FORT WORTH--They rallied. They plotted strategy. They caucused.

There were fiery, emotional speeches about the failings of their Republican counterparts and promises to turn Texas blue.

Now that the hype has subsided, Democrats must figure out how to use their enthusiasm to craft a winning message in a decidedly Republican state.

It's clear to most of the 7,500 delegates who gathered in Fort Worth Thursday, Friday and Saturday what must be done. But given the systemic challenges faced by Texas Democrats for 25 years, the nagging question has always been how do you get it done?

"It's on us to show Texas and the world that we care for one another," said Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa, discussing what the message to voters should be after the convention.

Appealing to average Texas voters, particularly in a low voter-turnout state like Texas, is often a difficult task.

And Democrats, who have not won a statewide race since 1994, have had trouble melding their progressive themes with the hard work of turning out voters in a state where conservatives dominate.

Though the Democratic base is more enthusiastic than it's been in other midterm elections, the base of the party is craving new leadership and operatives have been unable to effectively tap into the sleepy Hispanic electorate.

"They need to focus on the now, and that's the migrant children being separated from their parents," said Ed Gray, a political analyst with an internet show that includes a large progressive audience. "Voter registration is important. It's critical to being successful in November."

Crafting the message

Democrats are often unsuccessful in elections because their message or the issues important to them fall flat in an electorate with more Republicans voters.

But for this election, the first Texas midterm contests under President Donald Trump, Democrats hope to benefit from an anti-Trump backlash from independent and some Republican voters.

Unlike in previous election cycles, immigration could be a winning issue for Democrats, particularly since the country watched as migrant children were separated from their parents because of Trump's hard line on border security.

The access to quality and affordable health care is also an issue Democrats hope they can win with.

"The party has to present itself as the party that will solve problems," said Dallas lawyer John Turner, a candidate for the 114th Texas House District in North Dallas.

Turner said the emphasis should be on public education, access to health care and investing in infrastructure.

He said focusing on the right issues would make Democrats the choice, even beyond the base.

"We need to extend a welcoming hand to disaffected Republicans," he said.

U.S. Representative Beto O'Rourke, gubernatorial candidate Lupe Valdez and other candidates wave on stage during the Texas Democratic Convention on Friday, June 22, 2018 at the Fort Worth Convention Center in Fort Worth. (Ashley Landis / Staff Photographer)

U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke of El Paso, now the most popular Democrat in Texas, stayed true to progressive issues related to abortion rights, immigration reform, gun control and other issues at the convention.

And he said it was important to take the Democratic Party message to all areas of the state, even those controlled by Republicans.

"You have to have the courage of your convictions," O'Rourke told The Dallas Morning News. "You never drop from that. You never sidestep an issue. You know who you are, what you believe. You listen to people. You learn along the way and you show up everywhere."

Though some Democrats contend O'Rourke's time would be better spent trying to increase the numbers of black and Hispanic voters, O'Rourke said his 254-county campaign was important.

"I'm not just going to do that where it's safe to do it, in Dallas and Houston and Austin and San Antonio, the Rio Grande Valley," said O'Rourke, who is in a spirited race against incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz. "I'm going to do that in places like Plano, or I'm going to go to Cooke County and Gainesville and talk about these same issues."

O'Rourke said universal health care is as popular in rural Republican areas as in urban, blue areas.

"People know that what we're doing today isn't working," he said.

Rebuilding the party

Not only do Democrats have to work on their message, but they need to rebuild their party infrastructure to take advantage of the huge population of people that are believed to be progressive, but do not vote.

The Texas Organizing Project, a progressive group, estimates that Republicans have 850,000 more voters in the Texas electorate than Democrats.

"I'm not waiting for this state to turn blue," said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. "This state is already blue. We just need to be who we are."

Democrats had hoped to add more voters in 2018, though most operatives now think it will take until 2020 or later to catch up with Republicans.

Gilberto Hinojosa gets a hug from a supporter after speaking during a Families First Rally at the Texas Democratic Convention on Saturday, June 23, 2018 at the Fort Worth Convention Center in Fort Worth. (Ashley Landis / Staff Photographer)

Voter registration is hard work, as is getting infrequent voters back to the polls.

But Democrats at the convention hope the energy for this year's midterms will help close the gap.

"Our inspiration must be felt and it will be critical on Election Day," said state Rep. Jose Menendez of San Antonio. "Texas has been called a red state. It's not a red state. We just haven't fulfilled the potential that we have."

Appealing to voters will take more than convention speeches.

"It's going to be the responsibility of every one of us to keep the momentum going," said state Rep. Mary Ann Perez, D-Houston. "When we go home, after all the speeches, the passionate speeches we had today, we must all go home and keep it in social media, keep it in the news. It's the only way we're going to keep this going."

Democrats also have to be mindful that they have a restless base, some delegates say.

Voters want a firm stand on progressive issues, even if it turns off potential Republican voters.

And they want new leadership in a party that is frequently dominated by incumbents who hold on to office for decades.

Hillary Clinton lost the presidency, in part, because some core Democratic voters weren't excited about her campaign.

And some Democrats, including O'Rourke, are not sold on the idea of Nancy Pelosi, the House minority leader from California, returning as House speaker if Democrats are successful in November.

"We need new leadership that will be committed to a progressive agenda," said Dallas lawyer and convention delegate Anthony Farmer. "We want to develop an agenda and platform that we can push into 2020."