Reading tea leaves from Texas voters
Published 7:28 am Friday, December 14, 2018
Angry voters turned out in force for the Nov. 6 election in Texas, turning out some established Republican congressmen and nearly ousting an incumbent senator.
Message received, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said this week.
Speaking with Texas reporters on his weekly conference call from Washington, D.C., Cornyn said the vote in this “red” bastion served as a wake-up call for Republicans.
Democrats fielded candidates in every congressional district and took more than 46 percent of the vote statewide. Even in their losing efforts, the Democrats were more competitive than in the past.
The marquee race was in the U.S. Senate, where incumbent Ted Cruz, R-Texas, the last challenger standing in the 2016 GOP presidential primaries, was nearly beaten by U.S. Rep. Robert “Beto” O’Rourke, a little-known but energetic Democrat from El Paso.
Cornyn noted those losses and near losses in a short call with reporters, and noted as well that many metropolitan suburbs, usually strongholds for Republicans, had gone to the Democrats, some in ways that were “pretty dramatic.” Absent the GOP’s big advantage in rural Texas, the outcome might have been worse for Republicans.
Part of the reason might be attributed to the influx of newcomers to Texas since the 2014 midterm election. Vote totals soared from 4.7 million in 2014 to 8.3 million this year.
Part of the reason might be the incumbent president, Donald Trump. Cornyn said Trump is “responsible” for “100 percent” of the heavy turnout, but much of that turnout was in opposition to the president.
In response to a reporter question, Cornyn suggested many of the newcomer voters were from California, and he rejected that they moved to Texas to find California-style government. He may be right.
But he was more on point when he suggested that voters want more substance from all candidates, Republicans included, on issues that matter most to them. Those include public education, health-care costs and traffic and congestion.
The culture wars may fade as front-burner issues for voters. But schools, medical bills and traffic are here to stay.
While asked if O’Rourke might test him for re-election in 2020, Cornyn seemed unenthused. He said O’Rourke is a “national Democrat,” more in line with Democratic luminaries like Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, the likely House speaker come January. Maybe so.
This holds true: Texas has experienced a seismic shift in voter outlook, one that Republicans and Democrats must consider as they seek solutions — together, hopefully. While the parties drift further apart philosophically, voters may be more eager for solutions, not labels.
Good schools for your children; affordable and effective health care for all; safe and convenient road travel. As issues go, it’s not a bad lineup.