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According to a report from Politico, Texas Republicans are beginning to panic about the upcoming November election as the state reels from a double hit that includes a massive economic downturn due to the reeling oil industry and a bumbling response to the coronavirus pandemic by GOP lawmakers, ranging from President Donald Trump to Gov. Greg Abbott.
According to the report, “The twin economic shock of the coronavirus pandemic and a collapsing oil market has upended the political landscape in Texas — driving Republicans into an unfamiliar defensive crouch and giving restive Democrats an unexpected election-year lift,” adding, “Republicans who’d been running on a familiar platform of gangbusters job growth and small government suddenly find themselves without a clear message as unemployment skyrockets and plummeting oil prices ravage the state budget. Their fealty to limited government is under threat with Congress’ massive stimulus spending — and they likely will have to defend even more government spending or slash state spending on core services like education and health care.
One GOP consultant wrapped it the party’s problems by admitting, “This pandemic has put Republicans in a tough position.”
“The economic impact threatens to hurt down-ticket Republicans, who for decades have hitched their fortunes to a robust economy. Democrats are targeting seven U.S. House seats and defending two, mostly in the suburbs of the largest cities: Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso and Fort Worth. Winning the state House is not out of the question for Democrats. They need to flip nine seats and are targeting districts that [Beto] O’Rourke carried two years ago to get there,” the report states.
Asked what is happening in the state, O’Rourke claimed, “We have yet to feel the full brunt of this pandemic in Texas,” before adding, “That’s really going to affect a lot of what you see in November up the ballot — we’ve got 38 Electoral College votes on the line for [Joe] Biden or Trump and down the ballot for these statehouse races. … People are horrified at Republican leadership right now.”
According to the report, “The twin economic shock of the coronavirus pandemic and a collapsing oil market has upended the political landscape in Texas — driving Republicans into an unfamiliar defensive crouch and giving restive Democrats an unexpected election-year lift,” adding, “Republicans who’d been running on a familiar platform of gangbusters job growth and small government suddenly find themselves without a clear message as unemployment skyrockets and plummeting oil prices ravage the state budget. Their fealty to limited government is under threat with Congress’ massive stimulus spending — and they likely will have to defend even more government spending or slash state spending on core services like education and health care.
One GOP consultant wrapped it the party’s problems by admitting, “This pandemic has put Republicans in a tough position.”
“The economic impact threatens to hurt down-ticket Republicans, who for decades have hitched their fortunes to a robust economy. Democrats are targeting seven U.S. House seats and defending two, mostly in the suburbs of the largest cities: Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso and Fort Worth. Winning the state House is not out of the question for Democrats. They need to flip nine seats and are targeting districts that [Beto] O’Rourke carried two years ago to get there,” the report states.
Asked what is happening in the state, O’Rourke claimed, “We have yet to feel the full brunt of this pandemic in Texas,” before adding, “That’s really going to affect a lot of what you see in November up the ballot — we’ve got 38 Electoral College votes on the line for [Joe] Biden or Trump and down the ballot for these statehouse races. … People are horrified at Republican leadership right now.”
