Spiller clinches GOP nom

State Rep. David Spiller vanquished a primary challenger backed by Attorney General Ken Paxton, who had vowed to get revenge on House members who conducted the historic impeachment proceedings against him last year.

Mr. Spiller, who served on both the House committee that investigated Paxton and as an impeachment manager, beat Clark County business woman Kerri Kingsbery, 67 percent to 33 percent among 68th District voters. Young County went heavily in his favor, 76 percent to 24 percent.

Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick endorsed Mr. Spiller, as did state Sen. Drew Springer. Mr. Spiller worked with Gov. Abbott during one of the four special sessions last year on controversial legislation that creates state criminal penalties for illegal immigration and gives state law enforcement officials the power to arrest illegal migrants who cross the border at places other than official ports of entry.

Mr. Spiller faces Democrat Stacey Swann in the Nov. 5 general election but is likely to carry the heavily conservative House district.

Mr. Spiller said he was “pleased and honored to have won my primary reelection as the State Representative for House District 68, especially by such a wide margin in each of my 12 counties.”

He thanked his wife, Ginger, and his family, staff and supporters, and said he looked “forward to advancing and defending the conservative principles, values and beliefs of the people of my district.”

“I pledge to continue to fight to secure our border, to lower taxes, to end the sale of our land to China and other countries that pose a threat to us, to fight the liberal, woke agenda of the left, and to protect our rural schools, hospitals, water and infrastructure,” he said, adding that he was “proud to run a positive campaign.”