Texas is increasingly looking like a battleground state, and the Joe Biden campaign is sending some attention that way. The campaign announced six hires in Texas, including state director Rebecca Acuña and deputy state director Jennifer Longoria.
The campaign is also launching digital ads in English and Spanish, commemorating the anniversary of the mass shooting in El Paso. That comes weeks after Biden's first television ad in Texas, which had a relatively modest buy but should help keep the Trump campaign wasting money in its bid to shore up a lead in a state that shouldn’t even be a contest. The presidential race isn’t the only sign of trouble for Republicans in Texas, either.
Daily Kos Elections recently moved two Texas congressional races in the direction of Democrats, with a poll in one of those districts giving Biden a narrow lead—despite Trump having won the district by 15 points in 2016. Polling also shows Democrat MJ Hegar with a path to victory over incumbent GOP Sen. John Cornyn. Then, in elections hugely important for redistricting, Democrats have a chance to shrink the Republican majority on the state's Supreme Court and possibly even flip the state House.
Texas remains a long shot for Biden, but a strong performance at the top of the ticket can make big differences downballot. And the fact that Biden has any reason to put staff and advertising resources into the state is testament to how much trouble Trump is in.