In a recent interview, conservative political activist Karl Rove said he would vote for a Democrat in the upcoming midterm elections, breaking three decades of precedent of exclusive support for Republicans, and lamented the Republican Party’s embrace of far-right individuals.
“My party is infiltrated by people like Bo French,” Rove said in an interview with the Texas Tribune. A few weeks earlier, Rove had described French, the Republican candidate for Texas railroad commissioner, as a “bigot” after posting several xenophobic messages on social media targeting students of color celebrating a college football game. Earlier in September, the Tribune reported that Rove planned to vote for French’s rival, state Rep. Jon Rosenthal, D-Houston, in the race that will regulate Texas’ oil and gas industry.
Rove also denounced the relationship between Texas Republicans and a right-wing podcaster. “Nick Fuentes goes to Dallas and meets with a group of Republican leaders. This guy is a Nazi,” Rove said.
Rove served as a senior advisor and deputy chief of staff during the presidency of George W. Bush, during which he was described as the “architect” of Bush’s re-election campaign. Rove was also credited for the successful campaigns of Sens. John Ashcroft, R-Mo., John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Texas Gov. Bill Clements, among others. So he could be qualified to weigh in on the Senate race between Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and former state Rep. James Talarico.
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“If John Cornyn were the nominee, this race would be over,” Rove told the Tribune. Cornyn lost the Texas primary to Paxton after the latter received an endorsement from President Donald Trump. “But when you have a man who has multiple girlfriends, $200,000 worth of improvements to his house from a corrupt businessman who he’s doing favors for…and now it’s in the court of public opinion. If that didn’t exist, it would be a normal Republican versus Democrat.”
Rove did not say whether or not he would vote for Paxton.
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