Four Texas Republicans have decided not to seek reelection in 2020 and that means there could be a big change in the Texas delegation in the House of Representatives.
Eight-term Congressman Mike Conaway of West Texas, five-term Congressman Pete Olson of Sugarland, three-term Congressman Will Hurd of San Antonio, and eight-term Congressman Kenny Marchant of North Texas all announced they will retire.
"I think each of them are not running for maybe different reasons. I will say that generally speaking Texas is shifting, and the Republican politicians need to understand -- their districts are not safely Republican anymore except for maybe a few in Texas,” said Former Dallas County Republican Party Chairman Wade Emmert.
While Conaway won by a landslide in 2018, the others did not. Olson won by less the 5%, Hurd won by less than 1%, And Marchant won by about 3%, compare that to 2016 when Marchant won by almost 17%.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sees opportunity in Texas.
"The DCCC started this cycle by going on offense and the reality, for vulnerable Washington Republicans of defending their deeply unpopular health care repeal agenda, is setting in for Republican incumbents from Kenny Marchant to Will Hurd to Pete Olson," the DCCC said in a statement, adding, "Congressman Marchant's retirement comes just four months after the DCCC responded to the energy on the ground in Texas and opened an office there, placed six senior staffers on the ground, and deployed organizers in key communities across the state to lay the groundwork for victory next year. "
"Clearly that investment is already paying off and Democrats are well positioned to compete and flip more seats in Texas," said DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos.
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The DCCC already has headquarters in Austin.
"Of course they are going after them hard, and there are other swing districts that Republicans are going after hard," added Emmert. "That is the name of the game."
The National Republican Congressional Committee is optimistic.
"These are Republican seats and will remain Republican. Texans will reject the socialist Democrats' agenda of banning private health insurance and killing the oil and gas industry with their Green New Deal, and elect strong conservatives in 2020," said NRCC Spokesman Bob Salera.
