A coalition of well-funded clean energy donors spent heavily to stop Rep. Chip Roy’s bid for Texas attorney general after he threatened federal green subsidies; this article walks through who funded the attack, what tactics they used, the public boasting from the campaigners, and why Republican voters should be alert to similar maneuvers in future primaries.
Rep. Chip Roy ran for Texas attorney general and lost the Republican runoff to state Sen. Mayes Middleton. The defeat came after a costly intervention by outside groups that saw Roy as a direct threat to big renewable energy subsidies. The backlash crystallized into a high-dollar push to reshape a GOP primary by targeting a conservative who pushed energy independence.
A prominent player in that effort was the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition PAC, a California-based outfit that openly celebrated Roy’s defeat. The group made aggressive expenditures that focused on Republican primary voters and conservative platforms, signaling a willingness to spend to protect industry subsidies.
The PAC publicly boasted about spending nearly $1.5 million to reach GOP voters, claiming they ran ads across conservative cable, streaming platforms, and “MAGA social media.” Their language made it clear their goal was practical: protect renewable energy tax breaks by backing friendlier Republicans or taking down critics. That blunt admission shows these groups view primaries as the battleground where national energy policy is won or lost.
The campaign aimed to frame Roy as insufficiently aligned with the Trump coalition, deploying targeted messaging that mimicked conservative tones to persuade wary primary voters. One widely circulated ad pushed the idea that Roy was “not MAGA enough for Texas,” a claim aimed at cutting into his base rather than boosting a Democratic challenger. Those tactics reveal a willingness to shape perception inside the GOP by borrowing its own rhetoric.
https://x.com/ITCoalition_PAC/status/2059450008605278272?s=20
An image circulated during the fight showed the scale of outside funding and raised questions about who pulls the strings. The visual presence of big-money donors in local races makes it clear that national industry priorities will increasingly decide who can survive a primary. Voters who prize independence and energy freedom should note how outside cash alters the contest.
The PAC traces back to executives from Aligned Climate Capital, with leadership that includes former officials who worked at the Department of Energy. Those ties indicate a revolving door between policy, finance, and political spending focused on defending green subsidies. The leadership has spoken openly about the offensive strategy against lawmakers who push to roll back subsidies.
Peter Davidson, one of the PAC founders, attributed the pushback to Roy’s role in the Freedom Caucus and his criticism of renewable tax credits. “Not only did he and the Freedom Caucus have the whole rewind and sunsetting of the [tax credits] for solar and wind … but the whole demonization of the industry, the whole language of the ‘Green New Scam’ — all that came from the Freedom Caucus, and that came from Chip Roy,” Davidson said, laying out the motive in stark terms. That comment framed Roy as a prime target for industry retaliation.
Roy had backed legislation with a fellow conservative to repeal dozens of green-energy tax incentives added under the Biden-era legislation, arguing those subsidies distort markets and enrich insiders. “The Inflation Reduction Act, better known as the Green New Scam, is providing massive unlimited subsidies to billion-dollar corporations and Chinese manufacturers to the detriment of American energy freedom and dominance,” Roy said at the time. His posture put him at odds with donors who profit from the existing setup.
The PAC’s rhetoric amounted to a blunt warning to Republicans: challenge the renewable subsidy regime and face serious consequences. ‘Attack clean energy and we’ll end your career just like Chip Roy’s.’ That message was meant to deter other Republicans from following Roy’s path of pushing for less federal intervention in energy markets.
Roy responded defiantly to the outside assault, refusing to back down from criticizing the subsidy system and promising continued fights. “I didn’t just declare war — I led the charge to successfully crush the crony ‘green new scam’ grift. Happy to do it. Will do it again. And again. I’m just getting started.” His stance frames the loss as a temporary setback in a larger ideological battle over energy and cronyism.
One of the largest backers behind the PAC is billionaire donor Chris Larsen, who has paired with environmental operatives to fund climate-focused investment and philanthropy projects. At a recent summit, Larsen and an ally discussed how to nudge right-leaning voters toward pro-climate-policy positions by shifting messaging and backing amenable primary candidates. The strategy openly contemplates playing inside GOP primaries to shape outcomes.
The practical takeaway for conservative voters is that outside industry money will increasingly aim to influence Republican primaries where Democrats have little chance of winning. Those funding pushes are not subtle: they deploy targeted ads, mimic conservative language, and are prepared to spend millions to defend subsidies. Republican activists and candidates who want real energy choice should recognize this trend and prepare to counteract it at the grassroots level.
