Republicans and Democrats are lining up to replace the late Rep. Ron Wright
Ron Wright Special election a thermometer for Texas Democratic candidate GOP in the Texas House race endorsed by other Korean-American representatives Former Trump adviser Pierson will not run for the Dallas Area Chamber seat MORE (R-Texas) in a special election that is seen as a possible thermometer of the Democrats’ ability to gather enthusiasm in Texas and take advantage of its new popularity in the suburbs.
Twenty-three candidates – 11 Republicans, 10 Democrats, one libertarian and one independent – registered to run for the May 1 election. Although the 6th congressional district has been controlled by Republicans since the 1980s, Biden has been 3 points from turning the district, which is comprised of the Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs and the rural counties of Ellis and Navarro.
“I think it is a thermometer, but I think it is still about to become a sort of decisive district,” said Democratic strategist Sawyer Hackett. “In the last [five years] the district has become much more competitive, the state has become much more competitive ”.
A district victory would put Texas directly on the map for Democrats to decide where to invest money and energy in the midterm elections.
“This is not necessarily a thermometer. I think the most important thing is if we can do that, it means that it will be an overwhelming victory for the Democrats, as if Texas were really about to turn blue, ”said a Texas-based Democratic strategist.
The primary is scheduled for May 1 and will be the state’s first election since Republicans dominated the polls in November, dashing Democrats’ hopes of finally turning the state into blue. Wright won his district – one of the races Democrats wanted – in 2020 by about 9 points
Democrat Jana Lynne Sanchez, who lost to Wright by 12 points in 2018, is seen by many Democrats as her party’s favorite. Sanchez credits her work as a previous candidate, as well as her involvement with Tarrant Together, an organization that aims to register and engage Democrats, for having an edge in the field.
“I already have a strong identity name, so it’s a little easier for me than for other candidates,” she told The Hill. “I don’t think it’s a field as crowded as people say. I think voters on May 1 will be very sophisticated voters. These people are going to vote in the municipal and primary elections and are going to look for the names of the candidates who know they have a connection with the district and want to serve them ”.
On the Republican side of the race, Wright’s widow, Susan Wright, is seen as the favorite. The identity of Wright’s name and presence in the district are also seen as advantages to her going to the special election.
“From the perspective of Tarrant County, [she] he is really the only known candidate who leaves Tarrant, ”said a strategist for the Republican Party in Texas. “The good news for her is that she has no competition in Tarrant and is obviously still a very busy county.”
Democrats see some advantages in the race.
In addition to Ellis and Navarro counties, the Dallas area district also includes suburban portions of Tarrant County, a demographic district that Democrats succeeded in 2020. Demographic changes, especially in the state’s suburbs, led to more likely voters Democrats moving to the state.
In addition, the past two months have been filled with negative coverage for Republicans. Governor Greg Abbott (R) faced criticism for his leadership during the deadly winter storm in February and the statewide power outage. Critics, especially those in urban and suburban districts, have also criticized Abbott for reversing restrictions on coronavirus in the state, while public health officials urge Americans to remain vigilant.
“Of course, this will be a problem, in particular because it is very soon,” said Hackett. “It is coming in the middle of a recovery and in the middle of Texas deciding to reopen before these guidelines.”
Democrats also argue that the approval of Biden’s American Rescue Plan, which did not win a single Republican vote, will help the party in the district, given how popular the plan is among voters.
“There is no doubt that getting a relief check with Donald Trump
Donald Trump’s Morning ReportThe Hill – Presented by Facebook – Split screen: Biden sells stimulus; The Republican Party points out that frontier Democrats move smaller immigration projects while seeking a broad overhaul The social media platforms on the right cannot keep up with post-January. 6 growth MOREthe name on it did not move at least some voters, ”said Hackett. “The American people and the sixth district of Texas will see the impact of this bill. They will see the impact of what good governance and good governance is like exclusively for Democrats in this case. ”
Still, Democrats warn that the race is likely to be a challenging election out of the year for the party in a district that the Cook Political Report has classified as a likely Republican.
“The way we see it is that it will be an uphill battle,” said the other Texas Democratic strategist, citing the Republican advantages in special elections in Texas and across the country.
Republicans say they are confident of their chances before the election, citing their historic advantage in run-off contests, as well as in the district with an already conservative tendency.
Republican Party strategists say their candidates should plan to address cultural issues that remain important to rural voters, as well as issues that affect more urban and suburban voters, such as the pandemic.
Texas Republican Party adviser Brendan Steinhauser called the conservative focus in rural areas like Ellis and Navarro “God, guns and babies”, but added that the pandemic is more worrying in more populated areas like Tarrant County.
“These cultural issues are already at the forefront and center of what we can say, but the urban areas are different; they are talking about the pandemic, ”said Steinhauser. “These voters are those undecided voters.”
Steinhauser is openly supporting Marine Reserve veteran Michael Wood, who is a staunch critic of Trump.
In his campaign launch video, Wood notably urged the GOP “a cult of personality, a vehicle for a man’s ambitions and complaints.”
The field also includes Trump sponsors, including Sery Kim, who previously served as an assistant administrator at the Office of Women’s Business Ownership at the Small Business Administration under the former president.
“I’m doing this race because I think [the American dream] was broken by the policies of Joe Biden
Joe Biden’s Morning ReportThe Hill – Presented by Facebook – Split screen: Biden sells stimulus; The GOP points out that the border RNC will accompany Biden as he promotes the COVID-19 relief bill. Dems’ momentum hits the tide over infrastructure plans and Nancy Pelosi
Morning report by Nancy PelosiThe Hill – Presented by Facebook – Split screen: Biden sells stimulus; GOP highlights special border election a thermometer for Texas Democrats GOP visits border, criticizes Biden’s policies, ”Kim told The Hill.
Retired professional fighter and Republican candidate Dan Rodimer dismissed any concerns the Republican Party had about the district’s tendency toward blue, saying the party was unified.
“No. Republicans are strong and united – especially now,” Rodimer told The Hill. “We see the need for strong conservative leadership – even in the short and disastrous months of the Biden government and those on the left who want to take our country to the wrong direction. It’s America first, not America last! ”
Steinhauser said the variety of candidates on the Republican side “is a good thing” because of its diversity.
Ultimately, experts say it is unclear what effect the result of the special election will have on intermediate votes, which will take place in just under two years.
“It is difficult to get anything out of a race that will be so close to the last election or, more importantly, so far from the next,” the other GOP strategist.
“I think if you were to map what a county or bellwether district would look like, you would shape it this way, but I also think that you are playing a game of football in a basketball arena now.”