular practioners’ position and perspective is heard loud and clear in and out of the Texas Capitol on all issues and legislation important to cardiovascular patients and practices.
Virtually every specialty society has a Political Action Committee and their members participate in raising money for their PAC in order to support campaigns and enhance relationships with legislators, statewide officeholders and the candidates who seek election to state office. Yes, fundraising and distributing campaign donations is part of the political and legislative process. It provides us with the opportunity show our support for legislators and statewide office holders. HeartPAC does need additional contributions to make a difference in the November 8, 2022 general elections.
The Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, and every Senate district (31 seats) and House district (150 seats) will be on the November ballot. Most will have opposition from the other party, and a few will be unopposed. Even elected officeholders who run unopposed need to raise campaign contributions because most use the funds not only for their campaigns, but also to supplement their office staff and other costs during their term in office.
The November general election is a great opportunity for HeartPAC to demonstrate support for our state leadership (Gov., Lt. Gov., AG, and Speaker of the House), key Senators and key House members. In addition, there may be an opportunity to weigh in on competitive races when advisable.
The 2022 Primary and General Elections
The Texas Legislature adjourned the 3rd Special Session in October 2021 and soon thereafter the primary elections heated up. The primary election occurred on March 1, 2022, and on the day of the primary runoff elections, May 24, 2022, the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde occurred. The general election will happen November 8, 2022, where we will elect the Governor, many other statewide offices, the members of the Texas Senate, and the members of the Texas House of Representatives.
Tragedy and Roe vs. Wade
The Robb Elementary School mass shooting in Uvalde has ensured that school safety and safe gun ownership will be a hot topic in the general election campaigns and the 88th Legislature. In addition, the right to abortion access will definitely be a hot topic in the general election campaigns due to the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Roe vs. Wade decision.
We have already seen Beto O’Rourke, the Democrat nominee for Governor, directly challenge Gov. Greg Abbott on the Uvalde mass shooting, and call out the US Supreme Court on Roe vs. Wade. Expect these two topics to dominate the general elections.
Primary Elections
We witnessed an unusual twist in the Primary Elections on the Republican side. After the Texas Legislature completed the Regular Session and three Special Sessions in 2021, the Republican majority in the Texas House and Senate, along with the Speaker of the House Rep. Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont), Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, and Governor Greg Abbott passed into law the most conservative package of legislation in the history of our State, in terms of both the sheer number of bills passed and issues addressed.
One would naturally expect Republican voters to literally be throwing parades for our elected Republicans serving in the Texas Legislature, but instead many Republican incumbents were challenged in their primaries because their Republican detractors claimed they did not pass enough conservative legislation and the legislation they did pass was not conservative enough.
Perhaps the most egregious example of Republican primary candidates attacking Republican incumbents because they did go far enough in legislation, occurred in House District 91 where Rep. Stephanie Klick RN (R-Ft. Worth) was attacked because the new 6 week abortion ban bill (SB 8) did not make it a 1st degree felony to perform an abortion after 6 weeks, nor make “aiding and abetting” a woman looking for an abortion clinic in another state a 1st degree felony. And of course, a felony conviction would only be punishable by execution!
This year’s primary elections were also one of the most expensive primaries in our state’s history because of the number of incumbents challenged in their primaries, from Gov. Greg Abbott at the top of the ballot to numerous State Representatives. Despite the millions of dollars spent to defeat Republican incumbents, in the Texas House, only one Republican incumbent was defeated in the primary, Rep. Phil Stephenson.
Notable Primary Election Results
Gov. Greg Abbott won the Republican primary with 66% of the vote.
Democrat Beto O’Rourke won the Democrat primary with 91% of the vote.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick won the Republican primary with 75% of the vote.
Attorney General Ken Paxton won the Republican primary runoff against George P. Bush with 68% of the vote, ending the Bush political dynasty, unless one of George W. Bush’s daughters runs for office.
Dawn Buckingham MD won the Republican primary runoff for Land Commissioner with 69% of the vote, beginning her statewide-office political career. We will miss her in the Texas Senate.
Suleman Lalani MD (D-Sugarland) won the Democrat primary runoff for HD 76 with 63% of the vote. Dr. Lalani is an internal medicine doctor focused on geriatric care.
Results of Key Primary Races
HeartPAC will support statewide officeholders and incumbent legislators who sit on key committees with jurisdiction over medicine and health care. HeratPAC will also support physician members and candidates, and members who have a unique voice in the Texas Legislature and are supportive of physicians.
In the Texas Senate those committees include the Senate Health & Human Services Committee (9 Senators) and the Senate Business & Commerce Committee (9 Senators). The jurisdiction of each committee in the Senate can be fluid, so another committee may be added to the list.
In the House, the committee jurisdiction is set by the House at the beginning of the new term and the committee jurisdictions rarely tend to fluctuate. In the Texas House the key committees include the House Public Health Committee (11 Representatives), the House Insurance Committee (9 Representatives), and the House Calendars Committee (11 Representatives).
Currently five physicians serve in the Texas Legislature: Sen. Charles Schwertner MD (R-Georgetown) Orthopedic Surgeon, Sen. Dawn Buckingham MD (R-Lakeway) Ophthalmologist – who is running for Land Commissioner and will be missed in the Texas Senate, Sen. Donna Campbell MD (R-New Braunfels) Emergency Medicine, Rep. Greg Bonnen MD (R-Friendswood) Neurosurgeon, and Rep. Tom Oliverson MD (R-Cypress) Anesthesiologist. There is one physician candidate seeking his first elected office to House District 76, Suleman Lalani MD (D-Sugarland) Internal Medicine, a democrat district.
General Election
As we look forward to the General Election on November 8, 2022, the Democrats are hoping Beto O’Rourke can defeat Gov. Greg Abbott and literally carry the down ballot Democrat candidates across the finish line. Expect significant commercials on TV and radio, mailers, block walkers and robo calls regarding gun control, our electric grid, and pro-choice legislation to counter Roe vs. Wade being overturned by the US Supreme Court.
HeartPAC
Look for our HeartPAC general election campaign launch in the coming weeks. We will be asking to raise enough money for HeartPAC to provide meaningful campaign contributions to the key statewide officeholders and the key legislators.
For those who personally know and have a relationship with a statewide officeholder and/or legislator, please let me know. Your relationships with any of the elected officeholders in the Capitol can be very helpful in moving good legislation and stopping bad legislation.
Please do not hesitate to call, text or email me with any questions, ideas, suggestions or your perspectives regarding cardiovascular care, cardiology practices, health care in general, legislation and politics.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Hon. Jaime Capelo
TCACC Lobbyist
jc@capelolaw.com
512-626-6763 mobile