TX-32: Defeated GOP Rep. Pete Sessions didn’t rule out a rematch against Democrat Colin Allred back in December, and prominent local fundraiser Roy Bailey tells Gromer Jeffers of the Dallas News that the former Texas congressman is indeed still thinking about it.
Bailey, who ran Sessions’ financial committee, said Sessions was “still very interested in taking the district back” and has “to complete his analysis of 2018 and what happened there, outside of what I called the Beto tsunami.” That “Beto tsunami” is a reference to Democratic Senate nominee Beto O’Rourke’s 55-44 victory here; Allred beat Sessions 52-46 that same night.
While Sessions might still be working on that 2018 defeat analysis, we’re happy to present our own. To begin with, the former congressman didn’t seem to understand that his once safely-red Dallas seat was quickly changing, and for reasons that had nothing to do with O’Rourke. Texas’ 32nd District swung from 57-42 Romney to 49-47 Clinton, but Sessions seemed to think he was still safe.
In October of 2017, when it was becoming more and more clear that Trump would be a drag on the GOP ticket the following year, Sessions made it very clear that he didn't want major GOP outside groups coming to his aid, bragging that he "begged the NRCC, even when I was chairman, ‘Keep the hell away from Dallas, Texas,'" and that, "We need to go in somewhere else, it’s up to me to win in Dallas, Texas. It’s not up to some other group."
Months later, Sessions told McClatchy that he'd welcome a visit from Trump "with open arms," adding, "Can you invite him for me?" Major outside groups did end up spending plenty to aid him, and even Sessions belatedly came to realize that it might not be a good idea to campaign as a Trump ally.
That wasn’t the last sign that Sessions was ill-suited for campaigning. A month after his defeat, Sessions whined to the Dallas News about the “incredible amount of money and an overwhelming sense of mischaracterization” he felt was used against him. Sessions, who had served in the House for 22 years and helmed the GOP’s House campaign arm twice, also complained that it was the fault of the “Democratic Party and their allies who smeared” him as a D.C. insider. He also derided the many critical ads that targeted him as “shenanigans” and kvetched, “They did that to harm me.” Yeah, that’s what negative ads are meant to do.
Considering how he performed during and after the 2018 campaign, Sessions may be Allred’s ideal opponent, but there may actually be someone worse lurking around the corner. Jeffers writes that national Republicans have “expressed interest” in former Florida Rep. Allen West, who has lived in Texas for the last four years. West, who went on to serve on the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission, which reviews the efficiency and operations of state agencies, hasn’t said anything about his interest. Last year West briefly considered running for the neighboring 5th District, a safely red seat being vacated by Jeb Hensarling, but he didn’t go for it.
Back in Florida, West was a huge tea party favorite who had a knack for finding unique ways to be offensive. To take just a few examples, West declared, that if Nazi propagandist "Joseph Goebbels was around, he'd be very proud of the Democrat party, because they have an incredible propaganda machine," and said that "when I see anyone with an Obama 2012 bumper sticker, I recognize them as a threat to the gene pool." West lost his House seat in a very close race in 2012 even as Mitt Romney was narrowly carrying it, and while he eventually conceded, West charged that "many questions remain unanswered" about the vote totals.
And, of course, West has only gotten worse in the Trump era. In December, he shared a Facebook meme about James Mattis, who was Trump's first secretary of Defense, captioned, "Fired by Obama to please the Muslims. Hired by Trump to exterminate them." West also launched a transphobic attack on Pennsylvania Physician General Rachel Levine in 2016. West remains popular in the far-right media sphere, and if he ran, he'd probably have no trouble sucking in donations. However, he’s probably not the ideal GOP candidate to take on Allred in a competitive seat that doesn’t seem to be getting any friendlier for Team Red.
Jeffers also writes that another politician reportedly being eyed by national Republicans is former Irving Mayor Beth Van Duyne, who currently serves in Trump’s Housing Department, but there’s also no word on her interest. She also may not be such a great recruit, though, since none of Irving is located in this seat. Most of the city is in Texas’ 24th District, where Jeffers says that Van Duyne has also been mentioned as a possible candidate to eventually succeed GOP Rep. Kenny Marchant departs, while the balance is in the safely blue 33rd District.
Jeffers also adds that other names “tossed about in the aftermath of Allred's victory include” former state Rep. Dan Branch and state Reps. Angie Chen Button and Morgan Meyer. There’s also no indication if any of this trio are interested.