In the Texas primary on Tuesday, voters resoundingly chose lawmakers who support school choice. In all, six incumbent members of the Texas House who opposed education savings accounts, or vouchers, this last legislative session lost their races. Four are headed to a runoff, and six incumbents survived the bloodbath. 

This was no accident on the part of Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX). He spent considerable political capital crisscrossing the state over the last few months, strategically targeting lawmakers who opposed vouchers. Even in cases in which Abbott had previously supported a candidate, he rallied voters against that particular lawmaker if he or she opposed expanding school choice in Texas. The ability to flip six, possibly 10, seats just by backing the pro-school choice opponent is a real demonstration of a come-hell-or-highwater gravitas many didn’t think Abbott had.