“Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas on Thursday appointed an immigration hard-liner and former political rival to be state comptroller, his latest move to unify the Republican Party by embracing its increasingly ascendant hard right faction,” the New York Times reports.“The former rival, Don Huffines, has long been a figure on the right flank of Texas politics. He is a former state senator and Dallas-area real estate magnate who unsuccessfully challenged Mr. Abbott for re-election in 2022 by arguing that the governor was not sufficiently conservative.”“But with Democrats newly energized behind what they believe will be a favorable national political moment this fall, Mr. Abbott and other Texas Republicans are attempting to put their intraparty fights behind them.”