After more than 20 years of losing every statewide election, Texas Democrats are searching for a candidate who can finally beat the odds in 2018. Right now, their hopes are pinned on El Paso Congressman . He鈥檚 the Democrat likely to face Sen. , who鈥檚 running for reelection.
Cruz and O鈥橰ourke were featured speakers during the Texas Tribune Festival on UT campus last weekend. We asked both for interviews and O鈥橰ourke agreed.
He鈥檚 drawing on his punk rock past as he tries to break the Republican lock on elected offices.
O鈥橰ourke pulled in $2.1 million in the second quarter this year, compared to Cruz鈥檚 $1.6 million. Cruz, overall, however, has millions more in the bank. And in case you鈥檙e wondering, the former punk rocker hasn鈥檛 decided what his campaign theme song will be. His wife Amy says at home he listens to Bob Dylan, White Stripes and the Clash.Minutes before the first of three appearances in front of festival crowds, Beto O鈥橰ourke sips coffee and chats with voters. A campaign staffer is broadcasting the unscripted moment on Facebook Live with her cell phone.
On stage the 45-year-old Congressman from El Paso tells the audience that candid conversation is a central theme powering his campaign as he travels the state and meets with voters.
鈥淣o pollsters no focus groups no special interests our faith is 100 percent with the people of Texas,鈥� he says.
O鈥橰ourke, with his lanky, boyish looks says he authors his own tweets and doesn鈥檛 use speech writers. He founded a technology company, but says it鈥檚 his 1980s stint as a bass player in the punk rock band Foss that has inspired his campaign style..
鈥淩ock and roll had become very slick and very produced,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t was filling arenas and stadiums. It had light shows and all this kind of production glitz. Punk rock brought rock and roll back to where it started and that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e trying to do.鈥�
On stage, O鈥橰ourke admits occasionally slipping and using profanity when he鈥檚 enthusiastic about something.
Listening, 67-year-old Blake Williams, a Democrat, isn鈥檛 too sold on what he鈥檚 hearing.
鈥淲e discussed the rock and roll metaphor and we鈥檙e not sure that鈥檚 enough for us,鈥� Williams says.
But younger listeners line up to meet O鈥橰ourke. Mitch Harris, who is 27, says he can relate to the message.
鈥淭he way he gleans his past experience and translates them into a connection to everyday people I think is powerful,鈥� Harris says.
UT student Hebbul Rizvi thinks swearing a little bit makes O鈥橰ourke real.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 understand why it鈥檚 an issue he dropped an f-bomb because it just happens,鈥� Rizvi says.
O鈥橰ourke has campaigned for immigration reform, improving instead of ditching Obamacare and keeping DACA protection for young immigrants. He slams Ted Cruz as the senator who deserted Texans to run for president.
During his Tribune Fest appearance, Cruz talked about his priorities 鈥� repealing Obamacare, cutting taxes, and reducing business regulations. He barely acknowledges his likely Democratic opponent.
鈥淚 think Texans want a senator who fights to defend free market principals and the Constitution,鈥� Cruz said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think Texans want a far-left Democrat in the Senate.鈥�
Six years ago, it was Cruz who campaigned as the grassroots outsider with straight talk. He beat the favored Republican and won the Senate seat.
Jim Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas, says O鈥橰ourke鈥檚 effort this time may be appealing, but Cruz had a GOP advantage that helped him win last time.
鈥淗e could bill himself as fighting the underdog, the establishment being the insurgent but there was a robust Republican environment he could tap into even as he was rejecting it. O鈥橰ourke does not have that,鈥� Henson says.
And Henson says despite upheaval caused by the election of Donald Trump, voter trends in Texas haven鈥檛 changed.
鈥淲e haven鈥檛 seen marked increases in Democratic Party identification or turnout,鈥� Henson says. 鈥淲e haven鈥檛 seen major defections from the Republican Party. We haven鈥檛 seen major declines in Republican turnout. So at least in looking at fundamentals we don鈥檛 see things that are very different.鈥�
Still, O鈥橰ourke points to the fact that he outraised Ted Cruz in the second quarter of this year as proof he鈥檚 generating excitement.
With 14 months before the election, he says he believes his straightforward, take-it鈥搕o-the-people campaign is connecting. He says it feels like 鈥渞eal rock and roll.鈥�
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