WASHINGTON — The Democratic National Committee is adding Texas to its list of 2020 targets just days before Super Tuesday, vowing to invest heavily in the state to help Democratic candidates up and down the ballot in the latest sign that the national party is taking Texas more seriously than it has in years.

That investment includes getting more organizers on the ground as the party also seeks to take control of the Texas House from Republicans who have held it for a generation. While the DNC is focused on helping the Democratic presidential nominee beat President Donald Trump, the party also says it will help with the race against Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, as well as efforts to win the nine seats needed to flip the state House.

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“The DNC is making historic, early investments to build strong, multiple pathways for our eventual nominee to win in November and support Democrats at every level of the ballot,” DNC Chair Tom Perez said in a statement. “By investing in these states now, we’re putting the Trump campaign on defense, helping ensure our eventual nominee will be able grow their general election operation as quickly as possible, and helping make sure that every Democrat running for office has the infrastructure they need to be successful.”

The news comes as national money is pouring into Texas to support Democratic candidates, part of a new reality for the party that has long struggled for relevance here.

“You’ve got a whole new era of Democratic politics in Texas, and you have a national party making a commitment to lift Texas up,” said Manny Garcia, executive director of the Texas Democratic Party. “This is a significant investment from the DNC to make sure we lay the groundwork necessary for a competitive and strong battleground presidential race.”

The party would not disclose how much the national arm plans to pour into Texas and said it will roll out more detailed plans for the funding in the coming weeks. But the investment will include additional staff and organizers.

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“Without Texas, Donald Trump cannot win the election,” Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilbero Hinojosa said in a statement. “The Texas Democratic Party is committed to building the largest coordinated campaign in Texas history to take him down.”

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee opened an office in Austin this year, as well, and Senate Democrats waded into the crowded race to challenge Cornyn early, signaling to donors to send their money to former Air Force pilot MJ Hegar.

Democratic presidential hopefuls have spent more time in Texas this year than in recent memory as the state looms on Super Tuesday, with 228 pledged delegates up for grabs. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren will be in San Antonio on Thursday, while former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg will be in Houston. Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg is scheduling a stop in Dallas on Sunday, as well. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders held four rallies in Texsa over the weekend, including stops in Houston and San Antonio.

President Donald Trump and the Republican Party have also ramped up their activity in Texas ahead of the March 3 primary. Trump has already visited Texas 14 times in his first term.

At a mid-October rally with Donald Trump Jr., Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale told supporters that the campaign’s mission is to boost its number of volunteers from 2016 with an emphasis on neighborhood team leaders who can be more influential in 2020 than television ads or mailers.

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“This fight is fought neighborhood by neighborhood,” Parscale said.

He said data from 2018 shows that turnout for Trump was 15 percent higher in neighborhoods with designated team leaders. In 2016, the Trump campaign had about 3,000 neighborhood team leaders nationwide. In 2020, Parscale said he wants 90,000 of them.

“The DNC is broke with a nonexistent data program,” Samantha Cotten, a spokeswoman for Trump’s reelection campaign, said. “Good luck trying to spread a socialist agenda into Republican strongholds like Texas with no money and no ground infrastructure.”

Staff writer Jeremy Wallace contributed reporting from Austin.

ben.wermund@chron.com