Just as states like California have long been unwaveringly blue, Texas has for several decades been, arguably, the most reliably red state in the Union, a stalwart bastion of conservative principles.
But while no one questions California’s blinding commitment to the Democratic Party, many have begun to wonder if the Lone Star State is at long last turning purple.
Starting before the 2020 election, major media outlets have been excitedly proposing the idea that Texas had turned purple. Others have gone so far as to try and make the case that Texas is well on its way to becoming a blue state. (RELATED: Democrats’ Worst Nightmare Is Coming True In Texas)
Considering that the state hasn’t voted Democrat in a presidential election since 1976, the prospect of losing Texas is alarming to many Republicans. It seems implausible that a Republican could ever again win the White House without Texas.
But is Texas really turning purple?
No. In fact, there is evidence to suggest that the exact opposite is happening.
As the Democratic Party streaks further and further to the Left, embracing even its most illiberal and inane ideas, many everyday Democrat voters are being turned off by the radical policies.
And perhaps nowhere can this be more clearly seen than in Texas.
Take the border crisis, for example.
More than a year into the Biden administration and the verdict is in on its handling of the southern border; it has been an unmitigated disaster.
As drugs, illegal immigrants, sex offenders, human traffickers and even, in some cases, terrorists, continue to flood into this country, voters on both sides of the aisle have found themselves set against our current president.
As a result, Texas’ border counties — although historically bluer than the rest of the state — are showing signs of turning red.
Even back in 2020, it was noted that President Joe Biden had underperformed in these regions. One can only imagine how much more so Democrats will struggle in 2022 and 2024
Another major factor not to be underestimated is the realigning of Hispanic voters to the GOP.
Hispanics make up 39.7% of Texas’ population and have historically voted for Democrats quite faithfully. Obviously, they make up a very important bloc of voters — one the Democratic Party has long taken for granted.
But now, new polling data indicates that Hispanic voters are split evenly between both parties, a huge blow to the Democrats who depend on their votes. Additionally, a recent national poll from Trafalgar Group and Convention of States found that 65.2% of Hispanics want Biden to close the southern border until his self-inflicted immigration crisis has been resolved.
Considering the massive Hispanic population in Texas, these numbers are damning to Democrats in the state. It seems utterly unbelievable that one of the most conservative states in recent American history could really be turning purple, or even blue, if the Democrats in that state are losing their grip on some of their most loyal supporters.
In a stunning display of that shift Texas State Rep. Ryan Guillen, a long-time Democrat representing border counties in Texas, officially switched to the Republican party at the end of 2021.
By making mainstream liberal politics synonymous with the radical progressive left, the Democratic Party has distanced itself from many of its common-sense voters. Hispanics may like Democrats; that does not mean they are fans of Leftism.
As long as Biden and the Democrats refuse to dissociate themselves from the insanity of the far Left, it appears that Texas will not only remain red, but likely grow even redder.
Mark Meckler is the president of Convention of States and a Texas resident.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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