Young Texas Democrats get primetime spotlight during DNC

Texas: The Issue Is... Young Texans take the DNC stage

On the heels of this week's Democratic National Convention, where does the race stand as the final stretch gets underway? Steven Dial, Rudy Koski, and Greg Groogan discuss in this episode of Texas: The Issue Is.

DALLAS - The Democratic National Convention is over, and it’s now less than 60 days until early voting begins in Texas.

While Republicans dominate all the top elected offices in the state, some young Democrats got the primetime spotlight in Chicago.

They’re hoping to ride their convention momentum into November.

What was forecasted to be anxiety at the convention when President Joe Biden was at the top of the ticket quickly turned into optimism with a Harris-Walz ticket.

"Don’t make a mistake. We are the underdogs in this fight even though there is only one person qualified, one person who has done the work and delivered the results," said Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a Democrat from Dallas.

Barring a grassroots shock at the polls, Texas is not in play in November.

But the DNC still showcased some of its young Texas talent with primetime speaking roles.

Congresswoman Crockett has become a rising star in the party following her spars with Republicans in committee hearings.

The Harris campaign has started to embrace the border issue after Donald Trump instructed Senate Republicans to stall a bipartisan border bill.

President Biden said since his executive order, border crossings have dropped significantly. That claim is true, but in the three years prior, the administration did little to stop the record number of migrant crossings.

"MAGA holds legislation hostage here at home, critical resources to secure the border, military aid to Ukraine and even the farm bill. She has lived the American dream while he has been America’s nightmare," Crockett said.

Another Texas speaker was Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo.

"The very week she launched her campaign, she was down in Texas with vital FEMA assistance right after Hurricane Beryl. Kamala Harris cares, she will never risk lives for the sake of politics," Judge Hildalgo said.

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Hidalgo is one of the youngest county executives in the country.

While she has faced her share of criticism in the Houston area, she is also seen as a rising star in the Democratic party.

"When that last disaster struck Donald Trump abandoned us. He spread misinformation that cost lives. Compare that to 2021 when the Texas Power Grid went dark. Kamala Harris didn’t just put out a tweet, she called me to make sure we had what we needed," Hildalgo said.

In a state where Republicans soak up most of the political weight, Democrats believe they are making inroads.

The Hispanic voting block in Texas is starting to lean Republican. Democrats hope with the energy of a Harris ticket they can pull voters back.

During her speech, Crockett attempted to humanize Harris, moved to tears as she shared a conversation they had.

"She then said among other things you are exactly where God wants you. Your district chose you because they believe in you and so do I. The next month I went viral for the first of many times to come for hitting Republicans with a dose of their own medicine. That brief but impactful interaction gave me my legislative legs and I've been running ever since," Crockett said.