Fear of a blue Texas: New GOP group to spend millions registering Republicans
By David M. Drucker
Washington Examiner
June 12, 2019
Republican insiders in Texas are worried about the impact of a potential political realignment that could see affluent, college-educated voters in the suburbs permanently defect from the GOP to the Democratic Party. Additionally, they fret that thousands of Americans who move to Texas every month, attracted by the booming economy and low cost of living, will bring their liberal politics with them.
Engage Texas, modeled after a similar political nonprofit group that has operated in Nevada, is a crucial part of counteracting the effects of these shifts. Republican insiders in the state estimate that there could be as many 2 million unregistered GOP voters. Adding them to the rolls could ensure that Texas continues to perform as a red state, even as Democrats make gains there.
“For Trump, Texas is like Wisconsin was for Clinton. If the president ignores the state, the race could be close, and he could possibly lose,” said Chris Wilson, a pollster who has advised Cruz and other Texas Republicans. “But [Trump] campaign manager Brad Parscale spent years here and knows the electorate, so there is little concern Texas would be ignored. In fact, it is far more likely the Trump campaign puts Texas away quickly.”
Engage Texas also saves Team Trump from having to spend the considerable sum it will take to register voters in Texas. America First Policies and America First Action, the president’s designated outside groups, are generally taking the lead nationally on voter registration for the GOP.
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