Claiming racial discrimination, Texas AG’s office sues to stop get-out-the-vote efforts

Polls show the head of that office, Ken Paxton, is currently behind his Democratic opponent in a heated U.S. Senate race.HOUSTON (CN) — The Texas Attorney General’s Office is accusing Harris County of election interference.In its lawsuit filed Thursday, the office accused Harris County officials of conducting get-out-the-vote efforts in a way it describes as racially discriminatory. It’s asking for an injunction stopping any such voter outreach.The lawsuit is likely to raise eyebrows, as current Attorney General Ken Paxton is also the Republican candidate in a nail-biting U.S. Senate race against Democratic opponent James Talarico, a Texas state representative. Polls have consistently shown Paxton losing that race, but within the margin of error.In a news release announcing the case, Paxton said he had recused himself. A court petition instead lists several other officials who work for him, including First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster.Harris County is home to Houston, the biggest city in Texas and a Democratic stronghold.In its lawsuit, the attorney general’s office names two officials there: Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth and Irene Nuñez, communications director for her office.According to the lawsuit, these local officials have bought social media ads encouraging people to “Plan. Check. Vote!” It claims “these voter awareness ads intentionally target certain racial and ethnic groups … but do not target other demographics.”With voting already underway, Texas could face irreparable injury if these outreach efforts are not stopped, the attorney general’s office states.Specifically, the attorney general’s office says the get-out-the-vote advertisements are targeting Black, Asian and Latino voters. The office claims these actions violate the Texas Constitution’s Equal Rights Amendment.To support its argument, the office included a screenshot of what it says are targeting tags obtained through Meta’s Ad Center. Meta is the parent company of Instagram and Facebook. Among those tags: African art, African-American literature and Spanish as a second language.“Harris County is attempting to increase the likelihood that only certain racial and ethnic groups — but not all — will vote,” the attorney general’s office argues.The Harris County Clerk’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Harris County is one of the most diverse counties in the country, with only around 25% of residents identifying as non-Hispanic white.In recent election cycles, it’s also been solidly blue. The last time Paxton was on the ballot here, during the attorney general’s race in 2022, his Democratic opponent beat him by almost 10 percentage points, 53% to 44%.Paxton is now running to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate.Long dogged by corruption allegations, he has for months trailed his Democratic opponent James Talarico in the polls. If Talarico wins, it’ll mark the first time a Democrat has won statewide office since 1994. But observers say that outcome depends on turnout in liberal urban centers like Harris County.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads