Over the last several weeks, it’s become clear that the biggest battlegrounds here in Texas during the midterms are going to be the suburban counties that surround the metro hubs of Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin. These used to be Republican strongholds, but now they might be in play.
A recent article from the Texas Tribune highlighted one of the biggest reasons for this shift… changing demographics. That’s a concern shared even by conservatives like Bexar County GOP Vice-Chair Kyle Sinclair.
He pointed out that immigration from blue-state voters might make holding on to these counties harder, saying: “They’ve come to states like Texas, they’ve settled into great areas, suburbs of cities, and they’re bringing their votes with them.”
One point of concern that Sinclair didn’t seem overly worried about was the polling that indicates Republicans might not be holding on to these counties as strongly as in previous years. He said: “Republicans historically don’t do a lot of polls, so don’t listen to the polls. Get out, get off the couch and go vote. Bring someone with you, and I think we will continue to see this be a red state.”
Sinclair went on to highlight Trump’s very active efforts in the state this cycle, namely the first-ever GOP midterm convention, followed up by multiple campaign appearances across the state. He believes Trump’s ability to motivate Republican voters will make a big difference.