By CWEverything is bigger in Texas, including, apparently, voting in Texas elections. The Republican Party would be hard-pressed to win a presidential election without Texas and its 40 electoral votes. The Democrats already control New York and California and would be at 122 electoral votes if it added The Lone Star State. Throw in the states the Democrats more or less are guaranteed to win (the likes of Massachusetts, Connecticut, the other two west coast states, etc.) and the race to 270 electoral votes would be over.
States move in unison. If the political climate is such that the Democrats win Texas, it is highly likely that the purple and light red states would fall in the same direction and the election would be a wipeout.
Of course, the midterm elections on November 3 have nothing directly to do with the next presidential race. But voting in Texas is vital. A good performance by the Democrats – for instance, if they win the Senate seat Texas midterms, which is a distinct possibility – would be a clear sign that Republicans are in trouble. Likewise, if the usual happens and the early Democratic enthusiasm fades and Republicans retain the seat it will be a sign that the national mood is not as bad as many experts suggest.
If the Republicans weren’t worried about the Texas elections before the last day of January, they certainly were on the morning of February 1. On January 31, a democrat named Taylor Rehmet won a runoff election in the 9th district of the Texas Senate. Rehmet won by a large margin (14.4%) in a district that Donald Trump had won by 17% in 2024. A turnaround of 31% is a big canary in the coalmine.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at two things: The top ten issues to Texas voters and the Democratic and Republican positions on those issues.
The Top Ten Issues Defining Midterm Voting in Texas
There is a lot going on concerning voting in Texas. This essay and graphic, both created with the help of Google Gemini AI, aims to point to the most important issues in the Lone Star State.
1. Those voting in the Texas elections in November will be focused on healthcare costs and access. Some would consider it surprising that healthcare has climbed all the way to the top of the list for many Texans. It has eclipsed even immigration in recent polling. The “kitchen table” anxiety here is literal: 67% of those voting in Texas report being “very concerned” about rising costs.
The Democratic Position: Democrats are making hay with Texas’ refusal to expand Medicaid. They argue that a big issue in the Texas elections is that the state is leaving billions on the table while rural hospitals close. Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico and other Democratic candidates advocate state-level subsidies and stronger regulation of private equity in medicine.
The Republican Position: Republicans focus on market-based solutions and price transparency. Despite internal pressure to address costs, leadership remains staunchly opposed to Medicaid expansion. They see it as federal overreach that would strain the state budget in the long run.
2. The economy and inflation still are big deals in the Texas elections will be a huge deal to those voting in Texas. They always have been and always will be. The cost of living—particularly food and consumer goods—is weighing on millions of Texans.
The Republican Position: The GOP leans on their record of job growth and low regulation. They attribute inflation to federal spending and focus on further property tax relief as the primary tool to meet the challenge.
The Democratic Position: Democrats blame corporate price-gouging. They argue that high sales and property taxes put disproportionately heavy burdens on the middle class.
3. Border security and immigration are and always will be huge issues to those voting in Texas. The border is not just a federal issue. It is the centerpiece of residents’ identity and safety and a key topic in Texas elections.
The Democratic Position: Democrats increasingly walk a tightrope—advocating for humane treatment and streamlined legal pathways while acknowledging the strain on border communities. They criticize “Operation Lone Star” as a multibillion-dollar political stunt.
The Republican Position: Republicans view the border as a “front line” and broadly support mass deportations and continued state funding for physical barriers. Figures such as Ken Paxton argue that the state must step in where the federal government has failed to provide absolute security.
4. Whether and to what extent school vouchers are allowed is a long-term issue in Texas. The battle about “school choice” has fractured Republicans and energized Democrats.
The Republican Position: Governor Greg Abbott has made vouchers a litmus test for the party. Proponents argue that parents should be able to use their tax dollars to enroll their children in the school that best fits his or her needs. The impact on the public system is not relevant.
The Democratic Position: The Democrats are united against vouchers. They feel that “Education Savings Accounts” siphon money from already underfunded public schools, particularly in rural areas where private options don’t exist.
5. Those voting in Texas worry about energy and grid reliability. After several years of high-profile scares, the reliability of the ERCOT grid is a “sleeper” issue. It keeps voters up at night and may bring them to the polls.
The Democratic Position: Democrats advocate for diversifying the grid with wind and solar, alongside connecting Texas to the national grid to prevent “islanding” during freezes or heatwaves.
The Republican Position: The GOP has doubled down on natural gas, recently pushing for billions in state funds to build new gas-fired power plants. They argue that “dispatchable” energy is the only way to ensure the lights stay on.
6. Housing affordability threatens the dream of homeownership. It’s not an isolated issue. The problem is felt in Austin, Dallas and–even San Antonio.
The Republican Position: Republicans traditionally favor deregulation. But some are wary of state-level mandates that override local zoning. Many now agree that “supply-side” fixes are needed to keep the workforce from leaving the state.
The Democratic Position: Democrats support “density” initiatives, such as allowing garage apartments (accessory dwelling units) and eliminating mandatory parking minimums to lower the cost of new builds.
7. Democracy and voting rights. Texas has become a battlefield for how elections are conducted and who gets to vote.
The Democratic Position: Democrats focus on expanding access through mail-in voting and ending what they describe as aggressive gerrymandering that dilutes the power of minority voters.
The Republican Position: The GOP prioritizes “election integrity,” supporting stricter ID requirements and more frequent voter roll purges to prevent what they characterize as potential for fraud.
8. Texas’ near-total ban on abortion has been a potent motivator for the Democratic base since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022. This remains true, and reproductive rights will be a big issue in the Texas elections.
The Republican Position: The party remains firmly “pro-life,” though some candidates have softened their rhetoric on exceptions for the health of the mother and cases of rape or incest. The goal is to avoid alienating suburban women, a key swing demographic.
The Democratic Position: Democrats are campaigning on codifying abortion rights into state law or, at the very least, creating broad exceptions.
9. Water security is becoming a mainstream–and pretty scary–issue. The population is growing and droughts are occurring. Water security no longer is a niche concern.
The Democratic Position: The Democrats emphasize conservation and environmental protections to ensure long-term sustainability.
The Republican Position: The GOP focuses on infrastructure projects such as building reservoirs and desalination plants, often backed by large-scale state investments from the Texas Water Fund and others.
10. Political leadership and corruption are top ten concern to those voting in Texas. Recent intra-party squabbles and high-profile trials have made “governance” an issue in itself.
The Republican Position: For many Republicans, this is about “standing up to the establishment.” There is a split between “traditional” Republicans and the more insurgent, populist MAGA wing. Ken Paxton’s run for Senate is forcing people to confront the issue.
The Democratic Position: Democrats frame the current GOP leadership as “entrenched and out of touch.” They point to the impeachment and subsequent acquittal of Ken Paxton as a sign of a broken system.
I’m writing this piece during the week before the Texas elections. What happens on the night of March 3 will be vital for both parties. The focus will be on the Senate. On the Democratic side, Talarico and Crockett are in a tight struggle. In addition to the issues touched on above (and others), the primary pits a woman of color against a white man who approaches public service from a religious context. The players on the GOP side are Paxton, John Cornyn and Westly Hunt. Cornyn is a four-time incumbent who represents more traditional Republican values. Hunt and Paxton both are MAGA-leaning. Paxton is controversial and Hunt is African-American and younger. That race is likely to go to a runoff.
the voting in Texas will be fascinating. It will be elsewhere as well. Here are stories on voting issues in New York, New Jersey, Georgia, California and North Carolina.