The Democratic Party’s stunning domination in Texas began with James Talarico’s well-funded, disciplined Senate campaign, which convinced voters that winning was possible after decades of Republican rule. He was soon joined by Gina Hinojosa, a state lawmaker who challenged Gov. Greg Abbott by focusing on voter anger over data centers, promising to halt their expansion.
Together, they led the deepest bench of Democratic candidates in decades, fielding contenders for all 150 state House seats, every statewide office, and every major judicial race — a first for either party in Texas history. With Democrats poised to occupy nearly every statewide office, strategists credited a yearslong organizing effort and the party’s success in filling uncontested seats left open by Republicans. “This is the first year where we really had a machine built,” said Katherine Fischer of the Texas Majority PAC. The scale of victory was so great it propelled a Fort Worth legislative candidate to likely victory despite suspended campaigning. “We’re in a realignment that goes beyond party,” said Sarah Eckhardt, the comptroller-elect.
Republicans, long assuming only threats from the right, nominated scandal-scarred Ken Paxton and anti-Muslim Bo French — both of whom lost. Democrats stuck to a middle-of-the-road message on cost-of-living and cultural issues, overcoming skepticism from major donors. “It was a slog to get our first million,” said Amy Friedman, Hinojosa’s campaign manager. The long rightward lurch had backfired.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing