While Texas Republicans have made many political moves lately, Texas Democrats can’t say the same. Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke still has yet to announce if he will run for governor, and he’s not in a hurry to make a decision. Incumbents and potential candidates are also awaiting the release of new district maps to decide their next political moves. Down ballot, Texas Democrats are bracing for the worst this fall, when the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature releases its new political maps for state House and Senate, as well as for the U.S. House. 

“There’s a lot of planning and strategizing behind the scenes,” said Royce Brooks, the executive director of Annie’s List, the Texas Democratic women-in-politics group. “Whatever Beto decides to do is the domino that affects everybody.”

Beyond who’s running for what, there is a mixed mood among Texas Democrats. For some, Republican legislative advances on reproductive health and gun policy exacerbate the disappointment of 2020, when Democrats made almost no gains in the state beyond President Joe Biden keeping former President Donald Trump to a six-point victory in Texas. 

There are also structural concerns ahead beyond redistricting. Most parties in power at the presidential level lose legislative seats during the first midterm of an administration.