WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump threw his weight Tuesday behind Republicans challenging four Texas House members who crossed Gov. Greg Abbott on school choice and voted to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Paxton has sought retribution by working to oust Republicans who voted against him. Abbott has been trying to unseat many of the same incumbents.
The endorsements by the GOP front-runner for president aid two of his top boosters in Texas.
The targeted incumbents are among the “rural 16″ who voted against school choice proposals, an Abbott priority. All four also voted in May to impeach Paxton, as did over two-thirds of House Republicans.
Trump emphasized the impeachment votes in his Truth Social posts announcing the endorsements, deriding each of the targeted incumbents as a “RINO” — Republican in name only.
The four incumbents are state Reps. Stan Lambert of Abilene, Glenn Rogers of Graford, a tiny town in West Texas; John Kuempel of Seguin and DeWayne Burns of Cleburne.
Trump endorsed Liz Case against Lambert, Mike Olcott against Rogers, Alan Schoolcraft against Kuempel, and Helen Kerwin against Burns.
Each challenger, the ex-president wrote, will “Champion School Choice,” border security, election integrity and gun rights.
The Trump-backed candidates quickly amplified his endorsement via email, tweet and Facebook posts.
“What an absolute blessing and honor!” Kerwin tweeted.
“I am floored to have the support of Trump,” Olcott tweeted, reflecting how unusual it is for a former president to recommend candidates in local contests, as Trump has done for years.
Last month, Trump endorsed a primary challenger to House Speaker Dade Phelan, a fellow Republican whom Paxton blames for the impeachment. When the Texas Senate acquitted him in September, Trump took credit after publicly pressuring lawmakers.
The governor’s border security crusade reinforces Trump’s own attacks on President Joe Biden.
Paxton co-chaired Lawyers for Trump during the 2020 campaign, led a lawsuit aimed at overturning Trump’s defeat, and spoke at the Jan. 6, 2021, rally shortly before a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol.
Trump offered especially glowing praise for Kerwin, who pitches herself as a MAGA conservative.
He noted that her daughter, Brooke Rollins, worked on his senior staff at the White House for three years and now leads the America First Policy Institute, a think tank that promotes his agenda and has been described as a “White House in waiting” if he’s elected a second time.
“Helen Kerwin is an America First Conservative, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement!” he wrote.
“The greatest endorsement from the greatest President @realDonaldTrump!! Congrats, Mom!!” Rollins tweeted.
Abbott stumped with Kerwin in Cleburne on Monday night, telling her supporters the incumbent has voted to curb gun rights.
Trump also endorsed Brent Hagenbuch on Tuesday in Senate District 30, a seat left vacant by the retirement of Sen. Drew Springer, R-Muenster. Springer voted to acquit Paxton but last week called for reopening the probe based on fresh evidence.