- TXLege News
- Posts
- Trump and Cruz in Austin, Harris and Allred in Houston, and Early Voting in Texas Surpasses 1.8 Million Ballots
Trump and Cruz in Austin, Harris and Allred in Houston, and Early Voting in Texas Surpasses 1.8 Million Ballots
Border Security and Campaign Politics Take Center Stage as Early Voting Tops 1.8 Million in Texas
Welcome back, friends
Former President Trump and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz will address the media on border security in Austin this Friday, while Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Rep. Colin Allred will host a rally in Houston at nearly the same time. Meanwhile, more than 1.8 million Texans have already cast their ballots in early voting, giving a glimpse into the state’s voter turnout ahead of the 2024 election.
Today’s Insights:
Trump and Cruz to Speak in Austin on Border Security as Harris and Allred Hold Houston Rally
Early Voting in Texas Surpasses 1.8 Million Ballots, Mail-In Voting Declines
Trump and Cruz to Speak in Austin on Border Security as Harris and Allred Hold Houston Rally
Image Credit: The Texan News
Former President Trump and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz will deliver campaign remarks on border security to reporters in Austin on Friday. The event will take place just hours before their Democratic opponents, Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, host a rally in Houston. The competing events highlight the growing attention on Texas as both parties ramp up their efforts ahead of the 2024 election.
Trump’s campaign announced the news conference on Wednesday night, confirming the Austin event would focus on border security—an issue central to his 2024 campaign. Cruz’s participation was confirmed Thursday morning, with the senator joining Trump at the event. The Austin press conference will be held at a private jet terminal in east Austin.
In addition to his Austin appearance, Trump will also record an episode of the Joe Rogan Experience during his visit to the city.
Meanwhile, Vice President Harris and Rep. Allred will rally Democratic supporters in Houston later that day, with notable guests including Willie Nelson and Tina Knowles. We currently rate both the Senate race and the presidential contest in Texas as Lean Republican.
Early Voting in Texas Surpasses 1.8 Million Ballots, Mail-In Voting Declines
Image Credit: The Economic Times
As of the second day of early voting, more than 1.8 million Texans have cast their ballots, representing over 10% of all registered voters in the state. Comparing two days of early voting to prior year entire election numbers, voter turnout in Texas remains strong, with over 1.2 million ballots cast in the state’s 15 largest counties, up from approximately 987,000 during the same period in the 2016 election and slightly lower than the same period during the 2020 election. Despite the increase in total numbers, the overall voter turnout rate in these counties remains consistent with 2016 at 10.1%.
Voter participation trends reveal some variation across different regions of the state. Nearly half of early voters are from precincts where Republicans have historically dominated, with 49% of voters coming from areas where Republicans have a 60% or greater share of the vote, according to Derek Ryan's early voting report for Day 2 of early voting.Another 16% of voters live in areas where Republican support is between 50% and 59%.
Texas’s five most populous counties—Harris, Dallas, Bexar, Travis, and Tarrant— have accounted for about 38% of the state’s early vote so far, compared to the 42% they typically contribute in presidential elections in comparison to 2020, 2016, and 2012.
An interesting trend is the shift from Republican to Democratic mail-in voters. This shift is largely driven by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which increased Democratic use of mail-in ballots, and former President Trump’s statements discouraging Republicans from voting by mail. Voters with previous Republican Primary history currently make up just 33% of all votes cast by mail. In 2016, they made up 40%, and in 2012, they made up 47%. On the other hand, voters with previous Democratic Primary history now account for 46% of all mail-in ballots, a significant increase from 27% in 2016 and 23% in 2012.
Source:
Derek Ryan
We hope you enjoyed today’s read.
Stay connected with TXLege on X @TXLege_
Find what you need in complex legislation, committee hearings, floor debates, and state agency meetings faster with USLege. Say goodbye to tedious tasks!
Texas Association of Business (TAB) is the Texas State Chamber, representing companies of every size and industry. TAB’s purpose is to champion the best business climate in the world, unleashing the power of free enterprise to enhance lives for generations.
Learn AI in 5 minutes a day.
What’s the secret to staying ahead of the curve in the world of AI? Information. Luckily, you can join 700,000 early adopters reading The Rundown– the free newsletter that makes you smarter on AI with just a 5-minute read per day.