This is an op-ed written by former State Rep. Glenn Rogers, who was targeted and ousted by Greg Abbott in the 2024 primaries because he was anti-voucher. He has not taken that defeat lying down.
Glenn Rogers
Our great state is experiencing an explosive population boom. Yet most of the growth is in the Texas Triangle — anchored by Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio and Houston — with a combined population over 20 million. Many rural counties are declining. According to the Texas Demographic Center, more than half of the 254 counties in Texas decreased in population between 2010 and 2020, and 75 counties shrank in population between 2022 and 2023. Our state, once an agrarian and rural bastion, is urbanizing rapidly.
Texans, while living in mostly suburban and urban environments, should still care deeply about the issues facing their rural neighbors. Maintaining and strengthening rural America is crucial for food and water security, energy security and, ultimately, national security.
Historically, and by their chosen location, most rural Texans are independent-minded and support traditional conservative values of limited government (both federal and state) and local control. On red meat issues such as abortion and guns, most rural Texans lean strongly to the right. Republicans have politically dominated rural Texas, everywhere except the Rio Grande valley, for decades.
Despite overwhelming rural support, the Republican Party of Texas is surprisingly anti-rural and opposed to legislative solutions for the most critical issues facing rural Texans. To get elected and stay elected in Texas, Republicans have to take their marching orders from organizations linked to party leadership and megadonors — organizations such as the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility and the True Texas Project. These and other Republican-led advocacy groups make recommendations in elections and take positions on pending legislation. Their track record is consistently anti-rural.
Based on my personal experience and discussions with rural-focused organizations, I would say the top priorities for rural Texas are supporting public schools, providing access to quality health care, improving the quantity and quality of water resources, and improving communication capabilities. These four categories are important to all Texans, but the effects may be more acute in rural communities. Rural Texans struggle to access resources that their urban and suburban counterparts take for granted.
Unfortunately, these topics are not listed as legislative priorities by the current Republican Party of Texas, and bills dealing with these issues are consistently opposed by allied groups funded primarily by the party’s biggest donors.
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How long will rural Texans continue supporting Republican politicians who clearly do not listen to the needs of rural Texas? To quote the classic Wolf Brand Chili commercial, “Well, that‘s too long!”
That was written in late May, I’ve had it sitting in my drafts since then. With the special session gaveling in today this seemed like as good a time as any to bring it out. What he’s saying here sounds like an opportunity to me. As noted above, former Rep. Rogers has been loudly proclaiming his discontent about Greg Abbott, the state Republican Party, and the priorities of the wingnut billionaires that fund them and tell them what to do. I’m not going to claim that Rogers is an ally – one of the reasons he’s been so vocal is because of the betrayal he feels as someone who had been such a staunch supporter of Abbott only to have Abbott viciously backstab him because of vouchers – but the issues he highlights are totally compatible with our own priorities. I’ve been saying since last March that Rogers’ Democratic former colleagues in the Lege need to be talking to him and to his fellow voucher victims about teaming up in 2026 to take down the likes of Abbott, Dan Patrick, and Ken Paxton, both as a matter of principle and to defend their own honor. We have enough in common to make it work, if we try.
And why wouldn’t we? Look, we know from the 2024 election that Democrats had and have issues with inspiring and turning out their base. My point here is that Republicans are taking their base for granted, and that gives us room to make an overture to them. We don’t have to abandon our principles to make such an overture, as shown by the priorities Rogers outlines. I think the same basic pitch, in a time of chaos and destruction and tariff–driven inflation and economic shocks, will sound good to a wider swath of people. Throw in the THC ban and add a twist of making government work for people and not for billionaires and cronies, and I think we’ve got something. It won’t be easy, it will take time and money and effort, and some number of people will reject the messenger even if the message resonates, but honestly, what do we have to lose? It’s not like there’s a tried and true formula we can fall back on. When I say this is an opportunity, I mean it’s something we can take or we can waste. Which way do we want to go?