“The 2018 cycle scared many Republicans, who lost two congressional seats, and offered the first real evidence that the state might move from red to purple”
After Democrats racked up record gains in Texas last cycle, a report from the Star-Telegram today finds that Republicans in the state are “concerned,” “worried,” and “fearful.” Now that the DCCC has put an additional six GOP seats on the battlefield in 2020, the Star-Telegram notes that Texas GOP Congressmen Mike McCaul, Chip Roy, Pete Olson, Will Hurd, Kenny Marchant and John Carter have been in Washington begging for help from the National Republican Congressional Committee.
According to the Star-Telegram:
Texas Republicans have long coasted to re-election while ignoring their Democratic opponents. Not anymore.
…The 2018 cycle scared many Republicans, who lost two congressional seats, and offered the first real evidence that the state might move from red to purple.
…So acute is that concern, that members of the Texas delegation sat down last week with leaders from the House GOP campaign arm — which typically assists with polling, opposition research and negative advertising — to request more help with their races.
“After flipping two seats in Texas last year, Democrats are well-positioned to make big gains in the Lone Star state in 2020,” said DCCC Spokesperson Brooke Goren. “Given their disastrous support for raising the cost of health care and taxes on middle-class families, it’s no wonder Texas Republicans on the DCCC’s battlefield are running scared.”
Star-Telegram: Worried Texas Republicans Call for More National Help in 2020
By Andrea Drusch
WASHINGTON — Texas Republicans have long coasted to re-election while ignoring their Democratic opponents. Not anymore.
For 2020, GOP incumbents in what has historically been one of the most solidly red states in the union are plotting offense-driven campaigns they hope will insulate them even if the party brand takes a nosedive.
Strategists and party operatives interviewed by the Star-Telegram say the approach comes after a number of long-serving Republicans notched closer-than-expected victories in 2018, while their party lost ground in the suburbs.
…“People are concerned, worried, fearful, about how do we strike a balance between handling the president and the base, versus building that broader outreach?” said Texas GOP strategist Brendan Steinhauser, who has worked for Texas Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, as well as GOP Reps. Mike McCaul and Dan Crenshaw.
…The 2018 cycle scared many Republicans, who lost two congressional seats, and offered the first real evidence that the state might move from red to purple.
“A lot of people were taken by surprise,” said Steinhauser. “It’s going to take a lot more time, money and focus on the district.”
So acute is that concern, that members of the Texas delegation sat down last week with leaders from the House GOP campaign arm — which typically assists with polling, opposition research and negative advertising — to request more help with their races.
…This cycle, Democrats are targeting six more seats representing Texas suburbs — the districts held by Reps. McCaul, Chip Roy, Pete Olson, Will Hurd, Kenny Marchant and John Carter.
Hurd, Roy, Olson and Carter each faced opposition from national Democrats last cycle as well, and Carter reached out to the party committee for help with that race too.
…“It’s a presidential year. Presidential turnout, the blind hated of Trump will drive the left out, It’s going to be a battleground everywhere,” said Dave Carney, chief strategist for Texas’ Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s political efforts.
If he were a Democrat choosing targets in Texas, he said: “I’d pick every seat.”
…Republicans are still plenty popular in rural parts of the state, helping many of them hold on without much campaign infrastructure in 2018.
But Democrats expanded their dominance in urban parts of the state, and made up ground in suburban areas that will factor heavily into many of the targeted House races.
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