Democrats’ hopes rise in Texas - Semafor

Democrats are feeling newly optimistic about Texas, even in deep-red seats.

Polls shared with Semafor show Democratic candidates running surprisingly competitively in the 9th and the 10th Congressional Districts.

In the 10th, Democrat Caitlin Rourk is polling at 41% to Republican Chris Gober’s 48%, with Trump’s favorability underwater at 50% unfavorable and 47% favorable.

Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico is also statistically tied with Republican Ken Paxton in the district, which Trump won by 22 points in 2024.

And in the 9th District (also handily carried by Trump), Democrat Leticia Gutierrez is trailing Republican Alex Mealer by six points, with Trump’s favorability negative and the Senate race statistically tied.

Still, both Democratic candidates trail the Republicans in fundraising and are looking for more resources. Gober, the former lawyer of Elon Musk’s America PAC, might be able to call for substantial backup.

“We have been doing the path-breaking foundational work and are ready to go exponential in the final stretch. Now, we just need the investment to go execute and win this race,” Rourk said in a statement.

The polling, shared by Democratic campaigns, could nevertheless be a warning sign for Paxton and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.