With 2 Texas Dems – Castro, O’Rourke – Likely in White House Race, Who Will Texans in Congress Back?

WASHINGTON — Texas Democrats have a bona fide home-state presidential candidate for the first time in decades, thanks to former San Antonio mayor Julián Castro. They may soon have another legit contender in former El Paso Rep. Beto O'Rourke.But most of the state's Democrats in Congress have so far avoided weighing in on the crowded White House primary.Only two of the 13 Texas Democrats in D.C. have made a presidential endorsement — both for Castro. One is Castro's twin brother, San Antonio Rep. Joaquin Castro, while the other is Dallas Rep. Colin Allred, who worked for Julián Castro when the candidate was U.S. housing secretary.The rest are content, for now, to sit on the sidelines."I'm keeping my powder dry and my dough wet," Houston Rep. Al Green said.The endorsement game is not the be-all-end-all, now or at any stage in the White House race.The Texans' wait-and-see approach also might vanish if O'Rourke follows through on his strong hints that he will mount a presidential bid, with El Paso Rep. Veronica Escobar, for one, coming close to giving a pre-endorsement to the man who last year gave Texas Sen. Ted Cruz a re-election scare.But it's notable that multiple Texas Democrats in Congress are in no hurry to settle on a choice, signaling a potential hurdle for the Lone Star State aspirants to the White House.Some of the Texas lawmakers, while complimentary of Castro and O'Rourke, would not commit to endorsing a Texan in the presidential primary. Others made a point to shout-out non-Texans among the dozen contenders who've launched efforts to unseat President Donald Trump.Favorite son status in Texas might only go so far."Obviously, I'm biased — being Texan does help or having Texas roots helps," said Houston Rep. Sylvia Garcia, a first-term member of Congress who previously served in the state Senate. "But I'm going to wait and see what the final lineup looks like."  Continue reading...