TX-10: GOP operative on McCaul: 'I think he's in trouble.'
McCaul, a reliable GOP vote on domestic issues, bucked his party leaders and voted with Democrats this month on a high-profile bill that would protect the U.S. Postal Service from cost-cutting and projected slowdowns in voting by mail.
Democrats pressed the issue amid questions over plans to overhaul the Postal Service by new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a megadonor to President Donald Trump’s campaign, and an expected deluge of mail-in ballots this fall.
“It tells me he’s nervous,” said Democratic consultant Matt Angle, director of the Lone Star Project, a Democratic political action committee, of the Aug. 22 vote.
A Republican operative who has worked for McCaul in the past and spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to speak freely, said of his reelection bid: “I think he’s in trouble. ... This is a real race.”
The election is a rematch of 2018 when McCaul won by 4.3% against Democrat Mike Siegel, then an attorney for the city of Austin, who quit his job and has been campaigning full time since early last year.
McCaul was one of 26 GOP members who joined all Democrats — the only other Texas Republican who voted in favor was retiring U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Helotes — on a bill that GOP leaders “whipped,” meaning that they were not only counting the votes, they were putting pressure on Republicans to stick together and vote against it.
Asked about his vote, McCaul told the American-Statesman: “Back in May I sent a letter with my colleagues to congressional leadership and (Treasury) Secretary (Steven) Mnuchin in support of funding for the U.S. Postal Service. The USPS provides an essential service to my constituents, especially those in rural parts of my district. In fact, I received many phone calls from concerned seniors asking that I vote in favor of this piece of legislation.” Mnuchin has been a Trump administration leader on funding for government programs.
https://www.statesman.com/news/20200831/mccaul-vote-on-postal-service-points-to-tight-race