More Democratic voters than Republicans have cast ballots ahead of next month’s primary elections in Texas, indicating a possible 'blue wave' is building ahead of the midterms.
Through last Sunday, the Texas Secretary of State reported 168,000 Democrats had cast a ballot early compared to just 138,000 Republicans.
“I'm not going to downplay the fact they do have a level of excitement that is engendered to some extent from their dislike of the president, but some of it is also the fact they haven't had anything to get excited about in Texas in a long time,” says GOP pollster Chris Wilson who has worked with both Gov. Greg Abbott and Sen. Ted Cruz's campaigns.
However, he insists the turnout numbers are somewhat premature.
“The numbers everybody is getting all up in arms about are from 15 counties, Texas you have 254 counties, so that's 239 counties that have yet to report.”
Still, Wilson says Republicans need to energize their base in time for November's midterm elections.
“Republican primary voters and the Republican electorate that gave the GOP a majority in the House and Senate and the presidency expects more,” he says. “I know both Sen. Cruz and Gov. Abbott and the Republican delegation is working to achieve that, but they've got to get a little more cooperation out of their friends in Washington.”