Rep. Christina Morales, the new chair of the Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee, said she wants to initially target five GOP-controlled districts, with a broader list to come later.
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, the party’s national arm that targets legislative races, announced Wednesday that it plans to put resources into Texas next year for the first time since 2020.
The national interest reflects Democratic optimism that the 2026 cycle will provide a favorable political climate for the party, amid President Donald Trump’s flagging approval ratings and voter dismay over the state of the economy.
In Texas, the effort to flip GOP-controlled state House districts will be led by the House Democratic Campaign Committee. The group announced Wednesday that state Rep. Christina Morales of Houston will serve as its chair for the 2026 cycle, replacing state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, an Austin Democrat who is running for governor.
Morales told The Texas Tribune that the HDCC initially plans to target four seats Democrats tried and failed to flip in 2024, and one of the two seats Democrats lost:
- House District 34, which Rep. Denise Villalobos, R-Corpus Christi, flipped by an 11-percentage point margin
- House District 37, which Rep. Janie Lopez, R-San Benito, won by 10 points
- House District 112, which Rep. Angie Chen Button, R-Garland, won by 8 points
- House District 118, an open seat that Rep. John Lujan, R-San Antonio, won by 3 points
- House District 121, which Rep. Marc LaHood, R-San Antonio, won by 5 points
For the first time in several cycles, Democrats are fielding candidates in every federal and state legislative race in Texas. Among the targeted seats, Morales singled out three Democratic candidates who are running unopposed in their primaries — Zach Hebert in HD 112, Kristian Carranza in HD 118 and Zach Dunn in HD 121 — as contenders who “can relate to the community there and have the right messaging.”
“Republicans have been so good about putting us on the defense, but I want us to focus on being on the offense this time around,” Morales said.
Source: Renzo Downey, The Texas Tribune
Photo Credit: State Rep. Christina Morales, D-Houston, on the House floor at the Texas Capitol in Austin on Feb. 25, 2025. Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribune
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