Texas Democrats feeling better after Biden’s decision

DALLAS – The Dallas Morning News reports President Joe Biden’s decision to end his reelection bid and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s nominee for the White House had many Texas Democrats feeling better about the top of the ticket’s influence on down-ballot races. Before Biden’s decision, Democrats inside and outside Texas were worried headwinds caused by his poor debate performance in June would drag down Democratic candidates who are sharing the ballot with him in November. Biden’s withdrawal not only allayed those concerns, it renewed hope for some Texas Democrats that former President Donald Trump can be defeated in November. “This is the right move for the Democratic Party,” said Rowlett state Rep. Rhetta Andrews Bowers, who will serve as a delegate at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August. “If we all get behind Vice President Harris, we will win.”

Democratic strategist Matt Angle also looked forward to a Harris presidential campaign. “We now have clarity,” Angle said. “You’re going to have people lock in behind Kamala Harris very quickly, and the contrast could not be more stark and cannot be more favorable to Democrats. “You’ve got a capable and vibrant and youthful Kamala Harris running against a broke-down and destructive threat to democracy in Donald Trump, and that’s going to help every Democrat on the ballot, regardless of what position you hold,” Angle said. An overwhelming Trump victory in Texas could cost Texas Democrats numerous critical races. In the state’s marquee race, U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, is trying to unseat Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. Though Allred is running on his own merit and has rarely mentioned Biden, a flood of Trump voters and a depressed Democratic turnout would benefit Cruz. Allred, making his first run for statewide office, realized from the start that he needed to outperform Biden to beat Cruz. His campaign aides hope Cruz underperforms compared with Trump, giving the challenger an opening. In 2016 Cruz beat Beto O’Rourke by 2.6 percentage points. A new nominee removed Biden as a talking point for Republicans. A wipeout of Biden also would have put Democrats in legislative and judicial races at risk of losing. State Rep. Mihaela Plesa, who in 2022 became the first Democrat to win a Collin County-based House seat in 30 years, is seeking reelection in a newly drawn district that leans Democratic but can be susceptible to a GOP surge. Plesa is running for a second term against Republican Steven Kinard. Elsewhere, problems at the top of the ticket could thwart Democratic efforts to flip Republican legislative seats, even in deep-blue Dallas County. Democrat Averie Bishop is running against Republican Rep. Angie Chen Button, and Democrat Elizabeth Ginsberg is challenging Republican Rep. Morgan Meyer. The Legislature redrew those Dallas County districts in 2021 to make them more favorable to Republican candidates. Still, those areas have been trending toward Democrats for several election cycles and could become competitive. A Trump surge could assure victory for Button and Meyer.