According to National Public Radio, Democrats will field a candidate in all of Texas' 36 Congressional districts for the first time in 25 years.
“It is about time,” said Democratic candidate Lillian Salreno.
Salreno, is one of seven Democrats running in the District 32 primary March 6 -- challenging the seat currently held by Republican Congressman Pete Sessions.
In the 2016 election there was no Democrat in the race, showing the surge of Democratic candidates this election cycle. In this primary, the candidates have said they will support the eventual winner of the primary.
“At the end of the day, the reason you have people willing to make a pledge that they are going to be unified is because we know how dangerous it is to have a Republican-led House of Representatives,” said Salerno.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is targeting District 23 and two others in Texas that Hillary Clinton carried in the 2016 election. But Former Dallas County Republican Chairman Wade Emmert likes the Republicans' chances.
“I think the Trump factor does create some interesting dynamics, but I still think Republicans are going to hold onto those seats. There are eight open primaries, six of them Republicans are going to win, I predict. Only two of them Democrats will win, because they are staunch Democrat seats,” said Emmert.
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Political science professor Cal Jillson believes the Republicans could pick up one or two seats in Texas, but the future may be a different story.
“After 2020 we are going to redraw the districts again. The federal courts are involved in that. We may get more balanced districts. That 's when I would expect to see Democrats command a few more seats," said Jillson.
The primary election is March 6, early voting runs Feb. 20 to March 2. If runoffs are necessary, that election will be held May 22. The general election is Nov. 6.
