Something very strange and telling is going on with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) as he waits for vote results to trickle in later this evening and reveal whether or not voters in the Lone Star State have reelected him or kicked him to the proverbial curb.
MS NOW national affairs analyst John Heilemann reports that the latest polls out of Texas show “[Gina] Hinojosa up by 1 or 2 in the in the Texas governor’s race,” over Abbott, which could spell doom for the incumbent.
What caught Heilmann’s attention is that Abbott will be watching election returns this evening in Austin, which is a change from where he usually spends the evening when he’s on the ballot.
“They all point out that the man has won three successive terms as governor, and when he is confident of his prospects in a race, he tends to go to a red part of the state to throw his victory party,” Heilemann explained.
The Austin location, he added, “sent a loud signal to a lot of people that at a minimum, the… campaign there is not confident about… where their race stands with Hinojosa.”
Another ominous sign for Abbott and other Texas Republicans is the enthusiasm being generated by Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, who could wind up helping Hinjosa and other Democrats on the ticket.
“It’s possible that Talarico, all the grassroots strength that he’s driven and all the Democratic money that he’s drawn into the state, that some of that may end up helping Hinojosa break that… streak,” Heilemann noted.
The Republican Senate nominee, Ken Paxton, is also not popular, which could depress GOP voter interest and turnout.
“I couldn’t find any Democrat or Republican who doesn’t think James Talarico is going to win,” Heilemann said. Nobody, not a single person arguing that Paxton is going to win.”
The latest polls show Talarico leading by as much as seven points over Paxton, and a blowout win for the Democrat may well doom Abbott, who’s approval ratings are also in the toilet.
Just imagine the celebrations if Abbott and Paxton are both flushed to the sewer by Texas voters. It could result in the state becoming a true battleground and help propel the 2028 Democratic presidential nominee to victory.
The eyes of the nation are squarely on Texas.
