TPA Attends Business Roundtable Election Recap

As members of the Texas Business Roundtable, Texas Pharmacy Association CEO Debbie Garza and P4 Intern Jane Jeon attended this week’s election recap with political pundits Ted Delisi and Harold Cook. Texas had voter turnout like a presidential election year with 8.3 million people voting in 2018, close to the 8.9 million in 2016. People came out to vote who normally don’t. One message was clear: general election voters matter.

Voters were motivated by strong feelings on top of the ticket. Texas experienced what may become the most expensive race in history with more than $100 million raised for Texas’ Senatorial race between Republican incumbent Ted Cruz and Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke. Cruz won with 50.9% of the vote. Republicans have won every statewide election for the past 20 years. Governor Abbott won reelection with 55.8% of the vote.

Tuesday’s general election brings significant changes to the Texas Legislature. Six new state senators were elected, and two seats (SD 10 Konni Burton and SD 16 Don Huffines) flipped from Republican to Democrat. Burton was a member of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. The SD 19 seat flipped from Democrat to Republican (Pete Flores) during a special election in September. Twelve Republicans in the Texas House lost, including Rodney Anderson, Tony Dale, and Paul Workman who understood pharmacy’s issues, and 10 Republicans almost lost.

What does this mean for the 86th legislative session? Republicans are coming back under different circumstances with 12 out, 10 who almost lost, and others not feeling as safe as they once felt. There will be a psychological shift and different priorities because they are reminded that constituents besides primary voters matter, too. We are likely to see the legislature move more to the center and talk more about health care and education. They will need a record of accomplishments to take to voters and prediction is that this session will be about bigger issues.