Texas Tribune 12/16/09Guest Column: Rational Numbersby Ed Martin
(snip)
In Denton, Collin, Fort Bend, and Williamson Counties — four of the five most populous traditionally Republican suburban counties — the Democratic vote share increased between 2004 and 2008. In Fort Bend County — the former home of Tom DeLay — Democratic Texas Supreme Court nominee Sam Houston came within 1,800 votes and Obama within 4,800 votes of carrying the county. With Democratic straight ticket voting rising in Fort Bend, the state’s ninth most populous county may be better positioned to become Democratic than Dallas County was after 2004.
While Republican margins are shrinking in suburban counties, Democratic margins in urban counties have increased dramatically. In Dallas County, a 10,000-vote Republican win in 2004 became a 123,000-vote Democratic win in 2008, a swing of 133,000 votes. During that same period, countywide vote totals swung toward Democrats by 128,000 votes in Harris County, 81,000 votes in Bexar County and 67,000 votes in Travis County. Although Republicans carried Tarrant County, their vote margin shrunk by 68,000 votes.
Statewide, Democrats cut the Republican margin by roughly 750,000 votes between 2004 and 2008, even without candidates who could spend significant resources statewide. Democrats picked up eleven Texas House seats, a Texas Senate seat and a congressional seat — all in districts drawn to elect Republicans. Most of those candidates won in places Republicans had considered “safe,” including Sen. Wendy Davis and Reps. Paula Pierson and Chris Turner in suburban Tarrant County, Diana Maldonado in Williamson County, and winners from west Houston and the Dallas suburbs.
This is a response piece to a prior piece by Ted Delisi for the Rs who said Dems don't stand a chance in Texas.
Good job Ed Martin!
:applause:
:kick:
Sonia