Dallas‑based businessman and Courageous Conservatives PAC chairman Chris Ekstrom has long warned that the Texas Republican establishment was selling out its base. His predictions appear to have been confirmed by the November 3, 2026 election, when Democrats captured the governor’s office, the lieutenant governor’s office and the attorney general’s office, according to the Texas Secretary of State’s unofficial results posted on November 4.
Election results show a dramatic swing
Governor Greg Abbott received 45.67% of the vote, while Democrat Gina Hinojosa earned 52.80%. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick garnered 45.63% against Democrat Vikki Goodwin’s 51.73%. In the attorney general’s race, Democrat Nathan Johnson won 52.38% to Republican Mayes Middleton’s 45.94%. The Texas Tribune reported that Democrats also seized control of the Texas House for the first time since 2003, though Republicans retained the Senate.
Compared with the 2022 cycle, when Abbott, Patrick and then‑Attorney General Ken Paxton each won by roughly ten points, the 2026 margins represent a swing of 16 to 18 points toward the Democratic ticket. This shift underscores Ekstrom’s long‑standing claim that a lack of decisive, conservative leadership is eroding the party’s dominance.
Ekstrom’s warnings date back to 2020
In a February 18, 2020 guest column for The Amarillo Pioneer, Ekstrom warned that “do‑nothing Republicans sold out their citizen constituents once again, and refused to give the President his number one campaign priority—a border wall.” He also warned that establishment Republicans were eager to please Democrats who “would like to abolish ICE” and remove voter‑ID requirements that keep illegal immigrants from voting.
Later that month, Ekstrom criticized former President George W. Bush for breaking his promise to permanently repeal the federal estate tax, and lamented “excessive and unreasonable property taxes” in Amarillo.
Continued criticism of state leadership
Ekstrom’s criticism intensified after the January 2025 Texas House speaker election, in which Rep. Dustin Burrows (R‑Lubbock) won the speakership with a coalition of 49 Democrats and 36 Republicans. In a written message to the Texas Tribune, Ekstrom called for President Trump to become directly involved in the 2026 elections, expressing no confidence in the current leadership.
In a June 5, 2025 op‑ed for Blaze Media, Ekstrom wrote that “Texas may be a red state, but the last legislative session told a different story. Thirty‑six Republican state lawmakers joined Democrats on critical votes that gutted conservative priorities. They campaign as fighters and govern as cowards—folding at the first whiff of media pressure or lobbyist resistance.” He singled out Governor Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, saying the border remained “wide open.”
Social‑media campaign against perceived RINOs
Ekstrom’s PAC account on X, @CourageousPAC, repeatedly warned that Texas was threatening free speech, labeling the state a danger to the First Amendment. In May 2025, the account blamed “RINOs” for the quorum‑breaking walkout by House Democrats over a congressional map, and in November 2026 it listed Abbott, Patrick, George P. Bush, Karl Rove, Burrows and Dade Phelan among those responsible for a “rudderless mess.”
Ekstrom also contrasted Texas with Florida, claiming the latter was “leading” while Texas merely followed.
Implications for the Texas GOP
Ekstrom argues that the party’s recent defeats are not the result of demographic change but a “homegrown problem” rooted in leadership that “never does anything without taking a poll.” He traces the pattern back to the Bush era, suggesting that the precedent of governing with Democratic cooperation has persisted.
For Texas conservatives, the 2026 results serve as a rallying point to demand more assertive, principle‑driven candidates who will prioritize border security, fiscal responsibility and the protection of conservative values. As Ekstrom put it on WMAL’s O’Connor & Company, “Texas should be deep red and it ain’t. That’s the bottom line.”
Original reporting: WMAL (Washington DC) — read the source article.
