Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake announced Tuesday that he would not seek re-election. The conservative Republican made an emotional speech on the Senate floor, condemning the and warning his colleagues in Congress that the Republican Party was 鈥渃omplicit.鈥� Flake has been an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, though he did not mention the president by name.
, professor of political science at the University of Houston and author of the book Inside Texas Politics, says Flake joins fellow Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tennessee) and 17 House Republicans, including one-fourth of the Republican women in the chamber, who have announced their retirements ahead of the 2018 election cycle.
鈥淩epublicans are worried that they can鈥檛 run with Trump, especially if they can鈥檛 run against Trump,鈥� he says.
Rottinghaus says other Republicans probably share Flake鈥檚 sentiments about the president鈥檚 modes of discourse, but fear the consequences of speaking out.
鈥淢ost Republicans have some deep, dark sense that Trump is bad for the party, but can鈥檛 say it because we are in a highly polarized part of our nation鈥檚 history,鈥� he says.
Rottinghaus says Texans have a history of revolting against leaders who aren鈥檛 living up to expectations. Recent polling, he says, finds Texans cite political corruption and leadership as important issues, with Republicans also listing moral decline as a problem. But the state鈥檚 leaders aren鈥檛 likely to break with the president.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a kind of Trumpism in play in Texas which is difficult for other opponents to challenge, as well as for other Republicans to run against,鈥� he says.
Rottinghaus says the reactionary strain in Arizona politics that likely led Flake to conclude he couldn鈥檛 win reelection has a long history 鈥� from senator and presidential candidate Barry Goldwater to former Gov. Jan Brewer, who championed the state鈥檚 鈥渟how me your papers鈥� immigration law.
鈥淭he movement in Arizona has been reactionary against what they perceive to be a growing Democratic base. Arizona, like Texas, has a big, young population 鈥� also a big Latino population,鈥� Rottinghaus says. 鈥淎rizona chose to go much more hard to the right. Texas seems to be following along.鈥�
But Trump is popular among Texas Republicans, which will probably keep officeholders in his camp.
鈥淢y sense is that crossing Trump in Texas is like putting beans in chili,鈥� Rottinghaus says. 鈥淢ost Texans are going to disapprove of it.鈥�
Written by Shelly Brisbin.
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