Did the 2026 midterm elections deliver the political earthquake that polls predicted? Did a 30-year drought for the Democratic Party end with a statewide victory at the ballot box? Or did the Republican red wall hold back the promised blue wave?
The day after the election, ballots will be counted and there will be answers that could change Texas politics and public policy.
Texas was once a Democratic stronghold. But beginning in the 1960s, conservative voters increasingly migrated toward the Republican Party. The transformation accelerated with George W. Bush's election as governor in 1994. No Democrat has won a Texas statewide election since that year.
Ahead of Tuesday's vote, polling suggested that Republican dominance faced an unusually serious challenge.
Surveys identified the rising cost of living and economic dissatisfaction as major voter concerns. Immigration, political corruption, healthcare and the war with Iran also shaped the debate.
Did independent voters, including a potentially decisive bloc of Latino Texans, change the political landscape?
We'll explore whether the election represented a temporary backlash against the party in power or the beginning of a lasting political realignment.
Guests:
Charles "Sean" Briscoe is a Democratic campaign consultant.
Jon Taylor, Ph.D., is the UTSA chair and professor in the Department of Political Science and Geography.
Andrea Drusch is a senior reporter at the San Antonio Report.
"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m.
Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982.
During the live show, call 833-877-8255, email thesource@tpr.org.
This interview will be recorded live Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.
