Life PAC, the political arm of Texans for Life Coalition, has made several recent endorsements, including:
- Cecil Bell Jr. (R-Magnolia) for HD3
- John Frullo (R-Lubbock) for HD84
- Dan Huberty (R-Humble) for HD127
- Lorne Liechty for HD33 open
- Bennett Ratliff, challenging Rep. Matt Rinaldi (R-Irving), for HD115, and
- Jason Villalba (D-Dallas) for HD114
The Arlington-based PAC was established in November 2013. It has received a little over $62K in contributions, including nearly $33K from former Sen. John Carona (R-Dallas) and $25K from the Texas House Leadership Fund.
The group’s largest expenditures were during the 2014 primary campaign for mailers in support of Reps. Byron Cook (R-Corsicana) and Jim Keffer (R-Eastland); former Reps. Diane Patrick (R-Arlington) and Ralph Sheffield (R-Temple); and Carona.
Another anti-abortion group has endorsed different candidates in some of these races. Texas Right to Life PAC endorsed Frullo’s challenger, former Rep. Jim Landtroop. The group listed Villalba among its “dishonorable mentions” after last session. Also on that list were Cook and Keffer. Texas Right to Life PAC has already endorsed Cook’s primary opponent, Thomas McNutt.
Several of Life PAC’s endorsed candidates have also been endorsed by Texas Alliance for Life, itself the target of grassroots conservative groups over its endorsements and tolerance for Speaker Joe Straus’s administration (See executive director Joe Pojman’s defense of Speaker Straus here.). Texas Alliance for Life has endorsed Ratliff, and Cook and Keffer were among the group’s “Courageous Defense of Life” award winners following the session.
Expect more splits between these groups as the primary approaches.
