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Carnes began his campaign for agriculture commissioner with $89,000, the smallest amount of the five Republican candidates who sought the position.<ref name=dallasnews/> Carnes's opponents challenged his actual commitment to the Republican Party. Carnes voted in the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] primaries in 2008 and 2010, as well as 2000, although he disputes that contention. He said that he backed Democrats in local races for [[sheriff]] and county judge in which no Republicans were seeking those offices in Uvalde County. Carnes said that his backing for these Democrats and political contributions to other Democrats was tied directly to agriculture issues.

Carnes began his campaign for agriculture commissioner with $89,000, the smallest amount of the five Republican candidates who sought the position.<ref name=dallasnews/> Carnes's opponents challenged his actual commitment to the Republican Party. Carnes voted in the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] primaries in 2008 and 2010, as well as 2000, although he disputes that contention. He said that he backed Democrats in local races for [[sheriff]] and county judge in which no Republicans were seeking those offices in Uvalde County. Carnes said that his backing for these Democrats and political contributions to other Democrats was tied directly to agriculture issues.

Nevertheless, Carnes considers himself a "lifelong Republican" who as a 17-year-old volunteered in the unsuccessful 1992 campaign to reelect the late [[U.S. President]] [[George Herbert Walker Bush]]: "It killed me when he got beat by [[Bill Clinton|Clinton]], and I couldn't vote."<ref name=carnesquestionedaboutparty>{{cite web|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/headlines/20140204-rivals-make-an-issue-of-gop-ag-race-hopefuls-democratic-votes-donations.ece|title=David Barer, Rivals make an issue of GOP ag race hopeful's Democratic votes, donations, February 4, 2014|publisher=''Dallas Morning News''|accessdate=April 25, 2014}}</ref>  

Nevertheless, Carnes considers himself a "lifelong Republican" who as a 17-year-old volunteered in the unsuccessful 1992 campaign to reelect the late [[U.S. President]] [[George Herbert Walker Bush]]: "It killed me when he got beat by [[Bill Clinton|Clinton]], and I couldn't vote."<ref name=carnesquestionedaboutparty>{{cite web|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/headlines/20140204-rivals-make-an-issue-of-gop-ag-race-hopefuls-democratic-votes-donations.ece|title=David Barer, Rivals make an issue of GOP ag race hopeful's Democratic votes, donations|date=January 4, 2014|publisher=''Dallas Morning News''|accessdate=April 25, 2014}}</ref>  

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Under Texas election law, one is automatically a "member" of the political party in whose primary and/or runoff election he participates. Only Democrats and Republicans in Texas hold primaries. He remains a "member" of that party for two years until the next regular primary or runoff. The only way he can "change" his party is to wait two years, then skip a primary and become an "unaffiliated" voter or to vote in the other party's primary and in effect "change" his partisan registration. He cannot switch from one party's primary and vote in the other party's immediate runoff election.<ref>Lyle C. Brown et al, ''Practicing Texas Politics'', 13th ed. (Houghton Mifflin, 2008), pp. 192–195.</ref>​

Under Texas election law, one is automatically a "member" of the political party in whose primary and/or runoff election he participates. Only Democrats and Republicans in Texas hold primaries. He remains a "member" of that party for two years until the next regular primary or runoff. The only way he can "change" his party is to wait two years, then skip a primary and become an "unaffiliated" voter or to vote in the other party's primary and in effect "change" his partisan registration. He cannot switch from one party's primary and vote in the other party's immediate runoff election.<ref>Lyle C. Brown et al, ''Practicing Texas Politics'', 13th ed. (Houghton Mifflin, 2008), pp. 192–195.</ref>​