This story is a part of a collection of state-by-state previews of the 2024 election.
Democrats in Texas will as soon as once more wait on Election Day to search out out whether or not that is the 12 months they will win a statewide race after three many years of dropping to Republicans.
They’re pinning their hopes on the U.S. Senate, the place Republican incumbent Ted Cruz faces a problem from U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, a former NFL linebacker and civil rights lawyer who flipped a aggressive U.S. Home seat to take workplace in 2018.
RELATED STORY: Ted Cruz blames his shut Senate race on Mitch McConnell
With so many Democrats defending Senate seats nationwide, Texas is likely one of the solely states the place a Republican senator is in a aggressive race. Spending on the competition has topped $100 million, in response to AdImpact, which tracks advert spending—swamping the cash spent on the presidential election in Texas.
It’s been 30 years since Democrats gained a statewide race within the Lone Star State, however that is not for lack of effort. In 2002, Democrats have been excited to run a “dream team” of candidates for Senate, governor, and lieutenant governor in hopes that the racially numerous ticket would harness a brand new era of Texas voters who might flip the state. They did not.
Extra lately, in 2018, Democrat Beto O’Rourke broke fundraising data in his race towards Cruz. He misplaced. Two years later, Democrats hoped that M.J. Hegar would construct upon O’Rourke’s momentum to defeat Sen. John Cornyn. She misplaced, too.
No Democrat has gained Texas in a presidential election since Jimmy Carter in 1976, though Invoice Clinton ran shut in three-way contests in each 1992 and 1996. A sudden win in Texas for Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris would all however finish Republican Donald Trump’s bid to return to the White Home.
Texas has 38 U.S. Home seats, however solely three districts—all in South Texas—are thought-about aggressive.
Within the state’s twenty eighth Congressional District, Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar seeks reelection following his indictment on expenses of bribery and cash laundering earlier this 12 months. Within the close by thirty fourth District, Democratic U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez faces Republican Mayra Flores in a rematch of a 2022 contest that Gonzalez gained by about 9 proportion factors. Within the Rio Grande Valley, Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz will once more face 2022 Democratic nominee Michelle Vallejo within the fifteenth District.
RELATED STORY: Former Rep. Mayra Flores accused of cribbing others’ footage of Mexican meals as her personal cooking
Right here’s a take a look at what to anticipate within the 2024 election in Texas:
Election Day
Nov. 5.
Ballot closing time
8 p.m. and 9 p.m. E.T. Texas covers two time zones, so a lot of the state will begin reporting outcomes whereas some voters in a number of western counties are casting ballots till 9 p.m. ET.
Sen. Ted Cruz speaks throughout a U.S. Senate debate with Rep. Colin Allred on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Dallas.
Presidential electoral votes
40 awarded to statewide winner.
Key races and candidates
President: Harris (D) vs. Trump (R) vs. Chase Oliver (Libertarian) vs. Jill Stein (Inexperienced).
U.S. Senate: Colin Allred (D) vs. Ted Cruz (R) and one different.
RELATED STORY: Ted Cruz lies about ‘bipartisan’ document as Texas Senate race tightens
Different races of curiosity
U.S. Home, state Senate, state Home, state Supreme Courtroom, Prison Appeals Courtroom, railroad commissioner, state Board of Schooling.
Previous presidential outcomes
2020: Trump (R) 52%, Biden (D) 47%, AP race name: Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020, 1:06 a.m. ET.
Voter registration and turnout
Registered voters: 18,623,931 (as of November 2024).
Voter turnout in Nov. 2020: 67% of registered voters.
Pre-Election Day voting
Votes solid earlier than Election Day 2020: about 87% of the entire vote.
Votes solid earlier than Election Day 2022: about 68% of the entire vote.
Votes solid earlier than Election Day 2024: See AP Advance Vote tracker.
How lengthy does vote-counting take?
First votes reported, Nov. 3, 2020: 8 p.m. ET
By midnight ET: about 91% of complete votes solid have been reported.
Marketing campaign Motion
