Phelan still faces resistance from GOP, financiers ahead of upcoming runoff election

House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, was unable to best a far-right challenge from a candidate backed by former President Donald Trump and Attorney General Ken Paxton, forcing him into a runoff.

David Covey, an oil and gas industry consultant and a marquee candidate for Paxton's revenge tour against House Republicans who voted to impeach him last year, came out on top in the three-person race for the District 21 seat, with Phelan securing the second spot to make it to the May 28 runoff after neither candidate received a majority of the vote.

In a statement celebrating the next step in the election cycle, Covey said that "tone-deaf" representation in the state Capitol will come to a close if he is elected, signaling his intent to work on issues of border security, election infrastructure and "school choice."

“The people of House District 21 have put every politician in Texas, and the nation, on notice,” Covey said. “Our elected officials are elected by the people and work for the people, and when they don’t, there will be consequences.”

The effort to unseat Phelan — orchestrated by Paxton after the House's overwhelming vote on May 27 to impeach the attorney general on 20 charges, including bribery and abuse of office — resulted in Covey's top vote-getting position Tuesday. Ultimately, the Senate cleared Paxton of wrongdoing, mostly along party lines.

Phelan, following Tuesday night's close defeat leading to a May runoff, called the upcoming vote a battle for the "soul" of the district along the Gulf Coast.

“In the next couple of months, the deceit and vitriol we’ve witnessed from my opponent and his dark money allies is poised to escalate to even greater heights," Phelan said in a statement. "I urge the citizens of Southeast Texas to meet the coming storm with a critical eye and recognize the external forces desperate to claim what is ours."

More: Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan heads to runoff against Trump-backed GOP primary opponent

The results on Super Tuesday show evidence that Republican "insurgents" on the party's right-most flank have pushed the speaker's race into a new spotlight, said Brandon Rottinghaus, a University of Houston political science professor.

"The big picture on this is that you've got a nationalization of the Texas speaker's race; that's something we have not seen," Rottinghaus said. "And although the Texas speaker has long had a target on their back from the insurgents in the party, this has taken it to a new level."

With Trump's involvement in the race, through endorsing Covey and attacking Phelan, the former president assisted in raising interest in the contest, but the effort to unseat the speaker already had been well underway before Trump's foray.

"This fight predates Trump, but Trump definitely is able to give a much more kind of firm voice to it," Rottinghaus said.

Another key factor in Phelan's defeat Tuesday is campaign cash, Rottinghaus said.

While Phelan out-raised Covey in campaign contributions, with $6 million in donations compared with Covey's $800,000, a broader effort by conservative financiers across the state has undoubtedly influenced the race's outcome and others in the Texas House.

More: Rep. Colin Allred clinches Texas Democratic nomination to challenge US Sen. Ted Cruz

"Dade Phelan has been a massive cash machine for his wing of the party, but he's being outgunned by millions of dollars from very conservative sources," Rottinghaus said, referencing millions spent by West Texas oil tycoons Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks.

Outside of the competing conservative contributions, Phelan also lacks support from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who was alongside Covey as the runoff was announced, and Gov. Greg Abbott, who has declined to publicly defend or assist Phelan.

On Wednesday, Patrick doubled down, as he so often has throughout the long-running combative relationship between the two leaders, saying voters spoke with "great clarity" in disapproving of Phelan.

"Dade Phelan failed in his role as Speaker," Patrick said in a statement. "He led his members to take bad votes on the House floor that cost them dearly at home. The cardinal rule for a Speaker is to protect his members."

Other House races where Phelan looked to bolster his allies in the chamber through donations and general campaign support also suffered setbacks and outright defeats.

Incumbent Kronda Thimesch lost to a challenge from one of Paxton's impeachment trial lawyers, Mitch Little, who had vehement support from the state's top attorney.

Although roughly 20 of Paxton's endorsees were unable to beat incumbents, at least seven of his chosen candidates were able to secure wins on Super Tuesday. That includes Wes Virdell, who will now represent the district once held by Rep. Andrew Murr, R-Junction, who announced his retirement last year after leading Paxton's impeachment inquiry.

Reps. Stan Gerdes, R-Smithville; Jeff Leach, R-Plano; Morgan Meyer, R-Dallas and Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, all won on Tuesday, beating Paxton's concerted effort to see those supporters of his impeachment unseated in the primary.

On Wednesday, Paxton continued to throw his chips on the table against Phelan and his allies, saying on the Mark Davis radio show that the challenge coming from his camp is not over, and he expects a favorable outcome in May.

“In runoffs, the more conservative voters are usually the more motivated,” Paxton said.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Phelan can't secure reelection, again faces Paxton's fervor in runoff