A former New Braunfels mayor got a plug from the current Texas governor Tuesday, as Greg Abbott threw his support behind Barron Casteel in the Texas House District 73 runoff.
“If you stand with our first responders and veterans, vote for strong conservative Barron Casteel,” Abbott said in a mid-afternoon statement. “I trust Barron to reduce property tax rates and help secure our border for good. I urge everyone in House District 73 to support Barron Casteel in the May 24 Republican Party runoff.”
In the March 1 primary Casteel, New Braunfels mayor from 2014-20, held a 241-vote advantage over second-place finisher Carrie Isaac of Dripping Springs, who recently picked up an endorsement from former New Braunfels City Council Member George Green, who finished third in the primary.
“I am proud to be endorsed by Gov. Greg Abbott,” Casteel said. “I stand with the governor in supporting first responders and veterans, and I will work with him to reduce property tax rates and secure our border for good — and that’s a promise.”
Casteel and Isaac have been pounding pavement throughout Comal and Hays counties to win the May 24 runoff, which sends the winner against Democratic nominee Justin Calhoun in the Nov. 7 general election to succeed outgoing three-term GOP Rep. Kyle Biedermann.
Biedermann and Nathan Macias, who represented the district from 2007-09 have also endorsed Isaac, while Casteel has support from the previous two who represented the district, Doug Miller and his mother, Carter Casteel.
With such a slim primary margin separating them, both candidates are concentrating on picking up votes in the other’s home cities and counties. Casteel is seeking to build on the 48% of Comal voters and win more than the two Hays County precincts — in parts of Woodcreek and Wimberley — than he captured in the primary. Isaac won Hays with 53% of the primary vote but hopes to increase her 42% share in Comal County, where she ran strong in several precincts around Canyon Lake.
Isaac had no immediate reaction to Abbott’s endorsement. Casteel said he was scheduled for a Tuesday night appearance in Wimberley.
Both candidates are scheduled to meet April 18 in a face-to-face candidate question-and-answer session at Village Venue, and again May 17 at a site and forum in Hays County.
