What has happened here is similar to the pattern in other southern states, where conservative white voters began voting for Republican presidential candidates in the 1960s and the 1970s and gradually have transferred their allegiance to the GOP in state and local offices. In the past decade, Republicans have taken control of the Texas Railroad Commission, the state supreme court, the criminal appeals court and the state school board. Republicans have grown as a party with the increase in population, symbolized by the shifting balance in voter turnout in primary elections. In the past two elections, Republican and Democratic primary turnout has been roughly equal. Republicans have made inroads in conservative east Texas and in rural areas of the state, but the biggest gains have come in the rapidly growing suburban areas, a pattern that continues.
Democrats also suffer from a lack of strong and attractive leaders.
In the last three contests for the Senate, Democrats nominated a high school teacher with no political experience, a businessman with little political experience and a former House member who had been out of office for nearly two decades. Rarely have Democrats faced an election so divided and disorganized. Garry Mauro, the Texas land commissioner who is challenging Bush in the governor's race, trails the incumbent by roughly 50 percentage points in the most recent Texas poll. Mauro said the poll is flawed, arguing that Bush's lead is a mere 30 to 35 percentage points. Texas House Speaker Pete Laney has done little to help Mauro, while more than 100 local Democratic elected officials also have endorsed Bush.