John Bogna
“Texas is not a red state,” reads the caption of journalist Antonio Arellano’s post on Twitter. “Texas is a non-voting state.”
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https://twitter.com/AntonioArellano/status/946033573517197312
Data pulled from the office of the Texas Secretary of State, seems to back him up.
The numbers show more than eight million voting-eligible Texans during the 2016 general election failed or chose not to participate, either because they did not register or simply couldn’t get to the polls.
Experts, as well as state Democrats, say they wonder if the outcome of the 2016 election would be the same if they did:
While we’ll never know for sure, given the narrow margin among those who actually did vote, they say they saw the state set to go blue.
RELATED: Four theories on why Roy Moore lost.
Democratic voters do seem excited about the 2018 elections, emboldened by the defeat of Roy Moore in historically red Alabama.
Search the hashtag ‘bluewave’ on Twitter and you find posts like these:
Only 3️⃣1️⃣6️⃣ days until Nov. 6, 2018 #BlueWave
— ComicsGuy (@JCruiseRacist) December 25, 2017
Absolutely incredible news out of Alabama! If Doug Jones can win there, Texas is flippable in 2018 and 2020. People love Beto O’Rourke, hate Ted Cruz, and dislike Greg Abbott. #BlueWave #2018isComing
— Jordan Martirossian (@jm5390) December 13, 2017
Thank you #Alabama. #Texas – soon it is your turn. We can do this together. #BlueWave #rockthe36 #southeasttexas #congress2018
— Dayna Steele (@daynasteele) December 13, 2017
According to election records, there are currently 199 Democrats running for spots in the Texas state legislature in 2018, up from 145 in 2016, based on BallotPedia’s website.
Other organizations, like Battleground Texas, are springing up to try and tilt the political climate of the Lone Star State, as well, reportedly working to challenge the perception and conventional wisdom of the past typically of Texas being an unquestionably conservative victory.
With Texas’ population booming, not to mention the state’s leading diversity among the nation, analysts agree a new strata of politically diverse people is upon us.
RELATED: Things are heating up for Ted Cruz’ primary, but he may have a unique advantage
How dramatic a shift they may produces remains to be seen, but it could be something Texans will want to watch in the lead-up to the 2018 primaries.
