SMITH COUNTY, Texas, June 4, 2021 – Today,JoAnn Fleming, Executive Director of Grassroots America – We the People PAC followed Wise County Conservatives in issuing its own “Anti-Endorsement” of Greg Abbott for re-election. [Updated 1.10.22 to reflect failure to call a 4th Special Session.]
Fleming said, “In agreement with the Wise County Conservatives Board, Grassroots America’s Board of Directors is not yet prepared to endorse a candidate for the 2022 Gubernatorial election, but we are fully prepared to announce that we will not endorse the current Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott.
“The singular purpose of government is to protect the liberties of the people. Greg Abbott swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of Texas and yet, for more than a year, he flagrantly broke this vow when he unilaterally, without legislative approval:
- closed what he termed ‘non-essential’ small businesses, while leaving Big Box corporate businesses open – destroying jobs, crushing families, and killing lifetime investments;
- forced abandonment of elderly family members and special needs children with isolation mandates;
- denied Texans access to non-COVID-19 health care by deeming those needs as elective;
- fast-tracked a $295 million contact tracing contract, mandated masks, limited freedom of assembly, and shut down schools.
“In addition, even though the Texas Constitution (Article 1, Section 6) protects the ‘natural and indefeasible’ right of worship, Gov. Abbott facilitated the closure of churches by local tyrants throughout the state – in the absence of any legal justification. Finally, the Texas Constitution (Article 1, Section 13) declares – ‘all courts shall be open’ and yet the court system was essentially shut down for months, again in the absence of any legal power granted to the executive branch.
“Two of the nine Texas Republican Party Priorities for the 87th Session sought relief from Governor Abbott’s expansive interpretation of his executive power because Governor Greg Abbott was derelict in his duty to protect and defend the rights of Texans during a time that they most needed an advocate.
“Abbott not once used his influence to pass legislation to end sex change butchery and chemical destruction of children – a Republican Party of Texas Legislative Priority supported by 94.65% of 2020 GOP Primary voters! In the last two legislative sessions, Abbott failed to pass election integrity measures that would strengthen ballot security by reducing the risk of digital/electronic fraud. Texas Governor since 2015, Abbott has failed to verify the registered voter list to remove illegal aliens, felons, the deceased, and double registrations. In 2021, he signed into law SB1, which lowered the criminal penalties for voter fraud from a 2nd Degree Felony to a Class A Misdemeanor and allows political parties and candidates to send out unsolicited mail ballots! He has ignored calls from the People of Texas 4th Special Session to restore criminal penalties.
“Abbott has done nothing to put Texans first by ending the magnets that attract and reward illegal border crossers. For the seven years he has been governor, Abbott has never done more than participate in federal “catch and release” at the border. He has not kept his promise of meaningful, lasting property tax cuts and has instead grown the size and scope of state government. When it comes to our gun rights, Abbott showed a willingness to embrace red flag laws and increase regulatory burdens on gun owners in his 2018 School and Firearm Safety Action Plan. Finally, Abbott has refused to convene the legislature to outlaw Covid-19+++ vaccine mandates while his executive order is ignored.
“Greg Abbott is long on talk but fails to deliver measurable results. During his Disaster Declaration for COVID-19 and his behavior during the past legislative sessions, we learned from Greg Abbott’s own actions that we cannot trust him to protect and defend our liberty. For this reason, above all, we cannot support his re-election.”