Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R‑Lubbock) made a high‑profile campaign stop in San Antonio on Thursday, rallying support for three local Republicans as the GOP braces for unexpectedly competitive races in the November 3 election. The visit, reported by the San Antonio Report and Hoodline, underscored the party’s effort to present a united front in districts that internal polling now flags as “flippable.”
Burrows’ political action committees have poured significant money into Bexar County. According to the San Antonio Report, the PACs funded state Rep. Marc LaHood (R‑District 121), Rep. Mark Dorazio (R‑District 122) and Jorge Borrego, the Republican candidate for District 118. All three signed the “One Party, One Mission” banner on Burrows’ tour bus, signaling a coordinated push to protect the GOP’s 88‑62 seat majority in the 150‑member Texas House, a figure also cited by KSAT.
LaHood was absent, but his wife Erica praised Burrows as a “real‑life Superman” for his assistance against Democratic challenger Zack Dunn. In the same period (Sept. 25‑Oct. 24), Republicans spent more than $1 million on LaHood’s race, while Dunn raised close to $400,000, including $225,000 from the Blueprint Texas PAC, per Texas Public Radio. Dorazio’s campaign attracted more than a half a million dollars in Republican spending, contrasted with his Democratic opponent Shelly Nickels’ $5,600, according to the San Antonio Report. Dorazio, who once led the effort to censure former Speaker Joe Straus, credited Burrows with helping “raise funds and get out the vote.”
District 118, where Borrego seeks to replace outgoing Rep. John Lujan, is also projected as a tight contest. The San Antonio Report notes that internal polling and early‑voting analysis point to a close race against Democrat Kristian Carranza. Borrego helped craft the state’s historic school voucher program while at an Austin‑based think tank, a policy Burrows highlighted during his stop.
Education funding was a centerpiece of Burrows’ remarks. He cited the $1 billion voucher initiative that assists families with private‑school tuition and the $7.7 billion allocated to public schools in the same session, calling the combined effort a “win‑win solution” that added accountability and discipline to classrooms. Burrows also promised that the next legislative session will work to eliminate school property taxes.
Local GOP leaders warned that Bexar County’s political drift makes even long‑held Republican turf feel vulnerable. Vice Chair Kyle Sinclair said the county swung nine points toward President Trump between the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections, despite Trump’s 14‑point statewide win in 2024. Sinclair cautioned that the county remains a challenging battleground for Republicans whose districts extend into it.
What’s next: Early voting is underway, and the November 3 election will determine whether the GOP can maintain its dominant majority in the Texas House. Results from Bexar County will provide an early indicator of the broader partisan balance for the next legislative session.
Sources: sanantonioreport.org, hoodline.com
