Two Democratic strongholds in Texas, Harris and Dallas counties, posted record first-day early-voting numbers, an encouraging sign for Democrats in parts of the state they cannot afford to lose. Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico has emerged as a contender to win the seat, with recent polls showing him with a narrow lead over Republican rival Ken Paxton. In the gubernatorial contest, Republican Governor Greg Abbott is in a tight race with Democratic challenger Gina Hinojosa, with polls suggesting Hinojosa has narrowed the gap on Abbott to about 2 points.
A Democrat has not won a statewide race in Texas in 32 years. The prospect of Texas turning blue has alarmed Republicans over which party controls the Senate for President Donald Trump’s final two years in office. Trump carried the state by almost 14 points in the 2024 election, but his approval rating has slipped in Texas and across the country amid concerns about the economy, high gas prices and the Iran war.
Meanwhile, Republicans have been urging rural and suburban voters to get out and vote, with Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and conservative commentator Mark Levin warning of the stakes on Patrick’s podcast on Monday. Newsweek contacted the Talarico and Paxton campaigns for comment via emails sent outside regular office hours on Tuesday. Entering the November 3 election day, Republicans hold a 218-214 edge in the House and 53-47 Senate majority.
In Harris County, which includes Houston, election officials reported that the county had broken its record for turnout on the first day of early voting in a midterm election. The Harris County Elections Department reported on X that by 3:30 p.m. Monday, more than 70,000 voters had been processed, surpassing the previous record of 63,188 set in 2018, with 3.5 hours remaining.
However, Harris County also has significantly more registered voters than it did in 2018. Processing 70,000 voters represents an increase of about 10.8 percent over the 2018 record. By comparison, the county's number of registered voters has risen 14.7 percent, from 2,357,199 in 2018 to 2,702,952 this year, according to county data.
Meanwhile, Dallas County broke its record for the first-day of early voting of any election. Judge Clay Jenkins reported on X that the county had 76,069 voters on the first day of early voting on Monday, surpassing the previous record set in 2020, when 60,573 voted. That represents a 25.6 percent jump.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
