Election 2024: Can Steve Allison overcome challenge from Marc LaHood in reelection bid for Texas House District 121?

SAN ANTONIO — State Rep. Steve Allison has held the Texas House District 121 seat since 2019, but his decision to defy Gov. Greg Abbott – who endorsed him the previous two elections – on the issue of school vouchers last year may spoil his re-election bid. 

Allison was one of 21 Texas House Republicans who voted against school vouchers, stalling the governor’s legislative priority in multiple special sessions last year. 

Abbott has instead declared his support this year for Marc LaHood, who has said that he’s “100% in support of school choice.” LaHood, a San Antonio native and criminal lawyer, previously mounted an unsuccessful bid for Bexar County district attorney in 2022. 

U.S. Army veteran Michael Champion is also in the running on the Republican primary. If no candidate wins at least 50% of the vote, the top two finishers will advance to a May 28 runoff. 

Laurel Jordan Swift and Shekhar Sinha are vying for a nomination on the Democratic ballot. 

Texas House District 121 encompasses a portion of northern Bexar County, from Alamo Heights to just outside Bulverde. It’s home to about 193,000 residents. 

Allison is a graduate of TCU and the University of Houston Law Center, having worked in law with a focus on business and health care litigation. LaHood is an experienced criminal lawyer who says he supports parental rights in the education space and has vowed to crack down on election “interference.” Champion served for 39 years in the military and says he’s an advocate of “school choice” and lowering property taxes. 

Swift is a San Antonio native with a background in biology and medical sales who says she’s committed to public education and mental health reform. Sinha, an India emigrant and longtime worker in the IT field, says he supports protecting reproductive rights for women, fighting climate change and “protecting children from firearm injuries.” 

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