With the 89th Texas House Legislative Session now underway, the influential conservative group Club for Growth is intensifying its campaign to push universal school choice and other conservative priority legislation to the forefront.
In a recent interview with Texas Scorecard, Club for Growth President David McIntosh emphasized the group’s unwavering commitment to advancing a strong conservative vision during the session.
Club for Growth, the nation’s leading free-enterprise advocacy group that champions economic freedom and limited government principles, was a key player in shaping Texas’ political landscape last year. The PAC invested nearly $9 million across 14 races during the Republican primary and runoff elections, significantly influencing outcomes.
“We’re going to be very engaged with the governor and the proponents of the school freedom bill, universal school choice,” McIntosh said. “We believe now there’s a majority in the House. Lieutenant Governor Patrick is a strong supporter in the Senate, and the governor wants it. We’re on the cusp of getting the bill passed, and we want to be there as allies of the proponents to help them get that done.”
Although Texas remains the largest Republican-controlled state in the nation, school choice legislation has faced consistent hurdles in recent years, McIntosh pointed out. He attributed these setbacks to a faction of moderate Republicans aligning with teachers’ unions and education bureaucracy groups in an effort to maintain political security.
“What I’ve noticed over time is that some Republicans want to play it safe,” he said. “They take campaign contributions and support from unions to protect themselves against attacks from the left, and then they oppose school choice. The results of the primaries and runoffs last year sent a clear message: Republicans are for school freedom, for letting parents control their children’s education. It’s no longer safe to be a teacher-union Republican.”
While universal school choice remains the top priority for Club for Growth in Texas, the organization also supports other conservative platforms and priority bills.
“School choice is the number one agenda that brought us into the state legislative races,” McIntosh said. “Texas is blessed to already have zero income tax and a strong cryptocurrency environment, so while other issues are important, school choice is our primary focus this session.”
When asked whether the Club for Growth PAC would continue its involvement in Texas if school choice legislation falters, McIntosh was unequivocal.
“Absolutely,” he said. “We’ll be keeping track of how people vote, and any Republican that votes against it should expect us to support their primary challenger.”
