When Republicans corruptly redrew the Texas congressional map to try to eliminate up to five Democratic seats, the 9th District was where they expected the easiest time.
That seat, held by Democratic Rep. Al Green, went from being won by former Vice President Kamala Harris by 44 percentage points in 2024 to being won by President Donald Trump by nearly 20 points.
But a poll released Wednesday shows Republicans are struggling even in this seat, as Trump’s approval rating continues to plummet due to Americans’ anger over his mishandling of the economy.
The survey, from the campaign of Democratic candidate Leticia Gutierrez, reveals that her Republican candidate, Alex Mealer, is trailing between 45 and 39 percent. His campaign released data showing that even this district remains close.
Indeed, the Cook Political Report moved the race to the board of competitive seats last week, designating the district as likely Republican — or a district in which Republicans are clearly favored but could lose if a blue wave becomes large enough.
Of course, the underfunding of the Democratic polls, at 39%, is not a good sign for the outcome of the race. But this is not the figure that caught my attention during this investigation.
In addition to asking about the House race, the pollster also looked at how the district is voting in the Senate race between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton.
And that This figure should send shivers down the spines of the GOP.
The poll finds Paxton leading Talarico by just one point, between 48% and 47%.
It’s in seats like the 9th District that Paxton needs to increase his numbers to strengthen his statewide margin. And if this poll is accurate, then this is the guy in trouble.
Trump’s super PAC is spending nearly $200,000 on attack mailers against Gutierrez, which could be a retrograde way to help Paxton, as Trump’s political operatives hope voters in the 9th District will support Paxton while voting against Gutierrez.
Ultimately, this is just another data point that reveals how Republicans are struggling in the midterms — and that Blexas is no longer just a spark in Democrats’ eyes but a real possibility.
Let’s cut to the chase: The financial challenges Daily Kos is facing this year are difficult.
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