After handing Trump-supporting Republicans their behinds nationwide in the 2018 midterm elections, Democrats are looking to repeat the feat as Trump (or Pence) fights for re-election next year. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is eyeing Texas as a key state in which Democrats could rack up additional wins; to that end, the committee’s chair, Rep. Cheri Bustos, announced this week that the DCCC would be opening an Austin, Texas, office as part of a new effort to put boots on the ground in the not-quite-so-Republican-anymore state.
The DCCC previously announced a national offensive effort for the 2020 elections that would install staffers in the Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio suburbs. Monday's announcement takes that initiative a step further, opening a central office in Austin with eight staffers including Texas Democratic operatives Roger Garza and Michael Beckendorf.
Democrats have been encouraged by the 2018 results in Texas, which saw Dallas Rep. Pete Sessions booted in favor of a Democratic replacement. And while Republicans grouse that the 2018 results were a special case, with the prominent suckage of the much-hated Sen. Ted Cruz dragging down Republican enthusiasm, it's difficult to imagine Republican enthusiasm in 2020 not being dragged down by the lunatic in the Oval Office.
Announced DCCC targets in 2020 include a trio of Republicans who may have overstretched what even their gerrymandered Austin-area districts may put up with: Reps. Chip Roy, Michael McCaul, and John Carter.
Alas, there still seems little hope that certain other Texas Republicans will be sent to pasture. Rep. Louie Gohmert will likely still be moistening his congressional chair for years to come. But perhaps he will have less company, if Texas' demographic changes continue to nudge the state from red to tossup status.