As Democrats ramp up their effort to make Texas a blue state, the biggest pot of money to defeat Republicans in future elections is ready to start spending money, with the Lone Star State a prime target.
Hakeem Jeffries, a rising star among Democrats, is expected to visit the Texas Capitol this week as the party prepares a $20 million fund to target congressional Republicans.
The House minority leader, a possible presidential candidate in 2028, is leading a charge against efforts by the Texas Legislature to redraw state congressional district lines, a controversial process known as redistricting.
Although Democrats are known for their multi-state redistricting efforts as well, the party is targeting Texas' efforts as part of its opposition to President Donald Trump, who called for changes to districts, and in part in an attempt to characterize the Texas redistricting effort as "racist" because the redrawn congressional maps affect minority districts.
At the behest of Governor Greg Abbott, the state legislature is in a special session to take up 18 different concerns, with redistricting among them, but leadership among Democrats plans to bring national exposure to Texas redistricting, which could end up carving out five new congressional districts.
“Republicans are trying to steal five seats in Texas,” said Mike Smith, the president of the House Majority PAC, which is creating the Lone Star Fund, as quoted in The New York Times.
It's also hoped the new fund will make some Republicans think twice about supporting the redistricting effort, knowing there's a campaign that could put their political future in jeopardy.
But the $20 million fund will not work alone.
An advertising campaign is now underway by the liberal-leaning group called Unrig Our Economy, spending $2 million to blame Representatives Dan Crenshaw, Lance Gooden, Beth Van Duyne and Monica De La Cruz for recent cuts in Medicaid, cuts in taxes to Billionaires, and allegiance to President Trump, without the advertising paid for by the fund ever mentioning redistricting.