Texans will kick off the 2018 midterm elections Tuesday as they head to the polls for the first primary of the cycle.
The Lone Star State has already seen a groundswell of enthusiasm, with the state recording historic levels of early voting.
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Republican candidates are scrambling for the GOP nomination for House seats left over by the retirements of veteran GOP lawmakers. Democrats are looking to position themselves for November, with their eyes on Republican-held districts President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE lost in 2016.
Meanwhile, Texas voters find themselves at the center of intraparty fights waged at the national level.
Here are five questions to consider as the Texas results come in:
Will Democratic turnout send the GOP a warning for November?
Democrats have seen a surge in enthusiasm since Trump took office, and Texas early voter figures are the latest sign that voter energy is on their side.
Democratic turnout has doubled in the 15 most populous counties since the 2014 midterms, according to state data analyzed by The Dallas Morning News. Republicans have seen a far smaller boost, 16 percent.
Democrats have an early advantage heading into Tuesday’s primaries of more than 50,000 votes. As of Friday, 406,302 people voted early in the Democratic primary, while 353,963 cast a vote early in the Republican primary.
That’s good news for Democrats, who enjoyed a similar enthusiasm gap in Virginia’s governor race last year. During that state’s primary, Democrats had a huge showing, with nearly 200,000 more people voting in the Democratic primary than the GOP’s. Democrats went on to win the governor’s mansion in November by 9 points.
But Virginia has clearly been trending toward Democrats over the past several cycles, while Democrats have struggled to make inroads in deep-red Texas.
Democrats are hopeful that high turnout in Texas can buoy them in districts Democratic presidential candidate Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonWhite House accuses Biden of pushing ‘conspiracy theories’ with Trump election claim Biden courts younger voters — who have been a weakness Trayvon Martin’s mother Sybrina Fulton qualifies to run for county commissioner in Florida MORE won in 2016, like in the 32nd District, where GOP Rep. Pete SessionsPeter Anderson SessionsTexas kicks off critical battle for House control The Hill’s review of John Solomon’s columns on Ukraine Tenth Congressional Black Caucus member backs Biden MORE faces his toughest challenge to date. Clinton carried Sessions’s district by nearly 2 points in 2016.
The crowded primary for Sessions’s seat features seven Democratic candidates, including three former Obama administration officials who have proven to be the top fundraisers in the race: Ed Meier, Colin Allred and Lillian Salerno. Instead of attacking each other, the candidates have trained their fire on Trump and Sessions.
It’s unlikely that candidates in many of the crowded primaries races will be able to win more than 50 percent of the vote on Tuesday. In those races, the top two vote-getters will square off again in a May 22 runoff.
Does DCCC intervention in a Houston-area primary succeed?
The Democratic face-off against GOP Rep. John CulbersonJohn Abney CulbersonBottom line Ex-Rep. Frelinghuysen joins law and lobby firm Bottom line MORE has turned ugly in recent weeks, playing into the larger divide between progressives and the Democratic establishment.
Democrats have a glut of good candidates in Texas’s 7th District against Culberson, who’s considered vulnerable after Clinton won his district in 2016.
Nonprofit founder Alex Triantaphyllis, lawyer Lizzie Pannill Fletcher and activist Laura Moser lead the field, which also includes a handful of other candidates who aren’t expected to make a runoff.
Instead of letting the primary play out, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) made an aggressive move in February to undercut Moser’s campaign. The DCCC, the campaign arm for House Democrats, released opposition research that it believed would sink her in a general election, accusing the candidate of being a “Washington insider” who doesn’t respect Texas.
Moser has pushed back on those attacks, raising money and rallying supporters in the face of the DCCC criticism.
This likely won’t be the last time the DCCC intervenes in a primary this year, especially with California Democrats worried about a glut of candidates in key races there.
That means how Moser fares Tuesday will serve as the first referendum on the DCCC attacking fellow Democrats.
Will any Republicans win a crowded primary outright?
The Texas Republican delegation will look very different in 2019, with six incumbents opting to retire after this cycle.
Trump won five of those members’ districts by double-digit margins — the closest was a 9-point victory in the seat currently held by Rep. Ted PoeLloyd (Ted) Theodore PoeSheila Jackson Lee tops colleagues in House floor speaking days over past decade Senate Dem to reintroduce bill with new name after ‘My Little Pony’ confusion Texas New Members 2019 MORE — so whoever wins the Republican primary in those races will be the heavily favored front-runner in the general election.
State Sen. Van Taylor is expected to cruise to victory on Tuesday and win the nomination for the seat vacated by Rep. Sam JohnsonSamuel (Sam) Robert JohnsonSam Johnson: Fighter for the greater good House pays tribute to late Congressman Sam Johnson on the floor The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – US virus deaths exceed 100,000; Pelosi pulls FISA bill MORE. But in the other five races — with fields including as many as 18 candidates — Tuesday will likely be about who makes the runoff.
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In the Dallas area, Rep. Jeb HensarlingThomas (Jeb) Jeb HensarlingLawmakers battle over future of Ex-Im Bank House passes Ex-Im Bank reboot bill opposed by White House, McConnell Has Congress lost the ability or the will to pass a unanimous bipartisan small business bill? MORE has endorsed a former staffer, Bunni Pounds, to replace him. But Pounds could be stymied by one of two state lawmakers in the race or by Jason Wright, a former staffer to Sen. Ted CruzRafael (Ted) Edward CruzSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote The Hill’s Morning Report – Trump’s public standing sags after Floyd protests GOP senators introduce resolution opposing calls to defund the police MORE (R-Texas) who has won his old boss’s endorsement.
Kathaleen Wall, a wealthy Houston-area GOP donor and former business executive, is the heavy favorite in her bid to replace Poe. Wall has spent almost $6 million of her own money on the race so far.
And in another Houston-area district, former state water executive Bech Bruun is leading in his race to replace Rep. Blake FarentholdRandolph (Blake) Blake FarentholdThe biggest political upsets of the decade Members spar over sexual harassment training deadline Female Dems see double standard in Klobuchar accusations MORE, who is retiring in the face of sexual harassment allegations. Bruun has been endorsed by former Texas governor and current Secretary of Energy Rick PerryRick PerryCoronavirus Report: The Hill’s Steve Clemons interviews Ernest Moniz Trump issues executive order to protect power grid from attack Why we need to transition, quickly, from fossil fuels to clean energy MORE.
Races to replace Reps. Joe BartonJoe Linus BartonEx-Tea Party lawmakers turn heads on K Street Longtime GOP aide to launch lobbying shop Katie Hill resignation reignites push for federal ‘revenge porn’ law MORE and Lamar SmithLamar Seeligson SmithHow effective are protests and riots for changing America? Education Department changing eligibility for hundreds of rural school districts receiving aid: report Ex-Rep. Frelinghuysen joins law and lobby firm MORE are even more crowded — Barton’s departure has drawn 11 GOP candidates to the field, while Smith’s seat has 18 Republicans looking for a win. Those seats are virtual locks for runoffs.
Can minority candidates make history?
A record number of Texas women are running for Congress. And there could also be some history made among minority candidates in the Lone Star State.
Two major candidates could become the first Texas Latinas to serve in Congress.
Veronica Escobar, a former El Paso County judge, is running for the seat vacated by Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who’s giving up the seat to run for Cruz’s Senate seat.
O’Rourke is backing Escobar to be his successor and she’s scored other high-profile endorsements, including from EMILY’s List.
Escobar is one of six Democrats running, with former El Paso school board president Dori Fenenbock as her closest competitor. Whoever wins the nomination will be the favorite in the general, since it’s a safe Democratic district.
In the race to replace Democratic Rep. Gene GreenRaymond (Gene) Eugene GreenTexas New Members 2019 Two Democrats become first Texas Latinas to serve in Congress Latina Leaders to Watch 2018 MORE, state Sen. Sylvia Garcia also has a shot of making history as the first Latina Texan in Congress. She has Green’s endorsement, and once appeared to have an easy shot at winning the nomination in the soundly Democratic Houston-area district.
But now it seems more likely that Garcia will be forced into a May runoff with health care executive Tahir Javed, who has loaned his campaign $800,000 since jumping into the race late last year.
Washington Democrats have also waded into the race.
Senate Minority Leader Charles SchumerChuck SchumerOvernight Health Care: US showing signs of retreat in battle against COVID-19 | Regeneron begins clinical trials of potential coronavirus antibody treatment | CMS warns nursing homes against seizing residents’ stimulus checks Schumer requests briefing with White House coronavirus task force as cases rise Schumer on Trump’s tweet about 75-year-old protester: He ‘should go back to hiding in the bunker’ MORE (D-N.Y.) got involved as early voting kicked off with an endorsement for Javed, a move that angered many Democrats in the state. Meanwhile, Sen. Kirsten GillibrandKirsten GillibrandWarren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Warren, Pressley introduce bill to make it a crime for police officers to deny medical care to people in custody Senate Dems press DOJ over coronavirus safety precautions in juvenile detention centers MORE (D-N.Y.) has contributed to Garcia’s campaign.
And in the border district represented by vulnerable GOP Rep. Will HurdWilliam Ballard HurdHouse Republicans hopeful about bipartisan path forward on police reform legislation House GOP delays police reform bill The Hill’s Morning Report – Trump’s public standing sags after Floyd protests MORE, former Air Force intelligence officer Gina Ortiz Jones could become the first Filipina-American from Texas to serve in Congress. If elected, Jones would also be the first out lesbian and first Iraq War veteran elected to the Texas delegation.
Democrats have long set their sights on taking back Hurd’s expansive Hispanic-majority border district. Hurd, a former CIA officer, narrowly won reelection in 2016, even as Clinton won the district by more than 3 points.
But Jones will have to get through a crowded primary before she can get her shot at the perennial swing district. Her toughest competitor is former federal prosecutor Jay Hulings, who has led the race in fundraising and has the backing of two prominent Texas Democrats: brothers Rep. Joaquin CastroJoaquin CastroTop Hispanic Caucus members endorse Melissa Mark-Viverito in NY House primary Ousted watchdog says he told top State aides about Pompeo probe CHC says George Floyd death shows ‘tiny fraction’ of what people of color confront in their daily lives MORE and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro.
Will the Bush family legacy live on?
The Bush family looms large in Texas politics, but one member of the family faces ballot trouble on Tuesday.
George P. Bush, the son of 2016 Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush, is currently the state’s land commissioner — an important job that covers the state’s sprawling land and natural resources.
But Bush is facing a difficult reelection thanks to a primary challenge from Jerry Patterson, who held the job until Bush replaced him in 2015.
Patterson has accused Bush of ducking events on the trail and questioned his management of the historic Alamo site. But Bush has an endorsement from Trump that he’s been quick to tout in the primary fight.
Bush is expected to finish first on Tuesday. But he’ll have to face Patterson again in the May runoff if he can’t win outright on Tuesday.