Very few people actually believed that Texas wouldn't go for Trump during the election. Moreover, it would have surprised people if Ted Cruz had actually lost his Senate to Colin Allred. To be clear, I do think the race between Allred and Cruz was too close for my liking, but Cruz's victory should highlight a few interesting points.
In fact, the entirety of the electoral map of Texas should.
I think there are some interesting points to take away from Texas.
— Brandon Morse (@TheBrandonMorse) November 6, 2024
Interstate migration from deep blue states has been occurring for well over a decade, and yet Texas still hasn't turned purple. Both Trump and Cruz won, despite Cruz being outspent by a wide margin.
I think… pic.twitter.com/MhaveaVgCi
Let's look at the facts.
Interstate migration has been affecting Texas for well over a decade as transplants from deep blue states relocated to the Lone Star State. The state's business-friendly atmosphere has caused more than a few major corporations to pack up and move their home offices here. With these relocations, its deep-blue state workers moved here too. Even before the pandemic, which also caused a surge of movement from these blue states to Texas, you could see California and New York plates clogging up our roadways.
The fear is that as these people moved here, Texas would lose its red sheen and slide into a more purple hue. The phrase "Don't California my Texas" became a popular slogan, decorating various bumper stickers on the highways.
Yet, as the years progressed, Texas continued to stay red. In fact, on various occasions, Texas only became redder. In the 2024 election, Texas actually flipped a county from Democrat to Republican. Starr County went for Trump with 57 percent of the vote, and it has a 97 percent Hispanic population, no less. This county has the longest Democrat voting streak of anywhere in the U.S., yet now it's Republican.
Undoubtedly, many people moved to Texas because they were fleeing blue states in hopes for a better life. They found it, and naturally want to keep that same level of freedom and quality.
However, many people didn't move here for that reason. They moved here for a job, as I mentioned earlier.
They were likely shocked into Republicanism once they saw how cheap it was to live here, and how much bang they could get for their buck in terms of food, housing, and more. These people, many of whom were Democrats, probably had a "Come to Jesus - Texas Edition" moment and found out that they actually like Republican policies.
That's not to dismiss the fundamentals of this election. The economy was in the ditch and Texas, being a border state, had (and has) a horrific illegal immigration problem. It's an issue that even deep blue Starr County couldn't overlook.
But for all the blue state movement, Texas still being red proves that when Conservatives really have their ideas in place and defend them rigorously, support comes easy. For Democrats, the lesson is that...well, your policies are just horrible, and you're always just one election away from learning that lesson really badly.
Texas remains a Republican stronghold thanks to converts and interstate migration from horribly run places to greener pastures. It seems counter-intuitive at first glance, but conservative policies, lower taxes, and affordability really do shock people into changing their minds. I honestly think many people who were born and raised in these blue states don't understand the difference until they experience it firsthand, then refuse to ever go back.
Funny enough, I think the largest threat to Texas's Republican strength, outside of a ludicrous amnesty bill, is Texans who were born here and don't understand what's it like to have to live with the expense that comes with a Democrat governorship.
