WASHINGTON — The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee announced today that it will invest an additional $125,000 in Dr. Eliz Markowitz’s campaign for HD-28. The new spending brings the committee’s total investment in the special election to $195,000. The contribution will support a broadcast TV buy for the final days of the campaign.
“Texas is shaping up to be a top political battleground this year,” said DLCC President Jessica Post, “and the special election next week is our first chance to put a crack in Republicans’ fragile majority. We have an amazing candidate in Dr. Eliz Markowitz, who’s focused on the issues that matter to voters and who is ready to bring real positive change to Austin.”
After flipping twelve seats in the 2018 election, Democrats are just nine seats away from winning a majority in the Texas House of Representatives for the first time since 2002. Beto O’Rourke won nine Republican-held seats in his Senate bid, giving Democrats a clear path to victory in the Lone Star State. The DLCC has already invested nearly $300,000 to support Texas Democrats this cycle, allowing state partners to recruit strong candidates and lay the groundwork for strong campaigns across the state.
HD-28, anchored in the Houston suburbs, typifies the kind of district that has rapidly trended away from Republicans in the Trump era. A strong Democratic performance in the district — inconceivable a few years ago — would prove Democrats’ potential for gains all across the state. There are 15 Republican-held seats where O’Rourke performed better than in HD-28.
Democrats’ resurgence has Republicans scrambling to defend their once-unassailable legislative majority. Massive demographic change and suburban voters’ abandonment of the GOP brand has led to a wave of retirements at all levels of the ballot, a clear sign that veteran elected officials see a difficult battle coming this November.
For the first time in recent memory, Texas Democrats filed to contest more seats in both chambers of the Texas legislature than Republicans.
The Markowitz campaign has attracted the attention of Democrats all across the country. Joe Biden, Michael Bloomberg, and Elizabeth Warren endorsed her earlier this month, and former presidential candidates Julian Castro and Beto O’Rourke have mobilized supporters and canvassed for the campaign.
“Democrats across Texas and the country are more motivated than ever to focus on state legislative races this year,” added Post. “I was down canvassing in HD-28 just last weekend, and the enthusiasm on the ground is incredible. Make no mistake, we can flip the Texas House from red to blue this year, and next week’s special election is just a start.”
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