AUSTIN, Texas — While the country waits for election results to come in on the national level, Texans should be paying attention to what happens in the state, too.
"To kind of put it bluntly, there is a lot at stake in these Texas House races for the first time in nearly two decades," said Cassie Pollock, the state politics reporter at The Texas Tribune. "Democrats are within striking distance of flipping the lower chamber and having control over that 150-member house. So, it would just kind of shakeup Texas politics as we know it."
In 2019, Republicans held 83 of the 150 seats. Democrats held 67, meaning they would need to not only hold onto those seats, but also win nine more to take the majority.
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"Having Democrats in control of the Texas House, if it were to happen, would just probably mean a somewhat different looking agenda in terms of what can pass next year and a different set of priorities for the House," said Pollock.
This election comes ahead of the 2021 state legislature, which will have to pass a budget.
"That budget affects virtually every Texan in some way, shape or form. It affects the way that State agencies operate and the way that things are expected to continue to function for the next two years. So, definitely a lot at stake," said Pollock.
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However, she said, if Democrats were to gain a majority, it likely wouldn't be by more than a few seats.
Even so, Pollock said a Democrat-led chamber could prioritize different issues, like Medicaid expansion.
"Bipartisanship will be more important than ever. So, probably more talk on some of those progressive agenda items. But, again, everyone has to work together in that chamber. And especially if you're talking a two- or three-seat margin, you know, a few votes could make the difference," said Pollock.
Once the polls close on Nov. 3, KVUE will keep track of the 2020 election results here. Mail-in ballots that are postmarked before Nov. 3 can be received by local elections offices by 5 p.m. the day after Election Day, so mail-in ballots in Texas are expected to take longer to tally.
Be sure to download KVUE's app to get updates as they come in: kvue.com/app. On the KVUE app, you can customize the type of content you would like to be notified about and see the most, including election and voting information. Find out how to customize KVUE's app here.
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