Texas
SUPER STATE STRATEGY
Our primary objectives in Texas are to: 1) flip the U.S. Senate seat currently held by John Cornyn, 2) compete for the state’s 38 Electoral College votes, and 3) break unified GOP control of the state government by flipping the Texas State House.
In the state Senate, we are currently targeting one GOP-held seat. With only half of the chamber up for reelection in 2020, nearly all of the competitive seats are off the map until 2022. Our target district is located in southwest Texas, stretching from San Antonio to the Mexican border.
In the state House, we are currently targeting 11 districts—nine GOP-held seats and two Democratic holds. Nine of these districts voted for Beto O’Rourke in 2018, making them competitive in 2020. Geographically, the pathway to victory runs through the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area (seven targets) and the greater Houston metro area (four targets).
By the numbers
4
Seats needed to flip the state senate
9
Seats needed to flip the state house
1
United States Senate seat to flip
38
Electoral College votes
U.S. Senate Race
Runoff on 7/14
TX State Senate targets
TX State House targets
What's at stake
Gerrymandering
The Texas GOP has racially gerrymandered the state’s district maps, diluting the influence of African-American and Hispanic voters. Plus, they have passed aggressive restrictions on voting that make it one of the hardest states to cast a ballot in.
Flipping the Texas Legislature is the most reliable way to fight back against partisan power-grabs like gerrymandering.
Health Care
Texas has the highest population of uninsured people, approximately five million. Across Texas, 1.4 million who would be eligible for coverage under Medicaid go without health insurance every day because the state legislature refused subsidies provided by the Affordable Care Act. Another 759,000 Texans can’t afford private insurance but also aren’t eligible for Medicaid.
If we flip the Texas Legislature, Medicaid expansion could be passed, providing access to affordable healthcare to hundreds of thousands of people who need it.
Reproductive Rights
There are just 22 abortion providers in Texas. This means some people end up traveling more than 250 miles to get the medical care they need.
The state requires in-person, anti-abortion counseling using the country’s most extreme standards. Texas requires people seeking care to undergo a 24-hour waiting period and a mandatory ultrasound.
As it stands, Texas is rated as ‘Hostile’ to abortion by the Guttmacher Institute. We need more Democrats in the Legislature to protect and expand access to reproductive healthcare.
Live in TX? Set up a 1:1 call with a member of the Swing Left team to find out how you can make the biggest impact.
Take the TX Super State Strategy on the go: Download the PDF
