The Democratic National Committee is adding the traditionally deep red states of Georgia and Texas to the list of “battleground” states the party plans to invest millions of dollars in ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
Last month, the party began targeting the first batch of states that fell to President Trump in 2016 but have nevertheless been deemed competitive this cycle: Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Florida, North Carolina, and Arizona. On Tuesday, the DNC will announce the next six states in its “Battleground Build Up 2020” initiative, Georgia, Texas, Ohio, New Hampshire, Nevada, and Virginia.
“The DNC is making historic, early investments to build strong, multiple pathways for our eventual nominee to win in November and support Democrats at every level of the ballot,” said DNC Chair Tom Perez. “By investing in these states now we’re putting the Trump campaign on defense, helping ensure our eventual nominee will be able to grow their general election operation as quickly as possible, and helping make sure that every Democrat running for office has the infrastructure they need to be successful.”
In Georgia, which Trump won by over 50 percent in 2016, both Senate seats are up for election this year. Democrats have also held out hope in recent years of turning Texas blue after former Democratic congressman Beto O’Rourke came close to beating incumbent GOP Senator Tex Cruz in 2018.
Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa called Texas the “biggest battleground state in the country” in a statement.
“Once Texas turns blue, the White House will follow,” Hinojosa said. “We will win the White House, take out John Cornyn, elect more Texas Democrats to Congress, break the supermajority in the Texas Senate, take back the Texas House, and win hundreds of local races across the state.”
The DNC’s battleground campaign effort will financially boost the state Democratic parties in the 12 target states with the aim of doubling their number of field organizers, opening more field offices, and funding other operations like data managing.
“We are taking nothing for granted as we work to make Trump a one-term president and win up and down the ballot in 2020,” Perez told CNN last month when the first swath of states in the initiative was announced. “These organizers, offices and staff will help our eventual nominee grow their general election operation as quickly as possible and ensure Democrats are reaching out to every voter possible, starting right now.”