Unfair Park from p9 advocacy organizations around the country. The Brennan Center for Justice says voter fraud is “extremely rare,” but Texas Republicans drummed up claims of wide- spread voter fraud in the wake of the former President Donald Trump’s electoral loss. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, in fact, of- fered up $1 million in rewards for reports of illegal voting. Last year, states around the country, among them Texas, passed new laws intro- ducing a slew of voter restrictions. Mason has previously described regular harassment from neighbors in her mostly white neighborhood in Rendon, a small community near Fort Worth. She says that when she cast her provisional ballot in No- vember 2016, a local poll worker had as- sured her election officials would later either approve it or declare it ineligible. “There was a concerted effort on the part of the Republican Party to find and prose- cute voter fraud since the 2016 election, when that was [the GOP’s] mantra. And when that didn’t come to fruition, enter Crystal Mason,” her attorney told the Ob- server last year. ▼ ELECTIONS PAXTON POUNCES L SATURDAY IN MAY EVERY FROM 10:00AM - 2:00PM LOCAL SHOPPING | LIVE MUSIC KID AND PET FRIENDLY | BEER GARDEN 5670 VILLAGE GLEN DR DALLAS, TEXAS 75206 THEVILLA GED ALLA S. COM/EVENT S 10 10 IN A NEW AD, ATTORNEY GENERAL KEN PAXTON SLAMS HIS REPUBLICAN PRIMARY OPPONENT AS A LIBERAL IN GOP CLOTHING. BY SIMONE CARTER and Commissioner George P. Bush comes from a dynasty of prominent Republicans who’ve held power in the White House and governor’s mansions in Texas and Florida. But to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, he’s just a RINO: Re- publican in Name Only. In a campaign ad released last Tuesday, Paxton attacked Bush. The two conserva- tives will face off in the upcoming runoff race for Texas attorney general. Paxton’s 30-second spot warns viewers that the “radical” left is pushing for the re- moval of historical monuments, including those commemorating the Founding Fathers. “Even in Texas, liberal Land Commis- sioner George P. Bush proposed a ‘woke’ plan to reimagine the Alamo and demanded that the monument honoring the Texas he- roes who died there be moved,” the ad’s nar- rator continues. “In the Republican runoff for attorney general, protect our Texas heri- tage. Defeat George P. Bush.” At one point, Bush’s bloodline might have boosted his chances. Not anymore. Despite being the son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, grandson of former President George H. W. Bush and nephew of former President George W. Bush, George P. Bush is favored to lose. Jason Vaughn, president of the Houston Young Republicans, said he’s supported Pax- ton in the past and will again if he’s the nom- inee in the general election. (He’ll opt for Bush in the runoff.) Even though the incum- bent’s record is dotted with red flags, Vaughn believes that a midterm red wave will likely overcome those controversies, which range from alleged adultery to multi- ple legal battles. Vaughn agrees with Paxton on many is- sues, but not when it comes to classifying his challenger as a lib in GOP clothing. “[Bush] is a little more establishment than Ken Pax- ton for sure,” he said, “but he’s not a liberal or a RINO.” These days, it’s in vogue for Republican candidates to label their opponents as RI- NOs, Vaughn continued. But the more that term is flung against fellow conservatives, the more it loses its meaning. Regardless, that line of attack works be- cause it associates Bush with his family of moderate conservatives, said Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University. Polling shows that 40% of Texas GOP primary voters would never vote for George P. Bush. Many cited his lineage as their reasoning. The Bush name’s popularity plummeted during the Trump era, Jones said. Jeb and Georges W. and H. W. had all denounced the previous president’s style of politics. That could explain why the land com- missioner sidled up to former President Donald Trump in an ad last year. And why his campaign thought it was a good idea to roll out bizarre beer koozies depicting the two shaking hands. Despite these attempts at relevance, there’s little question that Paxton will win in the Re- publican runoff race on May 24, Jones said. “It’s somewhat ironic that … the surname that was so strongly associated with Repub- lican politics in Texas for 30 years is now more of a liability than an asset in the 2022 Texas Republican primary,” he said. ▼ EDUCATION SWEEPING THE SCHOOLS O CONSERVATIVES SWEPT THE SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS IN TEXAS, A SIGN OF THE POLITICIZATION OF EDUCATION. BY SIMONE CARTER ver the past couple of years, national politics have crept into local issues, shaping stances on everything from mask usage to children’s library books. And bit by bit, nonpartisan Texas school board races have become increasingly politicized. On Saturday, in a show of Republican might, conservative candidates swept school board races across the state. In a tweet, Gov. Greg Abbott celebrated the GOP’s gains. “Parents are more involved and active in school elections and school policies than ever before,” he said. “No one cares more about children than their parents. The power of parents will continue to expand in Texas.” In recent months, conservatives nation- wide have targeted LGBTQ+ inclusivity in education, as well as so-called critical race theory (CRT), an academic concept that isn’t taught in Texas schools. They’ve appeared at board meetings and engaged in heated de- bates about school curricula. Rob D’Amico, communications director for the Texas AFT union, said his organization is disappointed in the increasingly partisan na- ture of school board races. “What happens is that the partisan issues take away from the fo- cus on the kids and their education,” he said. “You start getting into these carnival atmo- sphere-type issues instead.” Allegations of CRT lessons and teacher- driven “indoctrination” are fueling a >> p12 MAY 19–25, 2022 DALLAS OBSERVER CLASSIFIED | MUSIC | DISH | CULTURE | UNFAIR PARK | CONTENTS dallasobserver.com MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2014 DALLAS OBSERVER | CLASSIFIED | MUSIC | DISH | MOVIES | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | FEATURE | SCHUTZE | UNFAIR PARK | CONTENTS | dallasobserver.com
