Democrats target GOP strongholds Texas and Florida with Senate majority on the line

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: ABC News/AP

January 15, 2024, 12:10 AM


WASHINGTON -- Democrats hoping to hold their slim Senate majority after November are looking for upsets in two unlikely places, Texas and Florida, to help neutralize potential setbacks elsewhere.

But that means President Joe Biden's party's top opportunities to play political offense in Senate races are coming in America’s largest reliably red state and a onetime quintessential battleground that has moved decidedly to the right in recent years.

Still, with West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin not seeking reelection, his seat is likely to flip Republican. Retaining their 51-49 Senate advantage likely means Democrats must defend their other 22 seats on the 2024 ballot — including party incumbents and independents who caucus with them — while also gaining seats, and they say Texas and Florida are their best shot.

Democrats nationwide have championed abortion rights and are looking to build on gains among suburban women and other key swing voters since the Supreme Court's overturning of the Roe v. Wade decision in 2022. The party thinks many Texas and Florida voters are with them in believing Republicans have gone too far in restricting reproductive freedom.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/democrats-target-gop-strongholds-texas-florida-senate-majority-106371989

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Hopefully they will throw some $$$$$$$ into TN where Gloria Johnson is challenging Marsha Blackburn.

[radical noodle]

1. Good!

If Florida gets the abortion issue on the ballot (and we have enough signatures, but there's still Republican trickery to overcome), we might be able to beat Scott.

[FBaggins]

2. Really just an attempt to drive the narrative

I’m wouldn’t waste donation dollars in either race unless there were some news indicating a problem for the incumbent.

The problem is that we’re defending several blue seats that are competitive (and where those dollars should be directed)… but if we aren’t seen to be challenging at least a couple republicans - the story will quickly become “how many seats will republicans pick up?”

[mahina]

8. I read you. But- Ted. Cruz.

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/mw-allred-google-ads?amount=25&amounts=25%2C35%2C50%2C100%2C250%2C500&refcode=ads_sem_gs_d2d_acq_nat_launch0523&gclid=CjwKCAiAzJOtBhALEiwAtwj8tuSZVcL2nJSRTaIyp7ZQWuFMRF-BN0Qut3WgclTSHuGc8ikSTOmWcRoCC1MQAvD_BwE

Colin is a fourth-generation Texan. He was raised in Dallas by a single mom who was a public school teacher and often worked two jobs to make ends meet. With a lot of support along the way, Colin was able to chase his version of the American dream: He earned a full ride football scholarship to Baylor University and went on to play in the NFL before going to law school to become a civil rights lawyer.

He ran for Congress to give more Texas kids a chance to achieve their dreams, and with the help of a broad coalition of Texans, he defeated a 22-year GOP incumbent. Now, he’s running to defeat Ted Cruz and, with a history of bipartisanship and overcoming tough odds, experts agree he’s got a real chance.

But Ted Cruz has over $5.7 million in the bank. It’s going to take a powerful grassroots movement to take him down. So we’re asking: Will you chip in any amount before our midnight fundraising deadline to help Colin fire Ted Cruz?

[FBaggins]

9. He was Ted. Cruz. six years ago when we had a charismatic candidate

His approval polls aren't as bad as they were in 2018 and this time there will be a presidential race getting people to the polls.

And it's still Texas.

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

3. Good grief

Who's the idiot making this call?

It would take more than money and a miracle for those gormless gits in Texas to elect a Democrat in *any* statewide race. The state Democratic party is a disaster, and the majority non-metropolitan swaths of the traitor thug state are still too numerous and too bloody religion-soaked (and thus too bloody stupid) for the metropolitan areas to balance them out.

Florida might--*might*--be doable, but I'd wait until multiple polls indicate that the Democratic candidate is up by at least 10 points--and stays there for a month.

Otherwise, it's throwing good money after bad.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. For TX, I think it was because of this

(from here - https://www.texastribune.org/2018/11/06/ted-cruz-beto-orourke-texas-midterm-election-results/)

So about a 3% difference.

Alternately in FL, Val Demmings had a much harder task -



So about a 17% difference.

(from here - https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/rubio-wins-re-election-for-florida-senate-defeating-demings-fox-news-projects)

When it comes to Rick Scott this go-around, it will depend on who makes it through the (D) primary and right now, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell seems to probably be a front-runner.

I think the impetus here is not just to focus on defense but on expansion and IMHO, they should try expanding into TN since the young people and urban areas (Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville) are fired up and Marsha Blackburn is up for re-election.

-Gives me a chance to throw Gloria Johnson's first ad in here -

[FBaggins]

6. There is no O'Rourke in the race this time around

Colin Allred has raised a good amount (though a drop in the bucket compared to Beto in 2018), but the only polls I've seen show a large gap.

And even Beto went down hard the last time he ran statewide.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. Oh I know

I get all kinds of solicitations from Allred and have for some time.

But that doesn't negate the possible reason why an attempt is being made.

There are 2 schools of thought - one that says to concede red states to Republicans and don't bother and the other says give it a shot and see how you fare.

The fact that Democrats were elected as Senators in 2 supposedly "blood red" states - AZ and GA - is a case in point. And in those cases, it wasn't just 1 Senator but both. Perhaps one could call it a fluke but as they say, you can't win unless you play the game.

[FBaggins]

10. I get it... but both schools need to remember...

... that eight blue senate races need defending (seven if we accept that WV is not in play and is already lost).

That's a bunch of races to fund fully before we go after states with little chance of success.

[BumRushDaShow]

11. I think they very much know that

There is a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee that is handling that which is not counting each of those Senators doing their own fundraising.

Sen. Gary Peters is the Chair of that and here is a link to their news releases (with their current activities) - https://www.dscc.org/news/

The media, despite being "media" is not going to carry water for us to announce to DU what Democrats are doing since they are invested more in covering the freak show of the GOP. That of course leads to the endless OPs about how Democrats are "not doing this" or "not doing that" or are "doing nothing", which is false, but the narrative gets promoted anyway.

So we have to learn to do more digging and posting about what it is we ARE doing since it's not in the media's interest to do that unless it's something negative.

[Old Crank]

5. I hate it when we just write off seats

I think it is better to spend something and have a candidate in all spaces if only to let our side know we are interested in them and haven't abandoned them. To keep money out of Texas and Florida doesn't help the party apparatus there one iota. Plus it seems that there are huge numbers who don't bother to vote some of that is the forgone conclusion issue.

[pfitz59]

12. In a fair and sane world

Neither Cruz nor Rubio would be anywhere near seats of power, let alone holding one.

[mcar]

13. Debbie Murcarsel-Powell is a good candidate

to run against Scott. But, Florida Democrats have to vote!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

14. New George Soros-backed, Democratic PAC aims to turn Texas blue

This is encouraging. Texas is not a red state or a blue state but a non-voting state. If we can improve voter turnout, Texas will turn blue

Link to tweet

https://www.texastribune.org/2024/01/12/texas-majority-pac-george-soros-democrats-fundraising/

A new group, run by alums of Beto O’Rourke’s 2022 campaign and funded by Democratic megadonor George Soros, has emerged this election cycle to take on the age-old challenge of turning Texas blue.

Texas Majority PAC has kept a relatively low profile since forming over a year ago in the wake of the 2022 election. But it raised $2.25 million through last year, and campaign finance reports due Tuesday are expected to show how the group — and Soros — have been spreading their money around the state.

Working with the PAC, Soros made six-figure donations to three county parties — Dallas, Cameron, and Hidalgo — and a few other groups that have a regional focus, according to figures first shared with The Texas Tribune.

The contributions are intended to help the entities register, contact and turn out voters “on a scale never seen before, year after year, in the key regions of our state,” the PAC’s deputy executive director, Katherine Fischer, said in a statement.....

The PAC represents the latest in a long line of groups who have promised to mobilize more Democratic voters in Texas, a mission shared by the state Democratic Party. Both the PAC and party publicly say they welcome each other’s help, though there have been signs of tension privately as Democrats begin another critical election year.