Could Bernie Sanders' Brand Of Liberalism Thwart A Democratic Statehouse Takeover?

KUT 90.5 | By Terri Langford

Published February 19, 2020 at 5:32 PM CST

Bernie Sanders at a political forum in Houston in 2019.

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Ever since Republicans flipped the Texas statehouse in their favor in 2003, Democrats have been trying to flip it back. But now, as the 2020 presidential campaign heats up, and Bernie Sanders polls high in Texas, his popularity might make it harder for them to do so.

, an Austin-based reporter for Politico, says that could be because Sanders might be . Sanders, who talks about nationalizing health care and the energy industry, could 鈥渟pook鈥� moderate voters from voting for down-ballot Democrats, and thwart Democrats鈥� effort to take back the House. She says Texas Democrats are trying to convince Republicans in some districts to vote for them, and Sanders鈥� message might not help.

鈥淒emocratic veteran operatives in the state 鈥� [say] this is a red state; it鈥檚 a conservative state. It鈥檚 not a battleground state, it鈥檚 not a swing state,鈥� Rayasam says. 鈥淭heir theory is that the way to get people to vote for a Democrat in this cycle is to sort of convince them we鈥檙e the best steward of the statehouse.鈥�

On the other hand, Rayasam says some argue Sanders could actually help Texas Democrats by energizing voters who might be intrigued by such a progressive political figure, someone outside the norm.

鈥淚t鈥檚 absolutely true that veterans could have this wrong,鈥� Rayasam. 鈥淸But] they鈥檙e looking at these districts and looking at those voters, and trying to say, 鈥榃hat is it going to take to get those voters to come out and vote for a Democrat for state rep?鈥欌€�

State races matter more than ever in 2020 because those elected will help decide new congressional districts.

鈥淒emocrats want a seat at that table, and if they control the statehouse, they have a lot more control over how those districts get drawn and who鈥檚 going to be the voter base for the next 10 years,鈥� Rayasam says.

For their part, Republicans are labeling all of the Democratic presidential candidates, including Sanders, as 鈥淪ocialists,鈥� she says, in an effort to dissuade their constituents from voting Democratic.

鈥淭hey feel like all the folks at the top of the ticket are going to be too left for Texas,鈥� she says.

Editor's note: A previous version of the audio for this story incorrectly stated that Republicans took control of the statehouse in the 1990s. The GOP achieved a majority in the 2002 election.

Written by Caroline Covington.