Early Lines in Houston: Is Texas Witnessing the Fall of a Historic Republican Stronghold?

Early voting for the US congressional midterm elections began in Texas, where Democrats hope to achieve historic victories in this state that is traditionally considered a Republican stronghold.

Lines of voters formed early on Monday morning outside one of the polling stations in the city of Houston.

Texas residents have until November 3 to choose between Democratic candidates who focus their campaigns on economic issues and Republicans who align themselves with US President Donald Trump.

Voters will also have to choose the next governor of the state; between Republican Greg Abbott (68 years old), seeking a fourth term, or Democrat Gina Hinojosa, a lawyer aged 52 whom polls indicate is leading by a slight margin.

In the race for the Senate, Democrat James Talarico, a former teacher aged 37, succeeded in mobilizing voters, enabling him to achieve a slight lead over Ken Paxton (63 years old), the current state attorney general and an ally of Donald Trump.

Gina Hinojosa and James Talarico represent a new generation of Democrats seeking to court independent voters, as well as Americans facing disappointment due to the war waged by President Donald Trump in the Middle East, and also because of the sharp rise in prices.

They also hope to regain votes from voters of Latin American origin who leaned toward the billionaire in 2024 and feel resentment towards the crackdown campaigns against immigrants witnessed across the country since the beginning of his second term.

As for the Republican candidates, they rely primarily on the support of voters favorable to Donald Trump.