How Democrats turned Texas blue
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Republicans have always depended on rural Texas to keep them in power. But in 2026, every single rural county shifted to the left.
PHOTO: EPA
Ashley Wu, Daniel Wood, Albert Sun, Marco Hernandez, Minho Kim, J. David Goodman and Lauren McGaughy
- Democrats swept Texas in 2026, winning top statewide offices, flipping the state House and taking counties across rural, suburban and urban areas.
- Every Texas county moved left, including Republican strongholds like Collin and Denton, while 13 rural counties flipped from red to blue.
- The shift was driven by young, Asian and Latino voters. Democrats won Hispanic voters by 42 points, hurting Republican hopes after redistricting.
AI generated
NEW YORK – It was not just that James Talarico won the US Senate race or that Gina Hinojosa defeated Greg Abbott, the three-term governor. Up and down the ballot, Democrats swept Texas, winning all of the top statewide offices.
They also flipped the Texas House of Representatives.