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MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Greg Abbott and Sen. Ted Cruz will likely be among the many Texas Republicans who will handle the Republican Nationwide Conference starting Monday in Milwaukee, the Republican Nationwide Committee introduced Saturday.
The listing of audio system additionally contains U.S. Reps. Ronny Jackson of Amarillo, Monica De La Cruz of Edinburg and Wesley Hunt of Houston. All three are vocal supporters of former President Donald Trump, who will obtain the get together’s formal presidential nomination on the conference. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, who defected from the Democratic Occasion to turn into a Republican final 12 months, may even be on the primary stage.
Abbott and Cruz had been each floated as potential presidential candidates early within the cycle, although they by no means launched their very own bids.
The final time Cruz spoke from the conference mainstage was in 2016, when he declined to endorse Trump after coming quick in that 12 months’s Republican primaries. Cruz has since turn into a vocal Trump supporter.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is not going to attend the conference, despite the fact that he’s the chair of Trump’s reelection efforts in Texas. He canceled his look within the wake of Hurricane Beryl, which killed at the very least 10 individuals. A lot of the Houston space was with out energy for days. An estimated 700,000 prospects remained with out electrical energy Saturday afternoon.
“My first priority is not the Republican National Convention; it’s pushing CenterPoint and other utility companies in damaged areas to get power back and ensure our state continues to deliver what citizens need,” Patrick mentioned on social media Friday.
Patrick’s assertion was in response to a name from the Texas Democratic Occasion for him, Cruz and Abbott to remain in Texas fairly than attend the conference. Abbott drew criticisms for occurring a pre-scheduled enterprise journey to Asia.
“Our state’s leaders should not be jetting off to applaud Donald Trump while Texans are still suffering,” Texas Democratic Occasion Chair Gilberto Hinojosa mentioned in a press release Friday evening. “The Texas Democratic Party calls upon Greg Abbott, Dan Patrick and Ted Cruz to skip the Republican National Convention, and prioritize mitigating Beryl’s aftermath.”
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Cruz stayed within the Houston space for a lot of final week, lacking votes within the U.S. Senate, to survey the injury and communicate with these impacted by the storm. He and different lawmakers from Houston from each events pushed the Biden administration to shortly approve catastrophe help for the state.
Cruz’s 2021 journey to Cancun throughout a winter storm drew ridicule from Democrats, who’re hoping to unseat him this 12 months with U.S. Rep. Colin Allred. Cruz mentioned the journey was a mistake and returned to Texas. Allred’s marketing campaign has continued to refer again to the journey in its messaging.
Cruz’s marketing campaign shot again that Allred was in Washington with the remainder of the U.S. Home final week.
“It took Can’t Comment Colin five days to visit Houston. Texas Dems should check their own nominee before they try to be relevant,” a Cruz spokesperson mentioned in a press release.
Allred’s marketing campaign mentioned Cruz’s actions throughout Winter Storm Uri is what voters will keep in mind this fall.
“No matter what Cancun Cruz says or does, Texans will never forget he abandoned them during the deadly freeze in 2021. Come November, Texans will elect a Senator they can count on,” Allred’s marketing campaign mentioned in response.
Jackson and Hunt are amongst Trump’s most fervent supporters on Capitol Hill. Jackson served because the White Home doctor to President Barack Obama and Trump and has remained a loyal Trump supporter since. Hunt has hosted outreach applications to court docket extra Black voters to assist Trump.
De La Cruz received her Rio Grande Valley seat in 2022 after nationwide Republicans poured thousands and thousands of {dollars} into the race. Her race was a litmus check for GOP efforts to court docket Hispanic voters in Texas. Her race for reelection this 12 months is Democrats’ prime U.S. Home goal in Texas and probably the most aggressive congressional seat within the state.
“It is truly the honor of a lifetime and my story is the American Dream come true,” De La Cruz said in a statement. “I look forward to making the case for why we need President Donald Trump to fix our economy and restore law and order at the southern border.”
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Massive information: director and screenwriter Richard Linklater; NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher; U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-California; and Luci Baines Johnson will take the stage at The Texas Tribune Pageant, Sept. 5–7 in downtown Austin. Purchase tickets right now!
