Texas Democratic Chair: Party must make gains in rural areas

Texas State Democratic Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa, center, talks with Shafik Tejani and Keith Dial 5/12/17 before a lunch at Martinez Bakery with Midland Democrats. Tim Fischer/Reporter-Telegram Texas State Democratic Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa, center, talks with Shafik Tejani and Keith Dial 5/12/17 before a lunch at Martinez Bakery with Midland Democrats. Tim Fischer/Reporter-Telegram Photo: Tim Fischer/Midland Reporter-Telegram Buy photo Photo: Tim Fischer/Midland Reporter-Telegram Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Texas Democratic Chair: Party must make gains in rural areas 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

Nov. 9 was the worst of times and oddly the best of times for Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa.

It was the worst of times because the previous night Donald Trump upset Hillary Clinton to become the 45th president of the United States. Admittedly, he didn’t sleep that night. It was one of the most miserable times in his life.

“I was in mourning like I lost a close family member,” Hinojosa said.

So what was this silver lining that had Hinojosa optimistic about the future? The answer was turnout in Texas. Hinojosa told the 50 to 60 people packed into a section at Martinez Bakery on Friday the thing that kept him going was that Election Day was the best day for Texas Democrats in 25 years.

Clinton lost by single digits in Texas, the first time a Democrat lost by single digits in three decades, he said.

In Harris County (Houston), Democrats won races by 165,000 votes, which he said was nearly a 250,000-vote turnout compared to the county-wide elections in 2014. Democrats ran away to county-wide wins in Dallas, Bexar (San Antonio) and Travis (Austin) counties. Inside El Paso and counties in the Rio Grande Valley, Democrats not only won but record turnouts were reported.

“It was a good time for Democrats in Texas,” Hinojosa said. “But we didn’t win.”

The reason why Democrats are falling short of 51 percent statewide, Hinojosa said, was rural Texas, including areas of West Texas and inside the Permian Basin. The numbers back him up. Inside Midland County, Donald Trump collected 74.75 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton fell short of 21 percent.

Other larger metropolitan areas posted similar results. Trump dominated Lubbock County (66 percent to 28 percent), Tom Green (San Angelo, 71-23), Ector (Odessa, 68-28) and Taylor (Abilene, 72-22).

Trump performed even better in smaller population counties. Vote percentages included 73 percent in Ward (Monahans), 75 percent in Crane, 76 percent in Howard (Big Spring), 79 percent in Andrews, 82 percent in Martin (Stanton) and 91 percent in Glasscock (Garden City).

“In small, rural counties we should be doing better, but we are not,” Hinojosa said. “It doesn’t matter what we do in all these places (larger population counties). Until we start cutting out margins in the Midlands of the state, we can’t get to 51 percent (statewide).”

Building support beyond the larger metropolitan areas was part of the inspiration for Hinojosa’s Texas Democratic Party Rural Tour. He’s building support for Texas Democrats that 2018 can be better because of turnout in 2016, and because during the current legislative session, Republicans he said, are concentrating on “far, right-wing social issues” rather than those that focus on quality of life. He said the GOP was insistent on putting in too much time on legislation having to do with bathroom bills, sanctuary cities and whether or not certain religious institutions can adopt, leaving 100 House bills without a vote.

He said the people in Texas want more money spent on education, the uninsured and air quality.

“In every category we want to be first, we are last,” Hinojosa said, “and in every category we want to be last, we are first.”

And, as expected, Democrats are going to make Trump part of the political conversation. On Friday, the president was the “gift that keeps on giving.” Trump will be a factor, Democrats believe, in making up the rest of the single digits from November.

Hinojosa believes expected changes in Texas’ congressional districts this summer will open up the possibility for more party wins and more turnout. And longer term he expects even larger turnout in Texas to be the death knell for Republicans nationwide because Republicans can’t win the White House without Texas.

“If Texas turns blue, it is mathematically impossible for Republicans to win the presidency,” Hinojosa said. “We will build a big, beautiful, blue wall and make Donald Trump pay for it.”