State of H-Town is a weekly column wrapping up the latest in Houston-area politics.
A viral bug has been spreading among Texas Republicans since 2018, and a new outbreak has infected the state’s race for the U.S. Senate.
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn is the latest to display symptoms of Hidalgo Derangement Syndrome, a political affliction brought on by an intense dislike of Democratic Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. A similar ailment, TDS, related to President Donald Trump, is said to affect many Democrats.
Cornyn’s symptoms were on full display in his Tuesday evening response to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s announcement that he was challenging him for the Republican nomination.
The statement posted by Cornyn’s campaign started inconspicuously enough, touting the five-term senator’s loyalty to President Donald Trump and legislative experience in the upper chamber.
Following a classic political playbook, the second half of the statement turned to negative campaigning, declaring Paxton a “fraud.”
Here we go. The Texas GOP civil war is underway, and there is plenty for Cornyn to attack about the once-indicted and once-impeached Texas Attorney General who was recently ordered to pay $6.6 million for retaliating against whistleblowers. What have you got for us, Senator?
“(Paxton) talks tough on crime and then lets crooked progressive Lina Hidalgo off the hook.”
Wait, what? How did the Harris County judge get involved here?
The statement did go on to attack Paxton for his impeachment and infidelity to his wife, but Hidalgo’s brief appearance was a surprise.
Three former staffers of Hidalgo were briefly investigated by Paxton’s office last year after former Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg was accused of politicizing the case she had brought against them. In an effort to keep the case alive after she lost her Democratic Primary to Sean Teare, Ogg asked Paxton’s office to step in and continue prosecuting the case. In February, Paxton’s office made the decision to dismiss the charges against all three former staffers.
Hidalgo was never charged in connection to the investigation, but she is a young, progressive public official who has been a frequent punching bag for Texas Republicans since her election in 2018.
Dino accusations
Houston Mayor John Whitmire also has been the target of criticism lately, but it is coming from the left.
An invitation to a fundraiser for Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw featuring Whitmire as a special guest has circulated widely in local Democratic circles. The April 22 event is being hosted by local construction firm owners Laura and George Pontikes and also features Republican County Commissioner Tom Ramsey.
Whitmire has been a Democrat for his 50-plus-year career, making his appearance at the event surprising to many of the Democratic base. Commentators online called him a DINO, or “Democrat in name only.”
Throughout much of his career in the Texas Legislature and City Hall, Whitmire has shown an independent streak. In the Senate, he was the only Democrat to chair a committee under Republican firebrand and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s leadership.
Since becoming mayor, Whitmire frequently has said he will work with anyone, comments his spokesperson echoed when asked about the event this week: “Mayor Whitmire is going to work with anyone if it is in the best interest of the city.”
While already expressing frustration over Whitmire’s decisions to remove road infrastructure for alternative forms of transportation, critics say the mayor’s decision to attend Crenshaw’s fundraiser is part of a recent move toward Republican positions.
Popularity contest
Whitmire and Hidalgo frequently find themselves on the receiving end of political cudgels, but both public officials enjoy relative popularity in Houston, according to a survey published Thursday by the University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs.
About 59 percent of the 1,400 Houstonians surveyed said Whitmire is doing a good job as mayor, while 41 percent said he was not.
For Hidalgo, 55 percent said they approved of the job she is doing and 45 percent said they did not.
The Democratic criticisms of Whitmire did show up a little in the poll, but he remains popular with a majority of the Democratic voters surveyed. About 56 percent of Democrats said Whitmire is doing a good job, and 71 percent of Republicans said the same.
There were no surprises when you break down Hidalgo’s approval rating by party. Democrats love her, and Republicans cannot stand her: 80 percent of Democrats said they approve of the job she is doing compared to just 13 percent of Republicans who said the same.
The polling does show that Cornyn’s strategy of tying Paxton to Hidalgo may not be a bad one, given her lack of popularity among the voters who will decide the Republican Primary for Senate.
For Whitmire, his independence from the Democratic base has not soured his support citywide as he continues to hold on to the coalition of Republicans and moderate Democratic voters that got him elected in 2023.
The survey was conducted March 29 through April 4 via a text message that directed respondents to an online survey. The margin of error for the poll is plus- or minus 2.62 percent.
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