2018 Texas Presidential Election (Divided States of America)

The 2018 Texas Presidential Election was the fourth quadrennial presidential election in the Federal Republic of Texas. Incumbent Constitution President Greg Abbott easily defeated the Civic Unity ticket of Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards and former Sheriff Lupe Valdez. This election was the first in which third parties were granted ballot access in all states, with the minor Texan Freedom Party gaining almost 1% of the vote.

Issues of the election were split betwixt foreign and domestic, with Edwards calling for Texas's withdraw from the SoBlock and a closer relationship with Arizona-New Mexico, and an end of the California-Texas Cold War. Abbott, meanwhile, called for greater Texan participation in SoBlock, closer relations with the Midwest, Dixie, Carolina, and Appalachia, and greater military spending, to combat what supporters called the "Golden Menace."

On Election Day, Abbott swiftly trounced Edwards, carrying 7 of the 11 states, and a large popular and electoral vote majority. Almost every Constitution candidate also won re-election, with the party keeping its control of both chambers of Congress. Edwards meanwhile carried 4 states plus the Capital District, barely flipping his home state of Louisiana, which he carried by fewer than 2,000 votes. Mark Tippetts, the nominee for the Freedom Party, gained 1% of the vote, helping to elect five of his fellow Freedom candidates to Congress.

Campaign
With a race between two candidates with somewhat similar ideology, the race often fell primarily to the two candidates personally. Abbott was popular, and Edwards had little to go on without attacking parts of his own party. Due to the difficult management of a big-tent party with conservatives and progressives, Edwards often spent as much time corralling his own partymen as he did trying to campaign against Abbott.

Abbott campaigned for continuing to lower taxes, grow the military, and strengthen Texas's place in SoBlock. Specifically, he wanted to emphasize the leadership role that Texas had taken in SoBlock over the last six years. He also supported using the nation's military to strengthen Texas's border with the Rio Grande Republic to stop illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and human trafficking.

Edwards, meanwhile, supported lowering taxes, but also supported cuts in the military and using the money for social programs. While that did appease Civic Unity's progressive wing, it angered many conservatives in the party. Edwards did appeal to isolationists by supporting withdrawing Texas from SoBlock, and ending support for the Rocky Mountain Liberation Front in Colorado, which Edwards branded a "terrorist organization."