TX-HD28: Texas House special election to gauge suburban mood

Voters in the fast-growing Houston suburbs will offer a rare glimpse into a critical segment of the electorate on Tuesday when they elect a new state representative, in what could prove an early bellwether ahead of the 2020 presidential elections.

The district leans Republican; President Trump took 53 percent of the vote there in 2016, and Sen. Ted Cruz (R) won it by 3 points in 2018.

But the race to fill a seat that became vacant when the Republican incumbent, state Rep. John Zerwas, left to take a university job has become a magnet for outside Democratic groups who hope to send a message that Texas and its treasure trove of electoral votes are in play.

Democratic groups have invested more than $600,000 in Eliz Markowitz, an education specialist making her second run for public office this year. Markowitz scored 39 percent of the vote in a November all-party primary to secure a spot in the runoff.

Republicans split the remaining 61 percent of the vote in that November primary, tempering Democratic hopes for a big win.

“There's a substantial gap between Republican votes and Democratic votes. It is only a competitive race because the energy is on the Dem side. It's still a very tough race,” said Mustafa Tameez, a veteran Houston Democratic strategist. “There’s a lot of energy on the Democratic side, and people can smell victory. So they’re coming to the table and investing more.”

But state Republican observers say the candidate who will represent them on the ballot Tuesday, perennial candidate Gary Gates, could make the race competitive. One of the Democratic groups backing Markowitz, Forward Majority, has aired television advertisements highlighting a 2000 court case against Gates that alleged he abused adopted children.




https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/480078-texas-house-special-election-to-test-suburban-mood