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Former state Sen. Don Huffines announces he’ll challenge Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in 2022 GOP primary
The Dallas businessman says Texans are “out of patience” over “open” border, high property taxes and “corrupt election procedures.”
Former state Sen. Don Huffines, shown at an October 2019 event by opponents of impeaching then-President Donald Trump in Richardson, Texas, announced on Monday that he is running for governor next year.((Robert W. Hart/Special Contributor))
Updated at 4:53 p.m.:
to include remarks from a Huffines speech in Collin County in February.
AUSTIN Former Texas state Sen. Don Huffines is running for governor, and from the broadsides he launched against two-term Gov. Greg Abbott’s stewardship on Monday, it’s clear the Dallas businessman will try to attack the incumbent Republican from the right.
Huffines, who served one term in the Senate before losing his seat in 2018 to Democrat Nathan Johnson, did not mention Abbott in his announcement. Plain and simple, our politicians aren t getting things done, and Texans have rightfully run out of patience, Huffines said.
In his statement, Huffines added that among his priorities were to finish former President Donald Trump s border wall, eliminate property taxes, and enforce voting laws.
During the 2017 legislative session, Huffines filed a bill to shut down Dallas County Schools, the financially troubled organization that spiraled into debt because of a side business started by using taxpayer money marketing school bus stop-arm cameras to other school districts across the state. Huffines worked with Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) who amended the bill to leave that decision up to the voters of Dallas County. The voters ultimately decided to shut down and dissolve the agency in November 2017.
Don Huffines in a 2014 interview with KERA s Shelley Kofler.
Former state Sen. Don Huffines announced on Monday that he’s challenging Gov. Greg Abbott in the 2022 primary race.
Huffines is a conservative Republican from Dallas who’s criticized Abbott for being too slow to fully reopen the state during the pandemic. He s also blamed Abbott for the statewide blackouts during February s catastrophic winter snowstorm.
“For too long, Texas has been let down by politicians who offer nothing but excuses and lies,” he said in a press release, which didn t directly mention Abbott.
Huffines is calling for stronger action on border security, election integrity and property taxes. He said he’s committed to finishing the border wall and rooting out corruption in Austin.
The Characters
Rick Sorrells, former DCS superintendent forced to retire in 2017 amidst questions about the finances at DCS. In April 2018, Sorrells pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud and admitted to receiving more than $3 million in bribes and kickbacks in exchange for entering into contracts for $70 million in school bus camera equipment. He s expected to be sentenced in August.
Larry Duncan, former president of the DCS Board and a former Dallas City Council member. He stepped down from his position as president of board for Dallas County Schools on May 17, 2017 amid ongoing investigations into a multi-million budget gap, the agency s controversial stop-arm camera program and a sale-leaseback land deal that will cost taxpayers millions.