‘If we flip Texas, we flip the country’: AOC campaigns for Dem Texas candidates in the 2022 midterms

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hit the campaign trail in Texas this weekend where she told the crowd that the Lone Star State flipping blue is ‘inevitable’ while endorsing two Democratic candidates there.

‘Texas turning blue. Inevitable. Inevitable! It will happen. The only question is when,’ the New York progressive representative said on Saturday.

‘We are going to fight for a living wage. We’re going to make sure we unionize the hell out of this state,’ she continued, claiming that their support of Medicare for All, unions and reproductive freedoms all contribute to her backing

Ocasio Cortez, 32, said that she feels if the deeply red state of Texas can flip, then the entire country will follow. Texas is the most populous red state, holding 38 Electoral College votes and 36 representatives in the U.S. House.

The House split of Texas representatives is currently 23 Republican and 13 Democrat. 

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was in Texas on Saturday to rally for two Democratic candidates in their House races. She said if Democrats can flip the Lone Star State blue, then the rest of the country will follow

She was in Texas campaigning for Democratic Congressional candidates Jessica Cisneros (left) and Greg Casar (right) on Saturday

AOC poses with supports during a ‘Get Out the Vote’ rally on Saturday in San Antonio, Texas

Right wing protesters showed up to AOC’s rally on Saturday, February 12, 2022

Some of Texas’ cities have turned increasingly blue recently, especially areas like Austin where young populations are moving in droves from other states.

But Republicans insist that Hispanic voters’ recent embrace of Republican ideals could help keep the state red.

Ocasio-Cortez was in San Antonio on Saturday supporting Jessica Cisneros and Greg Casar’s campaigns, saying: ‘Here’s what is exciting about Jessica’s race and Greg’s race, is that we flip Texas, we flip the country.’ 

Her endorsements, however, are in districts that are already held by Democratic candidates – meaning rather than flip the seats she is hoping to hold them to keep her party’s razor thin majority in the House. 

Cisneros is looking to unseat incumbent Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar in Texas’ 28th Congressional District, meaning that his potential victory there would not see any change in the makeup of the delegation.

Casar is running for Texas House District 35, which is currently held by retiring Democratic Representative Lloyd Doggett.

In 2019, Republican Texas Senator Ted Crus said during a Christian Science Monitor breakfast that the party cannot afford to lose Texas to Democrats.

‘If we lose Texas, it’s game over. I don’t believe Texas will turn blue but central to that is we’re going to have to work to communicate and turn people out.’

‘Here’s what is exciting about Jessica’s race and Greg’s race, is that we flip Texas, we flip the country,’ Ocasio-Cortez said at the Saturday rally

Casar is running for Texas congressional district 35, which is currently held by retiring Democratic Representative Lloyd Doggett

Cisneros is looking to unseat incumbent Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar in Texas’ 28th Congressional District

If both candidates are victorious, they would not see a change in the makeup of Texas’ congressional delegation considering their districts are already blue. But Democrats need to hold onto every single seat to make sure their razor thin majority is not lost in the 2022 midterms

In the 2020 election, Texas voted 52.1 per cent for Donald Trump’s reelection and 46.5 per cent for Biden to take his place. In 2016, Texas went 52.2 per cent for Trump, showing virtually no difference in support between the four years.

In pushing for unions in Texas, AOC hit home with saying: ‘We’re going to make sure that not one dime is made exploitatively across any worker, especially the undocumented.’

Migration has been at the center of U.S. politics for the last several years – and especially has affected Texans as the southern border is overrun with illegal immigrants and asylum-seekers.

Ocasio-Cortez has mixed results when it comes to endorsements and usually goes for backing the more progressive candidate to help move the Democratic Party even more to the left. 

Texas has lost its massive red leaning in recent years but doesn’t show much indication toward turning blue soon. In the 2020 election, Texas voted 52.1% for Donald Trump’s reelection and in 2016 went 52.2% for Trump, showing virtually no difference in support between the four years