Picking up where then-congressional candidate MJ Hegar left off, Democrat Donna Imam is within striking distance of Republican Rep. John Carter in his Austin area district.
A new poll conducted by Public Policy Polling shows Carter leading Imam by six points, 43 to 37 percent. The same poll found former Vice President Joe Biden leading Donald Trump by one point in the district. It is the first poll of the district released this cycle.
The results of the survey are continued proof that the GOP seat is competitive in spite of the lengthy incumbency of Carter, who has represented the district since 2003.
During the 2018 midterms, Texas’ 31st congressional district saw Republican margins shaved off right along with other urban and suburban districts surrounding large Texas cities. Hegar (who is now running for U.S. Senate) came within three percentage points from flipping the district. By comparison, only two years earlier, another Democratic candidate challenging Carter lost by 22 points.
A computer engineer turned candidate, Imam is running on a platform that includes support for college and trade school affordability, a plan for racial justice that would see the decriminalization of marijuana possession and requirement of body cameras, and support for Healthcare for All, a single-payer plan endorsed by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
The district she is running in is one of 10 Republican congressional districts being targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the campaign arm of House Democrats.
“Carter remains unconcerned with losing his seat in the district and said his approach to preventing a flip is to continue with the strategy he’s had for nearly two decades,” reported the Texas Tribune in February, sharing a quote from Carter bragging about his re-election in 2018 despite being out-fundraised.
Aside from Carter’s district, two other Austin area GOP seats are being heavily targeted by Democrats this year: TX-10 where Mike Siegel is challenging Rep. Michael McCaul, and TX-10 where Wendy Davis is facing Rep. Chip Roy.
Photo: Donna Imam campaign website
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
