By David Wilfong, NDG Contributing Writer
Early voting began on Monday, and it started with an explosion. Across Texas, voters filled polling locations in record numbers, and Dallas County was no exception. Looking to beat the participation numbers chalked up in the last mid-term, many counties (Dallas included) turned in higher first-day numbers than in the previous presidential election.
Excitement is running high, as Democrats are seeing the long-running dream of “Turning Texas Blue” as more and more of a possibility. But many exit polls show Republican voters have their own fervor, seeking to stave off a perceived Democratic attack on their turf.
With the battle lines drawn, there are important races both sides are keeping an eye on.
Texas Governor
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has held his position since taking the reins from former Governor Rick Perry, who announced he was leaving the office in 2013. Abbott took office the following year after serving three terms as Texas Attorney General.
He is being opposed in the general election by popular former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez. Valdez created quite a stir in 2004 when she took office as an underdog in an election which saw her pitted against Republican Danny Chandler, who himself had just knocked off a 20-year sitting sheriff in the GOP primary. She was elected four times before announcing her intention to run for governor in 2017.
To truly “Turn Texas Blue” would require a win in the governor’s seat, and Valdez seems likely to take Dallas County. But Abbott has consistently gained ground in statewide polls, and currently holds around a 20-point lead over Valdez. To overcome this, Valdez would need a very strong share of the voting surge.
U.S. Senate
If the pre-election polls are to be believed, the Democrats best chance at taking a significant office in the Lone Star State comes with the showdown between sitting U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, and Beto O’Rourke, who comes into the race a challenger from the U.S. House of Representatives.
The EL Paso congressman made waves with the first poll, showing him only 3 points behind Cruz (which is generally considered “within the margin of error”). “We’ve got a race on our hands,” Cruz admitted early on.
In the months since, different polls have shown Cruz up by as much as 11 points, or have even had Beto up by 3. Recently the voting public finally received two of the three face-to-face debates they were promised.
The result? Depends on where you look. Some pundits gave Cruz the edge, some online polls went two-to-one for Beto; ultimately the standard polls received no seismic shifts. Beto does enjoy one advantage, a small-but-noticeable pool of support among Texas Republicans. His steadfast refusal to engage in the “Turn Texas Blue” war cry might be the ticket to turning at least one statewide office.
But it will be an uphill climb.
U.S. House of Representatives, Texas 32nd District
Sessions enjoy staunch support from the die-hards in the Republican base, while at the same time being particularly disliked by the left. The 32nd District runs through the northeast corner of Dallas County and spills over into Collin County as well. Traditionally this would qualify as safely Republican geography, but a recent New York Times Upshot/Sienna College poll showed almost a dead heat, with Sessions leading 48 to 47 percent (in a poll with a margin of 4.8 percent).
Texas House of Representatives, District 105
One place where an upset has not been spoken of much in the media, but perhaps it should be, is in the race for District 105 in the Texas House of Representatives. Republican incumbent Rodney Anderson has held the seat since winning his first election in 2014. He is being challenged by Democrat Terry Meza.
The district went for Hillary Clinton by a convincing 8 points in the 2016 election, but according to the Texas Observer, voter turnout is “abysmally low” in the district during midterms. With this midterm already well-exceeding expectations, this is a race to watch.
Texas 101st District Court
In the race for the Texas 101st District Court, it is a Democrat looking to hold off a Republican challenger. Staci Williams has held the bench in this position since first winning in the 2014 election. However, in that competition, she was unopposed in the general election. This time the opposite is true, she was unopposed in the primary and now faces Republican Mike Lee, who was unsuccessful in a bid for Dallas County Court at Law, No. 3 in 2014. If primary voting totals are considered, Williams holds a significant advantage.
Dallas County Commissioner, District 2
Democrat Wini Cannon admits she is defying conventional wisdom in seeking election to the Dallas Commissioners Court in District 2, which has historically been a GOP stronghold.
“It’s never been tested,” Cannon explained, adding that her Republican opponent, J.J. Koch is a “combative” right-winger who will be seeking to sow conflict among the other commissioners in the county. Both Koch and Cannon are seeking the position for the first time since Republican Mike Cantrell is leaving the office after serving since 1994.
The North Dallas Gazette endorses Wini Cannon.
Dallas City Council, District 4
Finally, a race to watch just for its unpredictability. Dallas City Councilperson Dwaine Caraway resigned from his position after accepting a plea deal on corruption charges stemming from the scandal that ultimately led to the demise of Dallas County Schools. Now 12 citizens are looking to fill the empty seat, including the councilperson Caraway, unseated to take his place on the council back in 2017. In that race, there were only 3,313 votes cast, so how this race plays out is a big question mark.
The North Dallas Gazette believes there are several promising candidates in this race, but at this time due to her experience endorses former Dallas City Councilwoman Carolyn King Arnold.
Early voting is underway until Nov. 2 and Election Day is Nov. 6.
