Bills would give state officials unusual authority over one particular part of the state.
Local officials and activists who talked to POLITICO say the election bills are just one part of a larger movement to take direct aim at Houston. Dallas and Austin have been hit with conservative criticism for years, but Harris County has attracted particular interest from Republican state politicians.
“We never wanted the state to get involved in what we considered local issues,” said Harris County Republican Party Chair Cindy Siegel. “As it relates to election integrity, the only recourse that voters have, candidates have, the party has, is either legislation or litigation.” “Harris County is not too big to fail, but too big to ignore,” said state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, the Houston Republican who has introduced a dozen elections bills, including some of those aimed at his home county. Its population alone would make it the 25th biggest state in the country: “That’s why this legislation has some urgency to it.”
State Rep. Chris Turner, who represents Tarrant County and formerly chaired the Democratic Caucus, said Republicans are concerned about how much ground they’ve lost, not just in Tarrant County but also in other growing counties like Hays, Williamson and Collin.
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