Millions of dollars, nothing to show for it: How Texas Democrats flamed out in 2020
For months, it seemed like Texas Democrats had everything they needed to break through in the 2020 election.
Ample fundraising. Good candidates in targeted races. Competitive statewide candidates. And a Republican president at the top of the ticket who was certain to fuel record turnout.
But they’re walking away with the same results — no foothold in state government and flameouts up and down the ballot in races that drew, in some cases, national attention. In Tarrant County, Democrats’ much-hyped targeting of five state House races was a bust. Republicans went 5 for 5.
It’s a particularly painful failure for the state Democratic Party, which was sure it was on the verge of ending decades of misery after making big legislative and congressional gains in 2018. And, the theory went, winning control of the state House would give Democrats more of a say over redistricting, meaning they’d have a better chance of winning districts more neutrally drawn.
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Plus, key Democratic arguments about the nature of Texas’ electorate have gone up in smoke. After years of anticipating a big boom in Latino voting, it’s clear that Hispanics were uninspired by the Democratic ticket and are up for grabs. And year after year, losing election after election, Democrats said that Texas was not a red state, it was a nonvoting state.
More than 11 million votes later, the verdict is in: Texas is a red state.
That said, Texas Republicans should note that it’s not as deep red as it used to be. Trump’s margin of victory, around 6 points, will be the smallest for a GOP presidential candidate in decades, and Republicans didn’t gain back lost state House and congressional seats. The state’s big urban areas are drifting hopelessly out of reach for them as those areas add population. Long-term, that’s not a winning formula.
Elected Republicans campaigned differently in areas such as North Texas, stressing their problem-solving credentials and commitment to improving health care and protecting public education. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, claiming victory in a hard-fought battle with Democrat MJ Hegar, told reporters late Tuesday that he had touted targeted policy gains, such as improved gun-purchase background checks and efforts to curtail human trafficking.
The state has urgent needs stemming from the pandemic and the recession, and Republicans need to govern seriously. The budget shortfall will be a major challenge, but public schools must be protected.
It’s time for the GOP to get serious about solving some of the state’s seemingly intractable problems, such as access to health coverage and long-term education needs. Perhaps Texas Republicans could lead the way for their national party in developing and implementing a center-right agenda for America’s cities. Instead of fighting local governments at every turn, the GOP could use its new mandate to find better solutions to property taxes, police violence and generational poverty. It would be politically smart as well as the right thing to build Texas’ future.
Despite billions of dollars spent and years of political turmoil, much of the nation’s political division remains. The fate of the presidency is still unclear, but it’s unlikely either party will control all of government. Our problems are too big and urgent for another round of stasis until the next campaign. At all levels, bipartisanship and compromise must prevail.
In Texas, serious elected Republicans such as Gov. Greg Abbott must lead as they did in 2019, when the Legislature tried to address teacher pay and property taxes. They must not be distracted by silly sideshows that too many on the far right tolerate or even embrace (and yes, plenty of Democrats do so, too.)
In short, trolling must give way to governing.
After all, it’s not like Texas Democrats are going to be in position to do any of the latter any time soon.