2020 in Texas kicks off with a record-breaking number of Dem candidates

by | Dec 9, 2019 | 2020 Elections, Politics

Monday marks the filing deadline for candidates running for office in Texas.

A record number of candidates have filed to run on the Democratic ticket, a spokesperson for Texas Democrats told the Signal hours before the deadline.

“Candidates are showing up in force at their state and county parties in advance today’s big deadline,” said Deputy Executive Director Cliff Walker in an email. “Texas Democrats aren’t just riding the wave, we’re building it. We couldn’t be more proud of the hundreds of Democrats who have already stepped up to proudly run in the upcoming election to represent every corner of Texas.”

“With a candidate in every Congressional District filed already or filing today and a candidate in every competitive State House District, Texas Democrats are expanding the map and putting the pressure squarely on Texas Republicans,” Walker said.

Of those filed in congressional races and non-judicial statewide elections, at least 37 are women running as Democrats. They represent more than half the women running for those offices. 

Texas currently ranks 40th in the nation for women in elected office, according to the Center for American Women and Politics. Much of that can be attributed to the GOP, who has struggled to recruit women to run for the Texas Legislature. In 2012, 19 Republican women were in the Texas House, but that number has now dwindled to six.

Democrats, on the other hand, are pushing one of the most diverse pools of candidates to run for office in 2020, perhaps best illustrated in the race to replace Sen. John Cornyn. 

Of the major Senate candidates, four are women: Houston City Councilwoman Amanda Edwards, Air Force Pilot MJ Hegar, activist Sema Hernandez, and civil rights leader Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez. Edwards and state Sen. Royce West are African American. Former congressman Chris Bell is the only white male, while two are Latina—Tzintzún Ramirez and Hernandez.

Photo: Hill Street Studios/Getty Images

fernando@texassignalarchive.com | + posts

Fernando covers Texas politics and government at the Texas Signal. Before joining the Signal, Fernando spent two years at the Houston Chronicle and previously interned at Houston’s NPR station News 88.7. He is a graduate of the University of Houston, Jack J. Valenti School of Communication, and enjoys reading, highlighting things, and arguing on social media. You can follow him on Twitter at @fernramirez93 or email at fernando@texassignalarchive.com

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