March Matters! Go Vote on March 6th!

By Hector L. Rivero, President & CEO, Texas Chemical Council and the Association of Chemical Industry of Texas.

In Texas, general elections don’t matter much these days, but Primaries do! So voting in March will impact who represents you more than you think. There are few contested general election races of consequence, but there are numerous contested primary election races, and significant philosophical differences between candidates running in primaries today. With every statewide office in Texas held by a Republican, many people think there’s no reason to vote in a primary, or that their vote won’t make a difference. However, for businesses, industries, and homeowners, the differences between candidates in party primaries can have a significant impact on your pocketbook, and your job. There’s no question that Republicans currently dominate Texas politics with 25 of the 36 Congressional seats, 20 of the 31 State Senatorial seats, and 95 of the 150 State House seats. But we shouldn’t assume that all Republican candidates think alike. Many Republicans holding office today prioritize social conservatism over business conservatism. While they may support less government regulation, it also means they do not support government economic development incentives that attract new industry investment and job growth. This can impact the ability for our industry to expand and add new jobs.