A boom of female candidates and the Democratic energy mark the primary in Texas

With more participation and with candidates for almost all the positions in dispute, many of them women, the Democratic Party hopes to gain land in this conservative state, despite the fact that the president has 83% support of his republican base.

This Tuesday officially begins the race for the legislative elections in November and Texas is the starting point. Cradle of conservatives par excellence, the results of early voting in the state confirm the worst fears of Republicans and encourage Democrats in what is expected to be one of the worst political tsunamis in the country.

The legislative elections of November 6 will be the litmus test for President Donald Trump . A vote of approval or rejection of the address that has given the country and the congressmen who have tipped their scales in favor or against their government.

n the 2016 elections the magnate managed to impose himself in the Solitary Star by a margin of 9%, very far from the 16 percentage points of difference that Mitt Romney achieved in 2012.

However, you can not underestimate Trump’s support in the state. A survey conducted by UT Austin and the Texas Tribune showed that 83% of Republicans support the president.

Although Trump had initially eluded local supporters, last week he turned his Twitter account around to offer support to candidates who are considered “safe” in local elections, such as Governor Greg Abbott and Senator Ted Cruz.

I want to encourage all of my many Texas friends to vote in the primary for Governor Greg Abbott, Senator Ted Cruz, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Attorney General Ken Paxton. They are helping me to Make America Great Again! Vote early or on March 6th.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 27, 2018

More female applicants

In this election battle in Texas, the number of women seeking public office, mainly Democrats , is particularly high . In total there are 222 positions available at all levels in the state primary, where more than 700 candidates were nominated, including 182 women.

Although the candidates only represent 26% of the total names on the ballot, the number is a significant increase compared to previous years. Almost three times more than in 2014, according to data from the Center for American Women and Politics .

However, the glass roof for female equality in politics still does not break in the state. There are 99 posts where only male candidates are listed. Only in three races does the male absence stand out.

Specifically at the federal level, there are 47 women competing to reach Washington, 44 focused on the House of Representatives and three in the Senate. 34 are Democrats and 10 Republicans.

Observers note that in many cases female participation is driven by the national wave of empowerment and growing opposition to President Trump.

In the midst of that boom, Texas could send its first Latino representative to the House of Representatives . Sylvia Garcia, in District 29 in Houston, and Veronica Escobar, in District 16 in El Paso, are the ones most likely to make history in November.

“They are safe positions for the Democrats so anyone who wins the nomination will be elected in November,” said Mark Jones of Rice University. “It’s virtually a certainty that one of the two will be elected and the most likely scenario is for both of them to be.”

It is also particularly unusual in this election the number of legislators who have announced their withdrawals (districts 2, 3, 5, 6, 21 and 27), leaving open their seats, including emblematic figures of the party that have accumulated influence and power in the Congress, after decades in office. This is the case, for example, of Lamar Smith and Ted Poe .

To this is added the classic fight for the 23rd district, which changes hands between Democrats and Republicans.

Early voting

Early voting in Texas continued from February 20 through March 2. After previous triumphs in states such as Virginia, Alabama and Wisconsin, Democrats hoped to increase participation in the state. The preliminary figures have not disappointed them.

More than 650,000 residents have already stamped their preferences in the 10 counties where the largest number of registered voters in the state is concentrated.

Among them 370,219 Democrats and 282,928 Republicans. They are extraordinary figures for a year in which there are no presidential elections . In 2012, the participation of Republicans in early voting reached 253,019, while among Democrats it reached only 184,489.

“The early voting numbers in Texas have been surprising, we knew the Democrats were more enthusiastic and likely to be more involved.” These numbers raise expectations for Democrats in the November elections, but Republicans continue to have significant advantages in the state. , as its ability to raise funds and the predominance of certain legislators, “said Rottinghaus.

In total more than 885,000 people have already voted in the Texas primary, 50% more compared to 2014, when the figure reached 592,000.

In the races in which a majority is not achieved on Tuesday, the nominee will be decided in a second round, on May 22 next.