Nationwide Repercussions
Radical Leftists won several high-profile races across the country on Tuesday, with Communist Zohran Mamdani capturing New York City’s mayoral race and Democrat Jay Jones taking Virginia’s Attorney General seat, in spite of text messages showing he wished death upon his opponent’s children.
State Level Results
Statewide, all 17 constitutional amendments passed, delivering targeted relief like Proposition 13 (boosting homestead exemptions to $140,000) and Proposition 2 and Proposition 8, constitutionally banning capital gains taxes and death taxes. These are wins that taxpayers should be proud of, but they highlight the need for deeper spending cuts and restrained government appropriations.
In a bright spot for fiscal conservatives, Leigh Wambsganss advanced to a runoff in the Texas Senate District 9 special election with 36% of the vote, edging out fellow Republican John Huffman (16%) and setting up a showdown with Democrat Taylor Rehmet (47.6%).
Also in Texas, taxpayers fought back, defeating some of the $90 billion in bonds on the ballot.
When voters organized effectively and said, “No to more reckless spending”, bond elections failed, protecting families and future generations from deeper debt.
Austin’s Prop Q
In Austin, the city’s Proposition Q, a brazen and permanent property tax hike, went down in flames. Results show 63% voting against and 37% for, rejecting $110 million in new taxes for bloated programs which are well beyond the necessary and proper role of government. This defeat blocks government from further taxing hardworking families and treating them like an endless piggybank.
Austin City Council reactions to Prop Q’s failure reveal twisted priorities. Councilwoman Vanessa Fuentes, for example, tweeted a threat to essential services instead of her pet projects, stating that cuts “could mean fewer paramedics on shift… longer wait times for emergency services.” This transparent statement shows she is willing to punish taxpayers by slashing essential services instead of the bureaucratic bloat, waste and grift.
While Councilwoman Vanessa Fuentes resorted to fear-mongering with threats of fewer essential services to punish voters for rejecting Prop Q, Mayor Kirk Watson took a more measured tone in his statement, pledging an orderly budget process, audits for accountability, and a focus on cutting costs in non-essential areas to prioritize affordability without knee-jerk slashes to core services.
In a sharp rebuke to council threats of slashing core services, taxpayers on X fired back at Vanessa Fuentes, urging a full audit to expose and eliminate wasteful spending instead of punishing Austinites for saying “no” to higher taxes.
Local Examples: Weatherford ISD and Parker County
Across the state, other voters went to the polls set on demanding final sanity. Taxpayers in Parker County, for example, decisively rejected wasteful bond proposals. Proposition A was defeated with 67.57% against, Proposition B with 70.31% against. Weatherford ISD bonds also failed: Proposition A lost with 52.96% against, Proposition B with 51.10% against, and Proposition C with 54.67% against.
Other Important Areas
- Spring Hill ISD – 4 bonds defeated
- Kilgore ISD – Tax Rate increase defeated
- Rockport-Fulton ISD – bond defeated
- Troup ISD – bond defeated
- Belton ISD – 3 of 4 bonds defeated
- Godley ISD – bond defeated
- Maypearl ISD – bond defeated
Taxpayer Advocate and Whitney Councilwoman Amy Teal provided the following statement on the bond and VATRE defeats across the state: “Thank you all for getting off the couch and turning out to vote in these elections. Stay prepared—the reward for defeating a bond or tax hike is fighting it again next time. The upcoming deadline is February 13. This success comes from regular blockwalking and distributing info offline, not relying on social media.”
The Fight Ahead
Taxpayers must remain resilient in the months to come: more bond proposals and VATREs will appear on ballots in 2026. Taxpayers must continue to demand local officials prioritize existing resources without endless spending increases as homeowners struggle, until elected officials learn their lesson: no more taxes, and no more endless debt.
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