After months of being maligned as candidates who aren’t ready for prime time, the contenders for the Democratic nomination for Senate in Texas have the chance to seize a star-making role.

Neither Beto O’Rourke nor Julián Castro will be on the ballot for the March 3 Senate primary, a reality that disappoints some Democrats but provides opportunities for others.

Whether it’s former Rep. Chris Bell of Houston, Houston council member Amanda Edwards, former Air Force helicopter pilot MJ Hegar of Round Rock, activist Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez of Austin or state Sen. Royce West of Dallas, the opportunity exists for a Democrat with a compelling message to rise to challenge John Cornyn in the 2020 general election.

The changing politics of Texas didn’t begin or end with O’Rourke, whose electrifying but unsuccessful 2018 campaign against Republican incumbent Ted Cruz set a high bar for this year’s crop. Democrats must be able to field an array of candidates with the potential to win statewide races.

The stakes for the 2020 elections are enormous. With Cruz and other statewide Republicans having close calls in last year’s midterm elections, Democrats hope to continue the momentum and win their first statewide race since 1994.

Texas is considered a battleground, and losing to Cornyn would be a wasted opportunity.

There’s still time for a solid Democratic nominee to emerge. And now that the focus of many primary voters are unvarnished by O’Rourke’s ghost, the lesser-known Democrats can make a name for themselves. Who knows, maybe they can even win.

But beating Cornyn won’t be easy. The Democratic Party nominee will have to raise tens of millions of dollars and build an organization that mobilizes base voters. That candidate will also have to have a message that appeals to independents and some Republicans who may have grown weary of Cornyn and President Donald Trump.

Here’s a simple test for the candidates: Build enough momentum to be able to hold a rally that attracts thousands of residents and floods the your campaign fund with small-dollar donations.

To this point, as polls suggest, Democrats haven’t shown they’re up to the challenge.

For them, Monday’s filing deadline marks a new beginning.