From rivardinsa: Voter turnout in the 2022 midterms surpassing all predictions is the only path to Texas once again becoming a two-party state after nearly three decades of a Republican stranglehold on state government and politics.
Credit:Or so I hope, as early voting continues here and across the state through Nov. 4, with Election Day set for Tuesday, Nov. 8. The big surprise I hope for is higher-than-predicted turnout that upends the pollsters and conventional wisdom about the outcome at the polls.
I love it when citizens defy the predictions and show up in unexpected numbers with greater interest in candidates than expected. I write this after years of covering elections in San Antonio and Bexar County, where less than half of registered voters usually turn out for midterm contests, a depressing reflection of low civic engagement.
While Gov. Greg Abbott has spent little time on the campaign trail, depending instead on media buys to reach voters, former El Paso congressman and Democratic candidate for governor Beto O’Rourke has traveled the state relentlessly, including rural Republican counties, attracting impressive crowds along the way. We could see a repeat of 2018, when Beto’s energy drove higher-than-usual turnout that nearly cost U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz his seat.