Is Texas turning blue? Or at least purple?
As a Dallas Morning News poll shows President Trump and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in a virtual tie, a fundraising report indicates the gap is closing in the Lone Star State.
The website Transparency Texas, after studying 2020 Texas legislative fundraising data from Jan. 1 to Feb. 22, reported that Texas Republican fundraising is down 73 percent from the 2016 election cycle while Texas Democrats saw a 26 percent rise during that time period.
In addition, Transparency Texas reports that both parties have seen a drop in candidates who filed for office.
“The number of Democratic candidates has declined by 2 percent while donations to them have increased by 26 percent," the report noted. "The number of Republican candidates has decreased by 12 percent, but donations to them have dropped by an astounding 73 percent.”
The decline happened before the COVID-19 economic downturn and the steep decline in oil prices, the website reported.
“Since 2020 includes a presidential race — which typically drives higher engagement with politics at all levels — it’s also worth comparing numbers with 2016’s election cycle,” Transparency Texas reported. “This year’s donation numbers look grim for Republicans in this model as well. Contributions to Republican candidates in 2020 are down 67 percent compared to 2016. Democrats are also behind, but only by 8 percent.”
The reasons are clear to Texas Democratic Party finance director Cristina Gomez.
“In Texas we see two things happening," she said. "First, folks want Trump and his lackeys like [Sen. John] Cornyn out,” Gomez told Lone Star Standard. “Second, at the Texas Democratic Party, we’ve been working hard to share our Path to Victory. We’re showing folks how we’re going to win in 2020 — what it’s going to take and how they can help. People know how they can make an impact. We’ve experienced record-breaking fundraising this cycle and while the economic crisis presents a fundraising challenge, we’re still seeing folks make generous and significant investments.
“Fundraising is up 300 percent from 2016, the last presidential election, and the number of donors has more than doubled as well. We’re doing more, raising more. We’re building a winning coalition.”
Gomez said she expects these trends to continue.
“As we near November, more people will find opportunities to get involved in this election," she said. "This includes pitching in their hard-earned dollars where and when they can. Trump’s lying and inaction caused a greater spread of COVID-19 and this economic crisis. Fundraising is hard but I’ve seen folks dig deep and make sacrifices to support Texas Democrats. People want Trump Republicans out and they’re doing their part to make it happen. That won’t let up.”
The last time a Democratic presidential candidate carried Texas was Jimmy Carter in 1976. Will the Republican trend continue?
“No — Texas Democrats are fired up and ready to win,” Gomez said. “Texas is the biggest battleground state in the country and Texans everywhere are looking to support candidates that will fight for their health care, quality education so no child gets left behind, and high-paying jobs that give every Texan a fair shot to get ahead. Texans have suffered so much because of incompetent Republican leadership at all levels of government. Texans are seeking change.”
She said if the Lone Star State votes Democratic, there will be a change in the Oval Office.
“When Texas goes blue, the White House will follow,” she said. “We have a great chance to win up and down the ballot in Texas this year. Every poll shows the presidential race neck and neck. John Cornyn is weak, vulnerable, and unknown and can't crack above 38 percent in any poll.
“Along with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, we're targeting seven congressional races. These congressional races are the focal point of the Democrats offensive congressional strategy. We’re only one seat away from breaking the supermajority in the Texas Senate. Flipping the Texas House is the top strategic imperative for the Texas Democratic Party. We only need nine seats to flip the chamber.”
She said elections have been turning Democrats' way in recent years.
“The top of the ticket won a majority of legislative seats in 2018,” Gomez said. “We’re targeting '22 and with the biggest coordinated campaign in modern Texas Democratic Party history; we’re going to win up and down the ballot in November.”
Getting more voters registered and involved will be a crucial factor, she added.
“Texas turning blue is not a matter of if but when. We’ve added over 3 million new people to the voting rolls since 2016, the entire voting-age population of New Mexico,” she said. “We now estimate that there are 3.5 million to 4 million unregistered Texans who would vote Democrat if they registered to vote. That’s why we launched the biggest voter registration program in Texas Democratic Party history and launched programs like registertexas.com. Led by our voter expansion director Luke Warford, we will register the voters necessary to turn Texas blue in 2020.”
Gomez has set her sights high and is optimistic about the chances for success.
“We will win the White House, take out John Cornyn, take back several congressional seats, break the supermajority in the Texas Senate, take back the Texas House, and win hundreds of local elections across the state,” she said.
Although Texas Democrats answered a series of questions, the Texas Republican Party chose not to do so.
GOP spokesman Sam Pohl at first indicated the party would, replying with “apologies for not getting back to you sooner on this. When is your deadline and when is the story set to run?”
Then Pohl went silent for several days. After the questions were repeated to several GOP officials, he replied Saturday, “We don’t have a comment at this time.”
