Why Tom Green County's Democrat Leader Thinks They Won Tuesday Night

SAN ANGELO, TX — Tom Green County Democratic Chair David Currie, who actively campaigned for all his candidates, particularly the statewide races for Lt. Governor, Texas Attorney General, and U.S. Senator, was pleased with the progress his party made within the county.

Tom Green County is decidedly a Republican place where Trump carried 71.45 percent of the vote in 2016.

He said he was impressed with the overall turnout of Democrats in Texas. “Usually we lose by 1 million votes or more. Beto O’Rourke lost by 213,750 votes to Ted Cruz,” Currie pointed out.

In the county, Currie noted that the Democratic Party’s candidate for Lt Governor received more votes that even the much-hyped O’Rourke. Mike Collier, who ran for Lt. Gov. on a singular platform of reforming the way property tax valuations are made throughout the state, attracted 29.43 percent of the Tom Green County vote to incumbent Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s 68.01 percent.

O’Rourke received slightly less, attracting 27.91 percent of the Tom Green County vote.

Currie estimates that overall, Democrats at all levels received three-to-five percent higher results than in previous years. In 2014, straight ticket Democrat voters in the county totaled 15.65 percent of all votes. In 2018, 23.9 percent pulled the straight Democrat lever.

“Look, Wendy Davis got 19.2 percent for governor in 2004 just in the county. Collier [albeit running for the number two Lt. Gov. spot] got over 29 percent here,” Currie said.

Statewide, Currie noted that the Texas House saw Democrats pick up 12 seats, putting the body at 83 Republicans to 67 Democrats (it was 95-55 prior to last night). In the Texas Senate, two Republican stalwarts lost, Currie said. They were Sen. Konnie Burton, a Republican who lost her seat to Democrat Beverly Powell. That seat was the one once held by Wendy Davis and considered a swing district.

In Dallas, Tea Party favorite Sen. Don Huffines was defeated by Democrat Nathan Johnson.

The two Republican defeats in the Texas Senate mean Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick no longer has the Senate supermajority he needs to push through crazy ideas like school vouchers, Currie said.

Under Texas Senate rules, the remaining 20 Republicans in the Texas Senate means Republicans are one member short of having the ability to move out bills without the help of a single Democrat.