Texas Democrats roll out first wave of planned digital ads as Election Day nears

The Texas Democratic Party (TDP) on Monday announced the launch of a $500,000 digital ad buy aimed at driving Texans to the polls in November.

The messaging, which will appear on social media platforms, is part of the party’s Get Out the Vote campaign, an initiative that has run most of the year with the goal of getting 2 million previously unregistered Texans signed up to vote. It’s the first phase of a seven-figure ad buy TDP announced at the end of July.

“With the voter registration deadline two weeks from today, our ads are targeting high-potential voters who will likely vote blue if we talk to them about the importance of voting,” TDP senior brand director Brittany Switzer said in a statement. “Our path to victory is clear and we’re implementing what we need to fulfill it. The margins for this election are going to be incredibly small.”

Texas has long been thought of as a steadfast red state — the last time a Democratic presidential candidate won Texas was Jimmy Carter in 1976, but there have been multiple signs in recent years that the Lone Star State is no longer the GOP stronghold it once was.

In the 2018 midterm elections, Texas Democrats picked up a dozen seats in the state House. If the party nets nine more seats in November, it would gain control of the chamber. Republicans have held control of the state House, Senate and governorship since 2002.

A recent CBS/YouGov poll showed Democratic challenger MJ Hegar within 5 points of Sen. John Cornyn (R). The same poll found President Trump in a dead heat with Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, with the former vice president holding a 2-point lead, which was within the margin of error.