Touting Republican turnout gains in Texas primary, party looks to November's election

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President Biden is spending part of Tuesday in Texas, talking to veterans and their caregivers in Forth Worth as he pushes for more help for military members and veterans who are fighting health issues after exposure to burn pits.

The president’s second trip to Texas since taking over in the White House more than 13 months ago comes a week after the nation’s second largest and second most populous state kicked off the 2022 primary calendar.

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And in a longtime reliably red state where Democrats for years have been trying to make gains based partially on favorable demographic trends, the GOP's touting rising turnout in its party’s primaries last week, especially in majority Hispanic counties in South Texas.

Overall, nearly twice as many votes were in Republican primaries than in Democratic contests. A contributing factor may have been more competitive primaries on the Republican side in the high-profile, statewide, races for governor and attorney general. Roughly 400,000 more people voted in GOP primaries this year than they did four years ago, while the Democratic vote slightly exceeded the turnout from their 2018 contests.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) spotlighted GOP turnout in the counties along the state’s southern border with Mexico, fueling optimism about their chances of flipping more congressional districts in November’s general election.

Democrats in the traditionally blue region still enjoyed a large turnout advantage, but Republicans showcased that they’re narrowing the gap between the two parties.

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The RNC noted that "Republican turnout exceeded both the 2018 and 2020 primaries along every Texas border congressional district," and that GOP turnout in counties in the Rio Grande Valley more than doubled compared to the last midterm primary in 2018.

"To Democrats’ surprise, they can no longer take the Hispanic vote for granted. Democrats’ failed policies on the border, crime, COVID-19, and education are out-of-touch with the Hispanic community," RNC communications director Danielle Alvarez charged in a statement to Fox News. 

Voters exit after participating in the primary election as others wait in line at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Dallas, Texas, on Tuesday, March 1, 2022.  (AP Photo/Emil Lippe)

And touting the RNC’s long-range multimillion-dollar commitment to expand organizing efforts in Asian Pacific American, Black and Hispanic communities in key states across the country, Alvarez emphasized that "the RNC’s permanent ground game and multimillion dollar investments are ensuring we are engaging with Hispanic communities across the country every day to earn their votes." 

An apparent key to the Republican turnout success was a rise in the number of GOP candidates in South Texas.

"Recruiting was critical because you have to have candidates on the ballot for people to go vote for," veteran Republican operative Wayne Hamilton told Fox News.

Hamilton leads Project Red Texas, a GOP group that recruited 125 candidates for local offices across South Texas.

"The increase in Republican turnout in the Valley, in the border areas, and for that matter in all of South Texas, was due in major part to having good candidates at all levels from justice of the peace all the way up to the governor, and those in between," Hamilton said.

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The RNC’s rival, the Democratic National Committee (DNC), says that Texas is a top priority. It noted a six-figure investment it’s already made and said it hopes "to have the resources to do more as we get closer to November."

The party noted that it’s funding a voter registration director for the Texas Democratic Party, to help drive organizing efforts in with all voters, but with a focus on Latino, Black and young Texans. The DNC said that its investments in Texas Democrats are in line with what it’s doing to help Democrats in other targeted states.