Thousands of people packed into a room on a Monday evening to hear Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico in Collin County \u2014 Ken Paxton\u2019s home turf.<\/p>\n
The room erupted in applause when Talarico walked onstage. He told the crowd Republicans see him as a threat.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are afraid of this movement that we’re building,\u201d Talarico said. \u201cThey’re afraid of this crowd in Plano, Texas.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paxton, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, has long called Collin County home. The county\u2019s voters elected him to the House and Texas Senate. The county is known for being a Republican stronghold, launching the political careers of Rep. Jeff Leach, U.S. Rep. Keith Self and Texas Republican Party Chair Abraham George.<\/p>\n
Texas House District 70, the district that launched Paxton\u2019s political career, was redrawn after 2020 redistricting. Mihaela Plesa became the first Democrat from Collin County elected to the statehouse in over 30 years when she first won the seat in 2022.<\/p>\n
Democrats point to Plesa\u2019s win as proof of partisan shifts in Collin County. The county, which includes booming suburbs like Plano and rural ranch land, has experienced rapid population growth, making it one of the fastest-growing areas in the country according to the U.S. Census Bureau.\u00a0Democrats say the diversity that comes with that growth has been to their benefit.<\/p>\n
Plesa said at the rally in Plano that flipping Collin County would have repercussions across the state.<\/p>\n
\u201cCandidates up and down the ballot are recognizing the power of Collin County,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Paxton said something similar during his victory speech after he defeated John Cornyn in the GOP runoff, warning supporters losing Texas would be consequential for the Republican Party.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery Democrat, and I would say every Republican, knows that if we lose this state, if Republicans lose this state, we lose the country,\u201d Paxton said.<\/p>\n
Got a tip? Email Caroline Love at\u00a0clove@kera.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n