In 2018, Beto O’Rourke won over half (76/150) of the State House of Representatives districts while racking up 4,045,632 votes, more than any Democratic candidate has ever won in Texas. But while 12 Democratic State House district candidates flipped seats from red to blue (!), we ended up with just 67 seats. Yes, we are indeed heavily gerrymandered, but that hasn’t always been the case.
For over a century (1874-1978), Texas was a Democratic-trifecta state. Then, even though we lost the governor’s office twice (1979-82 and 1987-90), we still continued to control both the Texas Senate and the State House. After Governor Ann Richards lost to George W. Bush in 1994, however, Republicans took control of the State Senate in 1997 and the State House in 2003. That same year, Republicans orchestrated a mid-decade gerrymander and began implementing a series of voter suppression tactics; as a result, we’ve endured 18 long years of Republican trifecta.
In 2017, Beto, who wasn’t initially well known outside his U.S. House district in El Paso, began campaigning in all 254 counties and holding town halls during which he gave other local, state, and federal candidates an opportunity to speak with voters. The rest is history as he re-energized Democrats all over our state.
Beto is now running Powered by People, which is laser-focused on registering and reaching out to Texas Democrats in all 254 counties, and also hosting online conversations (fundraisers) with various State House candidates. In 2020, Texas Democrats must keep the 12 seats we flipped in 2018 while also winning 9 additional seats to gain control of the State House and prevent the Texas GOP from gerrymandering us back into the Dark Ages in 2021.
Early voting begins on October 13th in Texas. Please donate today to Beto’s group Powered by People and to 23 Democrats running in competitive State House districts where Beto either won or got at least 47% of the votes cast for U.S. Senate in 2018.
Here’s the list of 23 competitive candidates, along with their Twitter accounts so that y’all can find out more about them and, I hope, follow and help amplify their messages:
Greater Houston area (7 candidates):
- HD-26: Sarah DeMerchant (HD 47.6%, Beto won in 2018) — This is an open seat because Rick Miller (R-Sugar Land), who was first elected in 2012, retired after DeMerchant came so close to beating him in 2018. @SarahDFtBend
- HD-28: Eliz Markowitz (HD 45.8%, Beto 48.1% in 2018) — This was also an open seat because John Zerwas (R-Richmond), who was first elected in 2006, retired in 2019. The Republican who won this year’s Special Election is running again. @ElizMarkowitz
- HD-29: Travis Boldt (HD no D candidate, Beto 47% in 2018) — Yep, we didn’t have a candidate for this seat in 2018, but Beto still won 47% of the vote thanks to volunteers like Boldt, who was Chair of the Beto for Texas Grassroots HQ in Pearland! Boldt runs his family’s Home Healthcare Agency serving disabled seniors and stepped up to run in his HD in 2020. @Travis4TX
- HD-126: Natali Hurtado (HD 45.2%, Beto 47.8% in 2018) — Hurtado worked hard to flip this district in 2018, and she’s back to finish the job this year. @NataliforTexas
- HD-132: Gina Calanni (flipped this HD to D in 2018) — Calanni flipped this district with 49.26% of votes cast in 2018. It’s rated Lean Democratic, so by no means safe. @gina_calanni
- HD-134: Ann Johnson (HD 46.8%, Beto won in 2018) — Johnson’s Republican opponent, who has held this seat since 2010, remained silent when a gunman shot 9 drivers in one neighborhood early one morning in 2016. @VoteAnnJohnson
- HD-138: Akilah Bacy (HD 49.9%, Beto won in 2018) — Another open seat because Bohac (R-Houston), who was first elected in 2002, retired after the Democratic candidate came so close to winning in 2018. Bacy stepped up to finish the job! @AkilahBacy
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area (12):
- HD-64: Angela Brewer (HD 44.5%, Beto won in 2018) — Brewer is an educator and a mom who stepped up to run for this flippable seat. Her Republican opponent was first elected in 2016. @angelafortexas
- HD-65: Michelle Beckley (flipped this HD to D in 2018) — Beckley flipped this district with 51.6% of the vote in 2018. This race has moved from Toss-Up to Lean Democratic, but is by no means safe. @ForHD65
- HD-66: Sharon Hirsch (HD 49.7%, Beto won in 2018) — This is another rematch after Hirsch came so close to winning in 2018! @Sharon4TX
- HD-67: Lorenzo Sanchez (HD 48.8%, Beto won in 2018) — Sanchez is a first generation Mexican-American who stepped up to run this year after the 2018 race was so close. @LorenzoForTexas
- HD-92: Jeff Whitfield (HD 47.4%, Beto 48.3% in 2018) — This is another open seat because odious anti-vaxxer Stickland (R-Bedford), who had held this seat since 2012, retired after such a close race in 2018. Whitfield served in the Air Force and helped prosecute war criminals. @JeffWhitfieldTX
- HD-93: Lydia Bean (HD 46.1%, Beto 48.2% in 2018) — This is one of 5 flippable seats in Tarrant County that overlap with TX-06. @LydiaBeanTexas
- HD-94: Alisa Simmons (HD 43.9%, Beto 47.9% in 2018) — Simmons stepped up to run against one of the worst legislators in Texas. @alisafortexas
- HD-96: Joe Drago (HD 47.2%, Beto 49.5% in 2018) — Another open seat after Zedler (R-Arlington), who had held this seat since 2002, retired after such a close race in 2018. @dragofor96
- HD-97: Elizabeth Beck (HD 44.9%, Beto 48.6% in 2018) — Beck is an Iraq veteran, a lawyer, and a single mother who stepped up to run in this flippable district. @elizabethforTX
- HD-108: Joanna Cattanach (HD 49.9%, Beto won in 2018) — So close! Cattanach is back to finish the job. @JoannaCattanach
- HD-112: Brandy Chambers (HD 49%, Beto won in 2018) — After nearly defeating a 5-term incumbent, Chambers is back to finish the job as well! @BrandyforTexas
- HD-113: Rhetta Bowers (flipped this HD to D in 2018) — Bowers flipped this seat with 53.48% of the vote in 2018. This seat is rated Lean Democratic, so it’s by no means safe. @RhettaForHD113
Other parts of the state (4):
- HD-14: Janet Dudding (HD 43.6%, Beto 48.4% in 2018) — Dudding stepped up to run in this Bryan/College Station district after the 2018 race was so close. @Janet4Texas
- HD-32: Eric Holguin (HD unopposed, Beto 47% in 2018) — Holguin stepped up to run in this Corpus Christi district after Beto came close to winning it despite there being no Democratic candidate for this HD in 2018. @EricHolguinTX
- HD-54: Keke Williams (HD 46.2%, Beto 49% in 2018) — Williams is a combat veteran who stepped up to run for this Killeen-Temple (north of Austin) district. @kekefortexas
- HD-121: Celina Montoya (HD 44.7%, Beto won in 2018) — Montoya is back after running a competitive race in this San Antonio district in 2018. @CelinaForTexas
Please help these 23 competitive Democratic State House candidates take back our state before the next round of Texas redistricting! Donate here: secure.actblue.com/… (This donation link is set up so that your email address and phone number will not be shared with any of these candidates unless you opt-in to share your contact information.)
And please also support Beto’s Powered by People efforts by volunteering (there’s a virtual phone bank this evening!) or donating today.
Disclaimer: I am a lifelong Texan who is not affiliated with any of these campaigns other than as a volunteer or small donor.