Texas Dominates G.O.P. Convention as Trump Pledges 2 or 3 Visits to Bolster Paxton
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 11
Texas Dominates G.O.P. Convention as Trump Pledges 2 or 3 Visits to Bolster Paxton
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 11
Summary
Dallas became the convention’s political centerpiece as Republicans used the gathering to spotlight Texas races they fear could be threatened by a Democratic surge in November.
Ken Paxton, the state attorney general and GOP Senate nominee, drew the heaviest attention because polls have shown him trailing Democrat James Talarico, prompting Trump to promise he would return to Texas “twice or three times.”
Three Republican congressional candidates also spoke from districts redrawn last year to favor the party, yet each still faces a competitive race despite those new lines.
Tano Tijerina, challenging Democratic Representative Vicente Gonzalez in South Texas, underscored the convention’s Texas-first message with a culture-war speech that drew loud cheers.
The emphasis on a reliably Republican state showed how seriously party leaders are treating the risk that Democratic enthusiasm could crack Texas’s red wall this fall.