CHICAGO — It has been the dream of Texas Democrats for decades: Winning the Lone Star State and its 40 electoral votes in the presidential race. At the Democratic National Convention, Texans who attended their delegation’s daily breakfast on Wednesday talked about the possibility of Democrats finally being able to overtake the GOP in the state.

What You Need To Know

  • At the Democratic National Convention, Texans who attended their delegation’s daily breakfast on Wednesday talked about the possibility of Democrats finally being able to overtake the GOP in the state

  • Democrats have not won Texas in a presidential race since 1976 and state Democrats keep saying the next win is just around the corner, but victory has been elusive.

  • Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, D-Houston, invoked the famous words of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that it takes money, mobilization and message to win

  • The Democratic Senate candidate, Rep. Colin Allred, and the party are pooling their campaign resources on the ground to turn out the vote and unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, who has criticized Allred's participate in the convention

At their Texas delegation’s breakfast Wednesday in Chicago there was optimism that after several decades, their big red state will soon turn blue. 

“Texas Democrats get out of bed every morning and eat glass. We work our butts off, and that’s a part of being a Texas Democrat. You’re used to fighting hard,” Kendall Scudder, vice chair for finance at the Texas Democratic Party, said. “In the 2020 election, Joe Biden only lost Texas by five and a half percentage points. That’s closer than Ohio. That’s closer than Florida. It is absolutely in play. The problem is 5% in Texas is just a lot more people than it is in other states.” 

Democrats have not won Texas in a presidential race since 1976. State Democrats keep saying the next win is just around the corner, but victory has been elusive.

During her remarks, Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, D-Houston, invoked the famous words of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that it takes money, mobilization and a message to win.

“We are the ones who are protecting our schools, our kids, who are protecting our health and our health care, who are protecting our environment, who are protecting our air and our water, and who are protecting our freedom,” Fletcher said during her remarks. 

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Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, is vying to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in November. For the first time in years, the Democratic Senate candidate and the party are pooling their campaign resources on the ground to turn out the vote. During his remarks Rep. Greg Casar, D-Austin, said they are building their party beyond the state’s cities, but in the suburbs and rural areas, as well.

“We’ve got now more volunteers that we know what to do with, and that’s a great problem to have, and it’s because folks feel inspired. I think we need to trust the voters and realize that voters want to hear from authentic leaders that really care, that are forward looking, that can make us feel hopeful, not just about what we’re fighting against, but we’re fighting for,” Casar said. 

Some Texas Democrats are positive that the energy behind Vice President Kamala Harris’s historical candidacy will be a huge help to candidates down ballot. 

“It’s going to be tough, of course, to win Texas, but she has a great opportunity and with great candidates like Colin Allred running statewide on the ticket, and other candidates that we have up and down the ballot, I think we should not discard us. I think Democrats are going to be looking good,” Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, said.

Allred is scheduled to address the Texas delegation at their breakfast on Thursday. A spokesperson for Cruz’s campaign criticized Allred’s participation in the convention and has portrayed him as a far-left Democrat.