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Donald Trump helped Texas Republicans win big. Here’s how they’re going to return the favor.

Donald Trump points to the crowd during a rally at the Travis County Expo Center in Austin in 2016. Trump, who just won back the White House, could tap several Texans and take cues from state policies to help him shape his second administration.
Miguel Gutierrez Jr.
/
KUT News
Donald Trump points to the crowd during a rally at the Travis County Expo Center in Austin in 2016. Trump, who just won back the White House, could tap several Texans and take cues from state policies to help him shape his second administration.

All doubt that Texas is deep red was put to bed last night, as Republicans up and down the ballot won big. The victories mean more conservative policies both here and in Washington, as Texan politicians, donors and influencers help usher in a second Trump administration.

GOP voters across the state turned out in droves, narrowing or even reversing Democrats' gains from previous years. The results? A second stint in the White House for Donald Trump, a third term for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and bigger than normal wins for GOP judicial candidates and state legislators.

“Texas is not getting more blue, it’s getting more red,” said Craig Goldman, the former chairman of the Texas House GOP Caucus who won a seat in Congress on Tuesday night.

Sid Miller, the state’s Republican agriculture commissioner, said Democrats’ hopes that Texas is becoming more competitive have been dashed.

“That’s going to put that rumor to rest for a while,” said Miller, one of a few Texans who may be tapped for a cabinet position in the coming months. “The last few elections have been closer than I thought they would be. But this one was a flat runaway, so I think we’re in good shape for at least a couple more election cycles.”

Turnout for the former president helped Texas Republicans win big on Election Night. How might they return the favor, and how will the Trump effect shape lawmaking here in Texas?

Mr. Miller Goes to Washington?

Miller acknowledged the rumor that he may be tapped to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, under Trump. But he isn’t the only Texan whose name is being floated.

When asked for names, Miller pointed to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The two men were photographed hobnobbing at Mar-a-Lago on Election Day.

A top Trump ally in Texas, Paxton’s name has also been floated for the U.S. Department of Justice. Landing a job there could help him professionally — and legally. The FBI is investigating Paxton for alleged corruption. It’s an open question whether the probe will continue under Trump.

Miller also mentioned the return of John Ratcliffe, who served as Trump’s director of national intelligence.

Current and former leaders at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank based in Austin, will also likely have Trump’s ear when he retakes the White House. This includes Kevin Roberts, who as president of the Heritage Foundation helped shape Project 2025, and the America First Policy Institute’s Brooke Rollins.

And who can forget Elon Musk? The Tesla CEO, who has moved more and more of his businesses to Texas, funneled millions into Trump’s campaign in the final weeks. He will undoubtedly have a voice on business policy — and potentially more.

Border and immigration

Hopes among Democrats that they could pick up a few spots in the state Legislature were unrealized. In fact, GOP lawmakers clawed back seats in the Texas House and Senate, moving the chambers even further to the right.

Gilberto Hinojosa, the chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, said Trump turned out GOP voters across the state. He also blamed a funding imbalance, saying they were outspent “100-to-1” by billionaire Republicans.

The losses could affect policymaking here at home, where Hinojosa said Democrats lost on issues like immigration and LGBTQ rights.

Trump has promised to institute mass deportations as well as curtail legal immigration when he’s back in power. This message resonated with voters of all backgrounds, Hinojosa said.

For example, Trump won every county in the Rio Grande Valley and several others in South Texas — some by double digits.

“Why do you think that Trump did so well with Hispanics? Because Hispanics live on the border,” Hinojosa said. “We're talking about thousands of people crossing into the United States, and the government [under Joe Biden] is perceived not to be able to do anything to solve it.”

A U.S. Border Patrol truck along the border fence in Brownsville in 2019.
Eddie Gaspar for KUT
A U.S. Border Patrol truck along the border fence in Brownsville in 2019.

Goldman, the former GOP Caucus chair, said he hopes a federal government under Trump control will take more ownership over immigration policy.

This could mean the state of Texas — which funneled billions into border security during the Biden administration — spends less on border security. This is especially true because the state is projected to have less money to spend when lawmakers meet for the 2025 session.

Republicans flipped the U.S. Senate on Tuesday night; control of the U.S. House of Representatives is still in question.

“My hope is that, obviously, that we maintain the majority in U.S. Congress and we can fast-track money spent back to the state of Texas for border security,” said Goldman, who won the North Texas congressional seat to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Kay Granger.

Transgender rights

Hinojosa also pointed to transgender rights, which he said hurt Democrats at the polls. He brought up the Hyde Amendment, which has banned federal funds from being used for most abortions for nearly 50 years.

“We can say, ‘Okay, we respect people's right to say we don't want my taxpayer money to be used for that, and at the same time support transgender rights,” he said. "I'm not saying that we need to take that position right now. But when those votes happen, we need to recognize that there are going to be long term political consequences when we do that."

Texas legislators have already passed several laws restricting the rights of transgender people, including curbing transgender athletes’ participation in high school and college sports.

Trump has promised to take these policies to the federal level, adding that he would also ask Congress to designate that two genders may be recognized at birth. Texas Republicans who’ve vocally opposed LGBTQ rights, including Paxton, may help him shape these policies.

Hinojosa said Democrats in Texas must acknowledge their messaging on some issues is not landing.

“You have a choice as a party," he said. "You could, for example, you can support transgender rights up and down all the categories where the issue comes up, or you can understand that there's certain things that we just go too far on, that a big bulk of our population does not support."

Copyright 2024 KUT 90.5

Lauren McGaughy