Democrats Mess With Winning in Texas

Jonathan Chait: “During the Obama era, Democrats pointed hopefully to the state’s growing Latino population as a source of strength that would propel them inevitably back into majority status. This expectation of an emerging majority may have paradoxically caused the party to avoid making any accommodations to the state’s conservative-leaning electorate—why compromise their values to win when they could just ride the demographic wave?”

“In recent years, these hopes have faded. Latino voters swung rightward in 2024. They turned out to have more moderate views on issues, especially immigration, than do the progressive activists who influence Democratic positions. But once again, Texas looks winnable. Over the past year, Donald Trump has driven away the voters he gained. Every ingredient is in place for Texas to swing back, and potentially give Democrats a Senate majority, except one: the Texas Democratic Party.”

“The party’s latest and most egregious circular-firing-squad behavior transpired earlier this week, when the Democrat Colin Allred, who’d previously dropped out of the Senate race, endorsed Jasmine Crockett, one of the two remaining major competitors.”