HOUSTON – Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to visit Houston this Friday ahead of the upcoming election.
This is a notable move in a state that has had reliably conservative policies for more than 40 years.
RELATED: Vice President Kamala Harris campaigns in Houston ahead of Election Day on November 5th
KPRC 2’s Candice Burns spoke with Dr. Nancy Beck Young, a history professor at the University of Houston, to discuss the importance of Harris staying in the Lone Star State, especially as the 2024 election approaches. I searched.
“This is an indication of what Texas is going to be like in another cycle or two,” Dr. Young said.
“Texas has never been a competitive state. If you go back to the 20th century, Texas was a solidly Democratic state that rarely voted Republican and had very few Republican officeholders in the state.” recalled Dr. Young. “By the late 20th century, Texas began to move toward the Republican Party.”
However, Young noted that the gap has been narrowing in recent elections. He points out that former Rep. Beto O’Rourke narrowly lost to Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018 by a margin of 2.6 percentage points, and that Joe Biden’s narrow victory in the 2020 presidential election was a sign that Texas He pointed out that this shows that there is a possibility of moving towards a middle path.
“In 2016, Trump led the state by just 9 points, and in 2020, Joe Biden was 5.6 points away from leading the state,” Dr. Young said.
Dr. Young said Vice President Harris was unlikely to win the Democratic ticket in Texas in 2024, but suggested that Harris’ visit may signal a long-term strategy.
“I think this is as much about 2024 as it is about 2028 and 2032,” she added. “It’s about positioning Texas as a battleground state for future elections.”
Dr. Young also pointed to the growing influence of New Texans (individuals who immigrated to Texas from other parts of the country) who may bring different political values.
“New people come to this state with the political values of where they were before,” she explained. “They’re not following the generational voting patterns that we’ve seen since the 1970s and ’80s.”
This is the first time in 30 years that a presidential candidate has stopped in Texas this close to an election. Details about the Harris campaign’s visit are limited at this time.
KPRC 2 will continue to provide updates as the event approaches.
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