The 2026 midterm elections are still 17 months away, but Democrats have already set their sights on Texas in a push to gain ground in the Republican-led state. Starting Monday, June 9, Texas Majority PAC — a group funded by billionaire Democratic donor George Soros — is teaming up with the Texas Democratic Party and local political leaders to launch a campaign known as “Blue Texas.”
According to The Wall Street Journal, the multimillion-dollar effort aims to organize tens of thousands of volunteers and recruit candidates to boost Democratic turnout ahead of the midterms.
How it stands
Texas has not voted for a Democrat in a presidential election since 1976, when Jimmy Carter defeated Gerald Ford. In 2024, Republican Donald Trump defeated Democrat Kamala Harris in Texas by approximately 1.5 million votes, representing a margin of around 14%.
In the U.S. Senate, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz won reelection in 2024 and will not be up again until 2020. But fellow GOP Sen. John Cornyn is facing reelection in 2026 and already has a primary challenger in Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The Democratic nominee would face the winner of that Republican contest.
Texas has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1988, when Lloyd Bentsen won reelection.
The plan
All 38 Texas congressional seats will be on the ballot in 2026. Republicans currently hold 25 of them. The Journal reports that the “Blue Texas” initiative includes a series of rallies featuring local and state party officials aimed at drumming up volunteers across the state.
Candidate recruitment is scheduled to begin in July, with organizers planning to visit at least two dozen cities.
According to the Texas Majority PAC, the long-term goal is to turn Texas into a true battleground state by 2032 — a presidential election year that also coincides with the next round of congressional redistricting.
Texas currently holds 40 electoral votes, second only to California. With recent population growth, Texas is expected to gain even more seats after 2030. Meanwhile, states like California, which are losing population, may see their representation shrink.
“There is no choice for Texas or for anyone else in the country who wants to see a Democrat in the White House after 2032 but to find a pathway through Texas,” said Katherine Fischer, deputy executive director of the Texas Majority PAC.
The money race
According to the Journal, Democrats and allied groups spent about $35 million in Texas during the 2024 election. They expect to exceed that total in 2026.
Republicans, however, still have a significant fundraising edge. According to the Federal Election Commission, Cruz and his affiliated groups spent more than $105 million on his reelection campaign — the most of any Senate candidate in the 2024 election cycle.
