First-term state Rep. Ellen Troxclair is slamming mailers arriving at thousands of homes claiming she has turned a blind eye to traditional Republican issues and values.
The political darts taking aim at Troxclair, which showed up both at her Travis County residence and homes in Kendall County — accuse the former Austin City Council member of supporting anti-Second Amendment causes, voting to increase her own pension and spending taxpayer money to bolster Shariah, or Islamic law.
Nothing could be further from the truth, said Troxclair, elected to House District 19 in November 2022 and now seeking reelection.
She expressed dismay at “someone’s attempt to lie to voters” just weeks before the Republican primary March 5.
“I started getting emails and phone calls from constituents who were absolutely appalled at the trash that was arriving in their mail,” Troxclair said. “This is a concerted effort to deceive Republican voters.”
Troxclair will face challengers Kyle Biedermann, a former state representative from Fredericksburg, and Manny Campos, a Marble Falls businessman, in the GOP contest next month.
She said the information contained in the flyers, which are being circulated by a group called the Texas Family Project, is “disrespectful to the voters” of Kendall County and the rest of the region she represents.
Texas Family Project is an organization that says it advocates “for policies and initiatives that empower parents to raise their children in safe, nurturing environments.”
Texas Family Project, Troxclair said, is part of a network of organizations tied to political megadonor Tim Dunn of Midland. Other groups that are a part of the network, such as Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, also appear on some of the mail-outs and have faced criticism, she added.
Political watchers say such mudslinging is not uncommon during heated races.
One flyer claims Troxclair “is advancing (President) Joe Biden’s radical anti-2A policies in Texas by voting to implement part of Biden’s ‘Bipartisan Safer Communities Act’ of 2022,” which many feel is a pathway to tighter gun control.
The Biden decree was approved by Congress and signed by the Democratic president in June 2022, months before Troxclair was even elected.
Troxclair “has a proven record of support for the Second Amendment,” her own literature often notes.
“I am the only candidate in my race that is endorsed by the National Rifle Association because of my pro-Second Amendment record,” she said.
Another mailer claims she voted to raise taxes “when, in fact, we passed the largest property-tax cut in history,” the representative said.
Third, she said, was “an absurd claim that I somehow used taxpayer dollars to support Shariah … when I have done nothing of the sort, or ever even considered.”
The “blatantly misleading statements” are going to backfire on the people distributing them, she added.
“Hill Country voters are smarter than that. I trust they will do their research and, within two minutes, discover that these groups (sent) absolute frauds that are intended to manipulate the Republican primary,” she added.
Troxclair is not alone being targeted by the attacks. Up to 15 conservative Republican lawmakers have had the same mailers sent to their regions, with their names substituted for Troxclair's, raising the same exact false claims about them.
'I am running on my work at the border, protecting kids, supporting retired teachers and lowering property taxes,” she said. “I followed through on every single one of the promises that I made, in just one year in office.”
She said voters are starting to uncover the truth because the claims are so outlandish “and are preying on peoples’ fears.”
“It is critical that the difference between the truth and these lies comes to light, so people can make an informed choice,” she said.
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