Steve Allison

American politician from Texas

Steve Allison
Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from the 121st district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 8, 2019
Preceded byJoe Straus
Personal details
Born
Stephen Philip Allison

(1947-01-04) January 4, 1947 (age 77)
Political partyRepublican
SpousePeggy
Residence(s)San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
OccupationAttorney

Stephen Philip Allison (born January 4, 1947)[1] is a Texas politician representing District 121 in the Texas House of Representatives.

Personal life

Allison is a graduate of Texas Christian University, he met his wife Peggy while attending the school. He also attended University of Houston Law Center. Allison and his wife Peggy have 2 children, and are both members of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church where they both have taught Sunday school. He is an attorney.[2]

Political career

Early political career

Allison has served on the Alamo Heights Independent School District Early Childhood Task Force, and on the VIA Metropolitan Transit Authority Board of Trustees for 8 years and the last 2 as Vice Chairman.[2]

Allison was elected to represent District 121 in the Texas House of Representatives on November 6, 2018 and was sworn in on January 8, 2019.[3][4] Alison ran with the endorsement of the outgoing state representative for the seat, retiring House Speaker Joe Straus.[5]

Voucher vote and 2024 primary defeat

In November 2023, Allison voted against Republican Governor Greg Abbott's proposal for state-funded vouchers for private schools. Allison was one of 21 Republicans who joined all Democrats in voting to remove Abbott's voucher plan from the education funding bill; the amendment to drop the voucher proposal passed 83–64.[6] After his vote, Allison reported being harassed at his home by pro-school choice activists.[7]

Allion's vote against Abbott's voucher proposal also prompted primary challengers.[7] Primary challenger criminal defense attorney Marc LaHood ran with endorsements from Abbott and his faction of Texas Republicans.[8] Allison was also the target of coordinated efforts by several PACs backed by Pennsylvania businessman Jeff Yass to defeat Republicans who opposed the boucher plan.[7]

Although Allison had a conservative voting record on nearly every issue, LaHood ran to his right, and his primary challenge was boosted by support from Abbott (who spent $672,000 on LaHood's behalf in the final months of the primary campaign).[8] Texas's Republican Agriculture Commissioner, Sid Miller, ran a pro-LaHood ad in which he posed with a rifle and declared that Allison was the target of his "hunt."[9] Allison, meanwhile, was supported by House Speaker Dade Phelan,[8] and ran with the endorsement of the San Antonio Express-News.[10]

In the March 2024 primary, Allison was defeated for renomination: LaHood won with some 54% of the vote; Allison received 34%, and a third candidate, Michael Champion, received 7%.[8] The Express-News editorial board described Allison's loss as an intensification of the purge of "traditional, pragmatic conservative Republicans" by a state party "increasingly consumed by retribution, culture warmongering and disinformation-fueled conspiracy theories."[11]

Elections

2018

Republican primary runoff for Texas House of Representatives District 121, 2018[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Steve Allison 6,054 57.5%
Republican Matt Beebe 4,482 42.5%
General election for Texas House of Representatives District 121, 2018[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Steve Allison 38,843 53.2
Democratic Celina Montoya 32,679 44.7
Libertarian Mallory Olfers 1,529 2.1

References

  1. ^ "Rep. Steve Allison - Texas State Directory Online".
  2. ^ a b "Texas House of Representatives". www.house.texas.gov. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c "Steve Allison". Ballotpedia. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  4. ^ "Rep. Steve Allison - Texas State Directory Online". www.txdirectory.com. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  5. ^ Patrick Svitek, Straus endorses candidate to replace him in House District 121, Texas Tribune (April 19, 2018).
  6. ^ Zach Despart & Brian Lopez, Texas House votes to remove school vouchers from massive education bill Texas House votes to remove school vouchers from massive education bill, Texas Tribune (November 16, 2023).
  7. ^ a b c Svitek, Patrick (January 31, 2024). "Texas Republicans who defied Gov. Greg Abbott on school vouchers face mounting primary attacks". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d Drusch, Andrea (March 6, 2024). "GOP state Rep. Steve Allison ousted by Marc LaHood". San Antonio Report. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  9. ^ Editorial: Sid Miller gun ad 'hunting' Steve Allison is despicable, San Antonio Express-News (February 28, 2024).
  10. ^ "Editorial: Steve Allison the best choice in GOP primary for District 121". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  11. ^ Editorial: Super Tuesday was less than super for anti-voucher Texas Republicans, San Antonio Express-News (March 6, 2024).
  • v
  • t
  • e
88th Texas Legislature (2023)
Speaker of the House
Dade Phelan (R)
Speaker pro tempore
Charlie Geren (R)
  1. ▌Gary VanDeaver (R)
  2. ▌Jill Dutton (R)
  3. ▌Cecil Bell Jr. (R)
  4. ▌Keith Bell (R)
  5. ▌Cole Hefner (R)
  6. ▌Matt Schaefer (R)
  7. ▌Jay Dean (R)
  8. ▌Cody Harris (R)
  9. ▌Trent Ashby (R)
  10. ▌Brian Harrison (R)
  11. ▌Travis Clardy (R)
  12. ▌Kyle Kacal (R)
  13. ▌Angelia Orr (R)
  14. ▌John N. Raney (R)
  15. ▌Steve Toth (R)
  16. ▌Will Metcalf (R)
  17. ▌Stan Gerdes (R)
  18. ▌Ernest Bailes (R)
  19. ▌Ellen Troxclair (R)
  20. ▌Terry Wilson (R)
  21. ▌Dade Phelan (R)
  22. ▌Christian Manuel (D)
  23. ▌Terri Leo-Wilson (R)
  24. ▌Greg Bonnen (R)
  25. ▌Cody Vasut (R)
  26. ▌Jacey Jetton (R)
  27. ▌Ron Reynolds (D)
  28. ▌Gary Gates (R)
  29. ▌Ed Thompson (R)
  30. ▌Geanie Morrison (R)
  31. ▌Ryan Guillen (R)
  32. ▌Todd Ames Hunter (R)
  33. ▌Justin Holland (R)
  34. ▌Abel Herrero (D)
  35. ▌Oscar Longoria (D)
  36. ▌Sergio Muñoz Jr. (D)
  37. ▌Janie Lopez (R)
  38. ▌Erin Gamez (D)
  39. ▌Armando Martinez (D)
  40. ▌Terry Canales (D)
  41. ▌Robert Guerra (D)
  42. ▌Richard Raymond (D)
  43. ▌J. M. Lozano (R)
  44. ▌John Kuempel (R)
  45. ▌Erin Zwiener (D)
  46. ▌Sheryl Cole (D)
  47. ▌Vikki Goodwin (D)
  48. ▌Donna Howard (D)
  49. ▌Gina Hinojosa (D)
  50. ▌James Talarico (D)
  51. ▌Lulu Flores (D)
  52. ▌Caroline Harris (R)
  53. ▌Andrew Murr (R)
  54. ▌Brad Buckley (R)
  55. ▌Hugh Shine (R)
  56. ▌Charles Anderson (R)
  57. ▌Richard Hayes (R)
  58. ▌DeWayne Burns (R)
  59. ▌Shelby Slawson (R)
  60. ▌Glenn Rogers (R)
  61. ▌Frederick Frazier (R)
  62. ▌Reggie Smith (R)
  63. ▌Ben Bumgarner (R)
  64. ▌Lynn Stucky (R)
  65. ▌Kronda Thimesch (R)
  66. ▌Matt Shaheen (R)
  67. ▌Jeff Leach (R)
  68. ▌David Spiller (R)
  69. ▌James Frank (R)
  70. ▌Mihaela Plesa (D)
  71. ▌Stan Lambert (R)
  72. ▌Drew Darby (R)
  73. ▌Carrie Isaac (R)
  74. ▌Eddie Morales (D)
  75. ▌Mary González (D)
  76. ▌Suleman Lalani (D)
  77. ▌Evelina Ortega (D)
  78. ▌Joe Moody (D)
  79. ▌Claudia Ordaz (D)
  80. ▌Tracy King (D)
  81. ▌Brooks Landgraf (R)
  82. ▌Tom Craddick (R)
  83. ▌Dustin Burrows (R)
  84. ▌Carl Tepper (R)
  85. ▌Stan Kitzman (R)
  86. ▌John T. Smithee (R)
  87. ▌Four Price (R)
  88. ▌Ken King (R)
  89. ▌Candy Noble (R)
  90. ▌Ramon Romero Jr. (D)
  91. ▌Stephanie Klick (R)
  92. ▌Salman Bhojani (D)
  93. ▌Nate Schatzline (R)
  94. ▌Tony Tinderholt (R)
  95. ▌Nicole Collier (D)
  96. ▌David Cook (R)
  97. ▌Craig Goldman (R)
  98. ▌Giovanni Capriglione (R)
  99. ▌Charlie Geren (R)
  100. ▌Venton Jones (D)
  101. ▌Chris Turner (D)
  102. ▌Ana-Maria Ramos (D)
  103. ▌Rafael Anchía (D)
  104. ▌Jessica González (D)
  105. ▌Terry Meza (D)
  106. ▌Jared Patterson (R)
  107. ▌Victoria Neave (D)
  108. ▌Morgan Meyer (R)
  109. ▌Carl O. Sherman (D)
  110. ▌Toni Rose (D)
  111. ▌Yvonne Davis (D)
  112. ▌Angie Chen Button (R)
  113. ▌Rhetta Bowers (D)
  114. ▌John Bryant (D)
  115. ▌Julie Johnson (D)
  116. ▌Trey Martinez Fischer (D)
  117. ▌Philip Cortez (D)
  118. ▌John Lujan (R)
  119. ▌Elizabeth Campos (D)
  120. ▌Barbara Gervin-Hawkins (D)
  121. ▌Steve Allison (R)
  122. ▌Mark Dorazio (R)
  123. ▌Diego Bernal (D)
  124. ▌Josey Garcia (D)
  125. ▌Ray Lopez (D)
  126. ▌Sam Harless (R)
  127. ▌Charles Cunningham (R)
  128. ▌Briscoe Cain (R)
  129. ▌Dennis Paul (R)
  130. ▌Tom Oliverson (R)
  131. ▌Alma Allen (D)
  132. ▌Mike Schofield (R)
  133. ▌Mano DeAyala (R)
  134. ▌Ann Johnson (D)
  135. ▌Jon Rosenthal (D)
  136. ▌John Bucy III (D)
  137. ▌Gene Wu (D)
  138. ▌Lacey Hull (R)
  139. ▌Jarvis Johnson (D)
  140. ▌Armando Walle (D)
  141. ▌Senfronia Thompson (D)
  142. ▌Harold Dutton Jr. (D)
  143. ▌Ana Hernandez (D)
  144. ▌Mary Ann Perez (D)
  145. ▌Christina Morales (D)
  146. ▌Shawn Thierry (D)
  147. ▌Jolanda Jones (D)
  148. ▌Penny Morales Shaw (D)
  149. ▌Hubert Vo (D)
  150. ▌Valoree Swanson (R)