Huge Upset for GOP in Texas: Seat Flips Red For First Time in 139 Years

[aGameOfThrones]

In a major upset Tuesday night, voters elected a conservative political newcomer to the Texas Senate, flipping a Democratic district red for the first time in 139 years.

Retired game warden Pete Flores defeated former state and U.S. Rep. Pete Gallego in the runoff election for the Senate District 19 seat in San Antonio, further increasing the Republicans’ supermajority in the chamber ahead of the November elections. Flores will replace Democrat State Sen. Carlos Uresti, who was forced to step down in June after being sentenced to 12 years in prison on federal fraud and money laundering charges.

This seat wasn't supposed to be competitive. It went 54-42 for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and 55-44 for Barack Obama in 2012.

Flores reportedly received "backing from some of the state’s most prominent politicians, including Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and U.S. Sens John Cornyn and Ted Cruz," according to MySA.com. He was also likely a beneficiary of a superior ground game, as the GOP has outraised Democrats and radically upped their ground game in recent years.

“We conservatives are conservative in the way we make approaches. The gun fight’s not over until the last shot’s fired,” Flores told the Express-News after Gallego conceded in a phone call just before 9 p.m. “The last shot’s been fired.”

In his victory speech, Flores spoke of the historic significance of his win.

“This district has not been Republican since Reconstruction. And in September of 2018, it’s Republican once again,” Flores told supporters. “The work starts tomorrow.”

One of the problems Democrat candidates lower on the ballot have is getting attention in Texas. Apparently, Beto O’Rourke, who's running against Republican Ted Cruz for the U.S. Senate, is sucking all of the oxygen out of the state's Democratic Party resources.

“It’s a major problem when you need to go and educate your own party about the subtleties of this race but you can’t get attention because Beto is so exciting,” Sawyer said in a recent interview with The Texas Tribune.

Some candidates for the state legislature are complaining that in their excitement to flip Congress, Democrat donors have neglected lower-ballot races.

https://pjmedia.com/election/huge-up...-in-139-years/

[Swordsmyth]

Blue Ebb Tide!

[oyarde]

San Antonio was a hoppin' place during reconstruction , time to bring back a conservative flavor .

[William Tell]

This guy might be pretty good. He ran because he was mad about property taxes, and ultimately wants them abolished.

PLEASANTON — Pete Flores was standing before a group of Atascosa County tax assessors mid-summer, protesting the valuation of his 1.88 acres in the land of “live oaks and friendly folks,” when they failed to explain why his property was valued higher than his next-door neighbor’s.


“I’ll be back,” he said, but as a legislator next time. “And we’re going to fix this.”

On Tuesday, the first part of that promise was fulfilled: Flores, a retired colonel of the game warden service, scored a Republican upset in the runoff for Texas Senate District 19, which had been represented by Democrats for more than a century.

Flores said Texas ideally wouldn’t have property taxes, but for now, he’ll fight for a statewide, uniform approach. There shouldn’t be 254 ways to value property, he argued.

https://www.expressnews.com/news/loc...g-13242865.php

[Bern]

Thanks WT - He sounds like a man on a mission. I hope he survives the meat grinder intact.

[William Tell]

Thanks WT - He sounds like a man on a mission. I hope he survives the meat grinder intact.

Yeah, very strange dynamic in this race, both conservative and establishment factions came together unlike in our primary elections so it will be interesting to see how he behaves in the legislature. Dan Patrick put a huge effort into this, so he will feel a debt to him. Not entirely a good thing, but stuff generally doesn't come to the floor in the Tx Senate without Patrick's support anyway. With a senate super majority the more moderate house won't be able to use things not being able to pass the senate as an excuse.

[Swordsmyth]

Sep 21 2018 11:34:50
Q
!!mG7VJxZNCI
278

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/...-november.html
"You may not have read about this GOP victory, because the liberal national media is not exactly excited to report that Republicans reclaimed a seat they had not held in 139 years."
"…this victory is even more frightening because the district is 73 percent African-American and Hispanic."
Read carefully - significant!
RED WAVE
Q