Democratic turnout surges in Texas, helping women candidates

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Democrats in deep-red Texas turned out Tuesday in the largest numbers in more than two decades for a midterm primary election, propelling women candidates toward challenges to entrenched male Republicans in Congress and venting their anger at President Donald Trump in the first state primary of 2018.

The biggest question was whether Texas is just the start of what's to come nationwide. Energized Texas Democrats showed up despite the long odds this November of ousting Republicans such as U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz — who released a radio ad after clinching the GOP nomination Tuesday night, telling voters that Democratic opponent Beto O'Rourke "wants to take our guns."

O'Rourke, a congressman from El Paso, has called for banning AR-15-style assault rifles in wake of last month's mass shooting at a Florida high school that killed 17 people.

Neither that tragedy nor a mass shooting at a Texas church last fall played as dominant campaign issues in Texas, but with the GOP's majority in Congress on the line this fall, Democrats came out in force. Republicans kept their edge in the total number of votes cast although Democrats made significant inroads in what had been a lopsided GOP dominance for decades.

Democrats have their sights on flipping three GOP-controlled congressional seats in Texas that backed Hillary Clinton over Trump in 2016, including a Houston district where two women were the top vote-getters in a race likely to go to a May runoff. Another is a sprawling district that runs along the Texas-Mexico border, where Gina Ortiz-Jones advanced to a May runoff and another woman, Judy Canales, was battling to join her.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/democrats-big-texas-turnout-may-not-translate-many-051128043--election.html

[sheshe2]

1. Great news..

Keep it up Texas Democrats and for a Women's Blue Wave there!

[MineralMan]

2. First round is over.

Now, on to November. GOTV!

[Stallion]

3. Another Bright Spot Was Democratic Turnout in Tx-32-Pete Sessions (R)

total Democratic turnout was within about 1,000 to total Republican turnover in US House of Representatives race and greater than Sessions vote total. Democratic vote was split between 8 candidates in a District they left uncontested in 2016. The primary winner was an articulate, well educated (Cal-Berkeley Law) former Baylor/NFL football player who grew up in the District and worked in the Obama administration. I think he's a very strong candidate who needs more visibility and financial support.

So beating incumbents Sessions and Will Hurd in that South Texas District mentioned in article would be tangible evidence of Democratic success. The statewide races are going to be tough.