Republicans dominate Texas politics despite the state's changing demographics

Republicans dominate Texas politics despite the state's changing demographics

Transcript¹

In Texas, early voting is well underway ahead of Tuesday's primary election. Democrats³ haven't won a statewide election in Texas for decades, despite many attempts to "turn Texas blue."

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

In Texas, early voting is well underway ahead of Tuesday's primary election. Democrats from around the country, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have been campaigning there. And the New York congresswoman recently repeated a long-held political prediction.

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ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ: Texas turning blue is inevitable⁵...

(CHEERING)

OCASIO-CORTEZ: ...Inevitable. The only question is when, Texas.

(CHEERING)

OCASIO-CORTEZ: The only question is when.

MARTINEZ: But NPR's Wade⁶ Goodwyn asks, is that the only question?

WADE GOODWYN, BYLINE⁷: How long has it been since a Democrat² was elected statewide in Texas? I'll give you a hint.

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ANN RICHARDS: Poor George. He can't help it.

(LAUGHTER)

RICHARDS: He was born with a silver foot in his mouth.

(LAUGHTER)

GOODWYN: That was Ann Richards at the Democratic National Convention in 1988, joking about the first President Bush, George H.W. Three years later, she was elected Texas governor. But after she was beaten for reelection by the joke victim's son, George W. Bush, in 1994, not another Democrat has been elected statewide. No other state has gone longer.

MATT RINALDI: We've been hearing since 2002, with the dream team of Ron Kirk and Tony Sanchez, that Democrats were going to take the state, and they didn't do it then.

GOODWYN: Matt Rinaldi is the chairman of the Texas Republican Party.

RINALDI: And then we heard again with Wendy Davis that Democrats were going to take the state, and they didn't do it then. And then we heard with Beto O'Rourke, and they didn't that time, either. So we've been hearing this over a period of about 20 years, and it's never played out.

GOODWYN: It's not that there hasn't been progress for Texas Democrats. In the 2014 governor's race that Rinaldi mentioned, Democrat Wendy Davis was routed by Republican Greg Abbott by more than 20 points. Four years ago in the U.S. Senate race, Beto O'Rourke only lost to Ted⁴ Cruz by just over 2 1/2 points - quite promising⁸, if nonetheless disappointing for Democrats. But last year, Joe Biden lost Texas to President Trump⁹ by nearly six points. That's closer than the margin¹⁰ Trump beat Hillary Clinton by in 2016. But in politics, it's still getting stomped¹¹. Here's GOP chairman Rinaldi again.

RINALDI: Political relocations are greater than ever. We're actually importing Republican voters from other states - California and New York - coming here. And we saw that reflected in the Ted Cruz race. Ted Cruz won a majority of transplants, while Beto won a majority of native Texans.

GOODWYN: Republicans have made progress with Hispanic voters on the Texas border. In the last election in both McAllen and Laredo, President Trump improved his share of Hispanic voters by more than 23 points, though he still lost those towns. While Democratic activists¹² were calling Hispanic voters on the phone during the last election because of the coronavirus, Republicans were going door to door, connecting to conservative Hispanic Catholics and evangelicals - generations who may have well grown up hunting birds with friends and family along the largely rural border.

Joanne Green is a political science professor at TCU.

JOANNE GREEN: Issues like abortion¹³, definitely Second Amendment¹⁴ issues, economic issues, oil and gas industry - many of them, when asked by academics, identify as white - so very much part of the Texas culture.

COLIN ALLRED: Well, listen, I understand some of the skepticism around Texas turning blue.

GOODWYN: Colin Allred is a Democratic congressman¹⁵ in Dallas. Allred says that although Texas hasn't turned blue as fast as was predicted, he still believes it's inevitable that there are a lot more liberal Hispanics in the cities than conservative Hispanics along the border.

ALLRED: Then we have to remember that these are gerrymandered districts that were drawn¹⁶ so that they could not be flipped¹⁷. And it is true in the most recent round of redistricting, both at the congressional level and the State House level, that we're not going to have as many competitive elections early on in the decade. But that happened last decade as well, and later in the decade we saw all of these districts flipping¹⁸.

GOODWYN: Early voting in the Texas primaries have started. The latest fundraising statistics from Transparency USA show Texas Republicans outraising Texas Democrats by 3 to 1. Beto O'Rourke, who's running for governor against incumbent¹⁹ Greg Abbott, is currently down by seven to 10 percentage points, according to the latest polls. But there's still a long way to go. The November elections this year and then again in 2024, will tell us a lot.

Wade Goodwyn, NPR News, Dallas.

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1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

3 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

5 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

6 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

7 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

8 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

9 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

10 margin   

n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘

参考例句：

• We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

11 stomped   

v.跺脚，践踏，重踏( stomp的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She stomped angrily out of the office. 她怒气冲冲，重步走出办公室。
• She slammed the door and stomped (off) out of the house. 她砰的一声关上了门，暮暮地走出了屋了。 来自辞典例句

12 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

14 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

15 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

16 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

17 flipped   

轻弹( flip的过去式和过去分词 )； 按（开关）； 快速翻转； 急挥

参考例句：

• The plane flipped and crashed. 飞机猛地翻转，撞毁了。
• The carter flipped at the horse with his whip. 赶大车的人扬鞭朝着马轻轻地抽打。

18 flipping   

讨厌之极的

参考例句：

• I hate this flipping hotel! 我讨厌这个该死的旅馆！
• Don't go flipping your lid. 别发火。

19 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。