Could the Lone Star State go Blue in 2020? Let our expert explain if a Texas sized upset is in store

If there is one thing we have all learned from the last presidential election – it’s that nothing can be taken for granted and surprises are now to be expected in the land of U.S. politics.

It’s why when the tea-leaves showed Texas potentially leaning toward the DNC in 2020, it was surprising but not entirely unexpected.

“There’s a lot of apathy and smugness and laziness here on the Republican side that’s got to be reversed or there will be a shock to the system at some point,” said George Seay, a Dallas businessman and top GOP fundraiser in Texas.

Demographics are slowly but surely changing the state as an influx of voters from California and other left-leaning states move to Texas.

GOP support is eroding in the suburbs surrounding Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio, four of the nation’s largest and fastest growing metro areas. That’s particularly worrisome to Republicans leery of Trump’s popularity with suburban voters.

A Democrat has not won statewide in Texas since 1994, the longest such streak in the nation.

But Trump won Texas by only 9 points in 2016, the worst showing for a Republican presidential candidate in 20 years. Jimmy Carter in 1976 was the last Democratic presidential nominee to win the state.  September 06, The Hill

But are all the ingredients there for a Democratic takeover of the Lone Star State?

• Is Trump polling that low?
• What factors are also at play that could sway voters left?
• And are there any key DNC candidates that could push the vote left?

There are a lot of questions to be answered and if you are a journalist who is covering the long road to next November – then let our experts help.

Dr. Stephen Farnsworth is professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington. A published author and a media ‘go-to’ on U.S. politics, he is available to speak with media regarding this topic. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.