Paying Your Texas

It is not hyperbolic to say that the Mid-Term election was galvanic for Democrats. I thought the results, on the surface, were significant enough. But it turns out that it's not just more than that, but far more.

There's a lot that I could write about, but I'm going to focus on just one thing.

Texas.

But not on James Talarico winning his U.S. Senate race. Or even on Gina Hinojosa winning her race for governor. Those were huge -- massive -- but it's more than that.

After I posted my article about the election yesterday, I heard something on the news that caught my interest about the down ballot in Texas. So, I went online to check it out...and it was even more notable. So, I quickly added it to the article.

I wrote that in Texas, Democrats swept all eight of the statewide elections, including Lieutenant Governor, which (contrary to its lesser-sounding name) is actually the most powerful job in the state, even more than governor. And they beat the long-serving and draconian Dan Patrick. And won the Attorney General race. They didn't win Secretary of State, but that's only because in Texas the Secretary of State is an appointed position. And they won all the other statewide races -- for comptroller, land commissioner, agriculture commissioner and ​railroad commissioner. Races that as Reuters wrote, are the "key offices that oversee the state budget, its public lands, its farm economy and its oil and gas industry."

But it's more than that. Because Texas Democrats won all four Supreme Court justice races -- including Chief Justice. But it's more than that. Because this is the first time that Democrats have won even a single seat on the state Supreme Court since 1994.

But it's more than even that. As of late yesterday, the Texas Board of Education -- which determines the policy and curriculum for the state's 5.5 million public school students -- was evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, with one race in the Houston area that would break the tie too close to call. (The results are uncertain. MAGOP incumbent points to the Secretary of State's website that shows her leading by 3,500 votes. However, as the Houston Chronicle notes, "Democrats Dana Van de Walker appeared to be leading incumbent Republican Audrey Young by fewer than 600 votes.) But additionally, once Democrat Gina Hinojosa is sworn in as governor, she is who names the Board's chairman!

But it's more than that, too. Yes, really. Because Democrats flipped enough seats and actually took control of the Texas state House. Yes, really. Some of the races are still in flux, but if the numbers hold, Democrats will have 83 seats, and MAGOPs only 67.

As much as I love barbecue (and my favorite place in Los Angeles is Dr. Hogly Wogly's Tyler, Texas Barbecue), I don't know all the medicinal herbs and spice rubs they use in Texas. But whatever it is, and however much their organizing groups feast on it when taking their meal break, something is working really well in the state. Ring the dinner bell. And happily it seems the recipe got spread.

But remarkably, it's even more than all that -- which is the point here.

On MS NOW yesterday, Claire McCaskill and John Heilemann each addressed the issue. It's not about any specific race, but rather how voters not only swamped, but swept these races. All of them. Each of them significantly important individually. But together oversee much of what's important in Texas. And that not only puts Texas in play for 2028, but highly in play.

Putting a state "in play" is a quaint phrase we often here, though it doesn't tend to be overly substantive. Since being in play still means you're behind. But when you've swept all statewide races and are on the verge of flipping the Board of Education -- which would be the first time Democrats have had that majority in 34 years -- and while that might be a one-off (or not), it doesn't mean Democrats are behind. But ahead. And further, "in play" for 2028 -- when that's Texas -- has substantive meaning.

Substantive because Texas has 40 Electoral votes. And as the two analysts noted, you can be sure that every Democrat -- and MAGOP -- is now focused on Texas and who they run for president and on how their party legislates and runs because the 40 Electoral votes in Texas are a massive prize. And Democrats have put them in position for hold that. And MAGOPs are at risk of losing what they've long taken for granted.

That's what is galvanic.

Because it's not just Texas. Iowa is now in play. And Kansas. And Ohio. And...and...Mississippi.

But Texas, that's a Holy Grail, most especially when you have swept all eight statewide races. And more.