Former Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke is imploring his party’s presidential nominee to visit Texas in a last-minute bid to flip the state blue in the upcoming election.
During an appearance on MSNBC on Tuesday, O’Rourke said he hopes former Vice President Joe Biden would visit the state before the election, “If Joe Biden comes to Texas, and connects the dots for Latino voters, who have been on the front-lines of the cruelty of Donald Trump … for Joe Biden to come here, connect those dots, offer the alternative, would be so energizing, so catalytic for the voters of Texas — especially Latino voters.”
“In the most voter suppressed state in the country, you’re already seeing record turnout, and so much of that is fueled by Black and Latino voters, and voters in communities of color, precisely the ones turning out today with the Texas Organizing Project,” he continued.
Finally, O’Rourke said, “This is Biden’s state to lose, and we’re doing our part in Texas. We would love to see Joe Biden come down here as well.”
Watch the video below:
Beto O'Rourke hopes Joe Biden will visit Texas before the election: "This is Biden’s state to lose." pic.twitter.com/Zlcb3paHVc
— The Recount (@therecount) October 26, 2020
Texas has been a relatively reliable state for Republicans. No Democratic presidential candidate has carried it since 1976.
However, Democrats are feeling increasingly bullish about their chances of flipping Texas this year as they look to the changing demographics in that state.
Party officials are hoping to energize the rapidly growing Latino population. The Texas Tribune reports that by 2021, Hispanics could constitute the largest population group in the state.
Across the country, Latino voters represent 13% of all eligible voters. In Texas, they represent 30% of eligible voters.
An average of polls by RealClearPolitics finds that Trump is leading Biden by 3.2 points. And a recent Quinnipiac poll found the race for president tied in the state.
Just before the 2016 election, Trump led his Democratic challenger by an average of 12 points and won by 9 points.
Democrats are also hoping to defeat incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R), as IJR reported.
Senate Majority PAC recently announced it would spend $8.6 million in support of Democratic challenger M.J. Hegar.
J.B. Poersch, president of Senate Majority PAC, said, “Three weeks out and John Cornyn has a weaker standing than Ted Cruz ever did.”
Still, Cornyn leads his rival by an average of 8.3 points.
