Rep. Steve Allison speaks in the Texas House. Credit: Twitter / @stevefortx

State Rep. Steve Allison on Monday endorsed Democrat Laurel Swift in the race for San Antonio’s Texas House District 121, which he currently represents.

Allison, who was defeated in March’s GOP primary by defense attorney Marc LaHood, was among the Republican House members targeted by Gov. Greg Abbott for refusing to throw his support behind the governor’s controversial school voucher proposal.

“I’m supporting and voting for [Swift] as the better and more qualified candidate and encouraging others to do the same,” Allison told the Quorum Report.

Three-term incumbent Allison, whose HD 121 snakes from Alamo Heights through Northwest San Antonio to areas beyond Loop 1604, blamed Abbott for engineering his loss.

Abbott visited San Antonio three times in February to stump for LaHood, a failed candidate for Bexar County District Attorney. The governor targeted Allison after he voted last session against a $7 billion omnibus education bill that included funding for school vouchers.

Abbott’s loss on vouchers came after the Republican governor spent months touring the state stumping for what he called “school choice.” Allison was among the Republicans in the Texas House who joined Democrats warning that Abbott’s proposal would damage public schools, especially those in rural areas.

“I’m concerned with what’s going to happen at the state capitol next year,” Allison told reporters following his primary loss to LaHood. “These were quality representatives targeted by the governor. And what he did is inexcusable.”

In a statement, Swift said she welcomed the endorsements of Allison and former San Antonio State Sen. Jeff Wentworth, who voiced his support for her campaign on Tuesday.

“I’m grateful to have Jeff and Steve in my corner and our team is working hard as ever to earn every vote over the next two weeks,” Swift said. “Public education is at stake and HD-121 deserves common sense leadership, and you can guarantee that’s how I’ll lead in our state legislature.”

Allison is just the latest Texas Republican to break ranks with Abbott in recent months.

During a House Committee on Public Education hearing in August, State Rep. Matt Schafer — one the committee’s most conservative members — voiced concerns about the vouchers’ potential negative impact on rural students.

“If you’re going to create a choice program, don’t make one that just primarily benefits urban areas out of the state,” Schafer said at the time. “‘All’ means ‘all’ when it comes to these students, and I think y’all need to come up with a way to allow those public schools to help customize the education of students they’re already serving.”

Representatives on the Republican-led House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence also defied Abbott last week by delaying the execution of Robert Roberson, whose death-row case has drawn national scrutiny and calls for a new trial.

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