The state of Texas, which is normally a stronghold for Republicans, is now becoming a toss-up state that could lean towards the Democrats.
Texas has not gone to a Democratic presidential candidate since former President Jimmy Carter took the state in 1976. Now, Biden and Donald Trump stand neck and neck in the traditionally red state.
A Quinnipiac University poll released last Wednesday showed Trump and Biden neck and neck in the race for Texas. Trump, with 44 percent, had a slim lead over Biden, who received 43 percent, an advantage that was well within the margin of error of 2.9 percentage points.
Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy said in a statement that it’s “too tight to tell” what will happen with Texas in November.
The state also saw one of its closest senate races in 2018 when incumbent Ted Cruz (R) barely won against Democrat Beto O’Rourke.
“Whether Texas becomes a battleground in November is up to Joe Biden,” Mark Owens, a political scientist at UT-Tyler, told the Dallas Morning News. “Does he want to put resources in the state?”
During a Facebook Live on Saturday, Biden expressed confidence in his party’s ability to take Texas. He called it an “important battleground state” for his 2020 campaign and said, “we have a real chance to turn the state blue because of all the work you have done.”
“It’s important that we all turn out to vote, from Houston to El Paso and everywhere in between,” Biden said. “We have to do everything we can to make sure Democrats on the ballot across Texas are successful in November.”
