And of course it’s stupid and insulting.
Gov. Greg Abbott has blamed his delay in calling an election to replace U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner on election issues in Harris County, he recently told Austin’s KXAN.
Abbott has faced criticism for the past month for failing to call an election to fill Turner’s empty seat representing Texas’ 18th Congressional District. On Saturday, the solidly Democratic district in Houston will have gone a month without representation.
[…]
In an interview with KXAN, Abbott said “there’s going to be a time” to call the election.
“That election is in Harris County, and Harris County is a repeat failure as it concerns operating elections,” Abbott said. “Had I called that very quickly, it could’ve led to a failure in that election just like Harris County has failed in other elections.”
Harris County’s elections office in 2022 found itself in hot water after 20 of around 800 voting locations across the county ran out of paper. The paper shortage led to lawmakers in Austin eradicating the elections administrator position in Harris County, as well as more than 20 other lawsuits filed by local GOP candidates.
Abbott added that Harris County needed to have “adequate time” to operate a “fair and accurate” election instead of a “crazy” one.
Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth wrote on X Friday that her office had run eight successful elections since the duty of holding them was handed over to the clerk.
“We remain fully prepared to conduct the Congressional District 18 election as soon as the governor issues the order,” Hudpseth wrote.
Acting County Attorney Christian Menefee – the first to toss his name into the ring for the position – was quick to call out Abbott on X Friday afternoon, calling his excuse “nonsense” and saying that had the governor called an election earlier, Harris County’s elections office would have adequate time to prepare.
Menefee on Monday also threatened legal action against Abbott if he didn’t call a special election before November. Since then, the House Democrats and the Texas Democrats have also threatened lawsuits against the governor should the election continue to be delayed.
First, nobody runs elections better than Teneshia Hudspeth, so shame on you for that. Second, if you wanted to be less of a dick about it, you could say “and so I’ll be ordering it for November on Monday, look for my order then”, and we’d at least be able to put the question to rest. That would still be a ridiculous and obviously politically-motivated decision, but it would at least be consistent with the dumb claim about Harris County, which ran six elections last year in part to the new Republican law about Tax Assessment District boards, needing the time. At least give us the courtesy of a more plausible lie.
But whatever. Abbott’s an asshole who only cares about his benefactors, we all knew that. Christian Menefee, Hakeem Jeffries, Jolanda Jones et al (I missed that one before), file those lawsuits. Potential plaintiffs are standing by. File away!
Was there ever any doubt that it would be later rather than sooner?
He is preaching to his choir and repeating what they are convinced is true: Democrats don’t know how to run things.
In my 5 or so calls to the Governor’s[sic] office and the Harris County GOP, I noted that in the November 2024 election, 30% of the vote went to the GOP candidate. Whether or not it’s good math, to me it means that Abbott threw about 236,000 Republican residents under the bus. He has also revealed his cowardice to the population of District 18, which is about 788,000. IMHO, he is unethical and immoral.
Taxation without Representation.
I’m feeling you, D.C.