Abbott slams Davis, says she should run as a Democrat Texas governor says Houston Republican has been 'absolutely hostile' to conservative agenda

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says he won't tell reporters who he voted for after casting an early election ballot in Austin. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says he won't tell reporters who he voted for after casting an early election ballot in Austin. Image 1 of / 6 Caption Close Abbott slams Davis, says she should run as a Democrat 1 / 6 Back to Gallery

AUSTIN -- Gov. Greg Abbott gave state Rep. Sarah Davis a political lashing Tuesday, saying his fellow Republican from the Houston area was "absolutely hostile" to his conservative agenda and is no different than a Democrat.

"By all metrics and studies that I have seen, she is clearly the farthest to the left state representative in the state of Texas," Abbott told reporters after casting his ballot at a Randalls grocery store in Austin on the first day of early voting.

He said the West University Place Republican running for her fifth term has worked "antagonistically" against his agenda and has separated herself from Republican ideology, such as by opposing anti-abortion measures and sponsoring a bill that would have meddled with emergency disaster funding and killed ethics legislation out of spite.

Abbott has made Davis a prime target in the March 6 primary, having spent at least $160,000 in TV ads casting her as a liberal who needs to be ousted from the Texas House and endorsing her opponent.

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Davis, who has said Abbott's attacks lack context, refused to sign on to nearly every issue Abbott wanted lawmakers to pass during a 2017 special session. Those ideas included regulating which bathrooms transgender students can use, increasing reporting for abortion providers and instituting local government spending limits, along with nearly 20 others.

The governor is urging voters to elect Susanna Dokupil instead. The CEO of Paladin Strategies communications company worked for him while he was attorney general. Her platform is narrow and focuses on backing the governor's agenda.

Whoever wins the election will have to fend off the winner of the Democratic primary race between Allison Lami Sawyer and Lloyd Wayne Oliver. Given a rash of special elections across the country showing Democratic voters are coming out en force, that could mean Dokupil, a staunch conservative, could have a hard time keeping the district as a Republican House seat.

"Listen, the district is blue already," Abbott said when asked if his attacks are worth it if Republicans ultimately lose that district. "Sarah Davis really has been acting like a Democrat. What she really should do is come out and admit she is a Democrat and run as a Democrat."

Davis shot back, Tuesday, saying Republicans should be dismayed to learn Abbott admitted he knows his attacks on her could cost Republicans the House seat.

"What a sad and pathetic failure of leadership," said Davis. "Gov. Abbott may be willing to abandon the Republican Party but I never will, and I will always be guided by the wisdom of President Ronald Reagan who taught us that a Republican who agrees with me 80 percent of the time is not my enemy."

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Davis released her own negative campaign ad Tuesday, called "Dangerous Allies," linking Dokupil to the anti-vaccine movement, a state lawmaker who once joked about martial rape, a judge accused of sexual assault, and indicted Attorney General Ken Paxton.

"She's on the board of a fringe group that wants to build floating cities at sea, avoiding our tax laws," the ad continues, referencing Dokupil's role with the Seasteading Institute which researches and advocates for creating communities on water.

Dokupil responded to the ad late Tuesday night, saying, "I see that my opponent has stopped defending her record. Maybe that's because she can't."

Davis is a member of the House leadership, a team made up of moderate Republicans who run the chamber. House leadership clashed with the governor during the special session, often times bottling up or rewriting bills the governor wanted passed.

Davis represents a wealthy swath of southwest Houston that includes Bellaire, Southside Place, West University Place, the Texas Medical Center and stretches north through Memorial Park.

MAP: See the slideshow above to check if you live in this district.

Voters there chose Democrat Hillary Clinton over Republican Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election by 15 points. Voters in the district, many of whom are doctors, historically back a mix of Republicans and Democrats in downballot races.

The governor, who spoke to reporters after he had just voted, declined to reveal whether he had voted for fellow Republican incumbents Attorney General Ken Paxton, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and Land Commissioner George P. Bush.

"I will reveal one thing for ya, I voted for myself," he said.

MAP: See the slideshow above to see if you live in this district.

Andrea Zelinski covers politics for the Houston Chronicle. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook. Send her tips at andrea.zelinski@chron.com.