There’s been a lot of talk about how the presidential race in Texas could come down to the wire. But another fact has gotten lost among all the hype: On a smaller scale, Texas remains as red as ever.
In fact, Republicans hold every single statewide office in Texas. And this year, there’s only one competitive congressional race in the entire state. That’s one, out of a total of thirty-six. So, even if Texas stands a slight chance of turning blue this year when it comes to presidential voting, nothing much is changing in the Lone Star State. Here, as in most of the country, incumbents rule.
An editorial this weekend in The Dallas Morning News called the lack of congressional challenges in Texas “pathetic.” The newspaper didn’t mince words: “The lack of competition doesn't make for a strong democracy,” wrote columnist James Ragland. He added, “when one of the two major parties simply rolls over, as Democrats did in Texas this year, voters are the real losers--no matter which party comes out on top.”