In numerous elections since Trump won the presidency, evidence is clear that a blue wave is coming in 2018. Far right Republicans, and even some more moderate ones, are falling to Democrats in local, state, and national seats. In Kentucky and in Alabama, GOP candidates have watched seats flip at unprecedented rates.
Since Trump's elections, 37 state legislative seats have flipped blue. Only 4 have flipped red. #bluewave https://t.co/zO1kEPyV0P
— Flippable (@flippable_org) February 22, 2018
Now, the reddest of ruby red states may end up blue, as well. The opponent challenging Ted Cruz’s seat in the U.S. Senate, Beto O’Rourke, has out-fundraised Ted Cruz by a large margin, raising $2.3 million to Cruz’s $800,000 in campaign funding. Cruz himself has noted the significance of this, calling it “serious.”
In North Oak Cliff @BetoORourke talks and listens to African-American, Hispanic and Asian voters at Mercado. He's scheduled to campaign inside Jefferson corridor, town hall at Texas Theater. pic.twitter.com/UKPZe1AqBV
— Gromer M. Jeffers (@gromerjeffers) February 23, 2018
Cruz spokeswoman Catherine Frazier also noted the difference in the statement to the Dallas Morning News, doing her best to fearmonger and snark her way through an explanation.
‘Chuck Schumer did a great job. He came to Texas early in the year and got national liberals really excited about the chance to elect a pro-amnesty, anti-gun, pro-big government liberal to represent Texas. We don’t believe that’s the direction Texans want and are confident this will energize them to ensure they turn out to vote for someone who wants to keep taxes low, keep repealing regulations including Obamacare, and uphold the Texas values that have made and kept our state strong.’
What if I told you there was a way to run a campaign where you refuse all PAC donations. Where your campaign is entirely funded by people. Where you're not beholden to anyone except those you want to represent. https://t.co/7D6fz27Jkk
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) February 22, 2018
O’Rourke’s grassroots campaign, however, lacks all the money from large political donors in Texas that Ted Cruz enjoys. To take the seat in Texas, O’Rourke will have to depend on real action by his electorate, and Cruz has already noted his fear that voters will come through for his challenger.
‘They will crawl over broken glass in November to vote. … We could get obliterated at the polls.’
It appears Democrats will also crawl over broken glass to participate in polls, where Cruz leads O’Rourke only by single digits in a state where his lead should be astronomical and insurmountable.
To unseat Cruz, O’Rourke will need to rally a blue base like never before, and his fundraising gains are evidence that this is absolutely possible.
‘O’Rourke — who has disavowed aid from political action committees — said in a prepared statement: “The grassroots momentum of our people-powered campaign has shown its full force across the state in the first 45 days of 2018, and it will continue to do so as Texans prove they’re more than a match for the PACs and special interests.”‘
A flipped seat for the Democrats in Alabama once seemed impossible. Could the impossible be achieved in Texas, as well?
Featured image via Getty/Andalou Agency