Election Day Stakes, Abbott & Paxton | Battleground Texas

It's 3 o'clock on Election Day in Texas, and the countdown is on. You have just a few hours left to cast your ballot in some of the tightest statewide races we've seen in decades. From the fierce Senate showdown to a razor-thin race for governor, campaigns are making their final frantic push for votes. We have reporters live across the state tracking the lines and the turnout. This is a production of WGBH. We are finally here. Hello, I'm Stephen Dial in Dallas. I'm Greg Grugan in Houston. I'm Rudy Kosky in Austin, and welcome to Election Day. Let's get right into it, guys. Roughly 40% of all registered voters in the state voted early. Huge number. That crushes the 31% early turnout that we saw back in the 2022 midterms. Today, turnout is steady with only a couple of issues being reported. There was an understaffed polling location opening late in the Houston area and up here in the Austin area, a report of a broken ballot. printer that's apparently been fixed now. All eyes on the top of the ticket today. The battle for control of the U.S. House runs right through the state of Texas. We are keeping a very close watch on several highly competitive down ballot battlegrounds, including the 15th district in the Rio Grande Valley and the open seat race in the sprawling 23rd district. But Let's get started with the Texas Senate race, shall we? Greg, take it away. All right, Rudy, the Senate fight in Texas has been a virtual dead heat for weeks, and both campaigns are bracing for a long night. Democrat James Tallarico will be in Austin, and Republican Ken Paxton will be watching the returns in Dallas. And that is where we find reporter Karis Belger. Karis. Yeah, Greg. And part of the pitch from Paxton for his promotion to the Senate is his years spent as Texas's chief litigation officer. He's had a confrontational strategy against Democratic administrations. And also, let's not forget his defeat of incumbent John Cornyn back in May. Now, in terms of some of his litigation during his tenure, he's looked at things like the environment. And of course, immigration has come into play as well. But we have looked at the most recent polling. And some of the recent... The polls that have come out, specifically yesterday, have shown Tallarico with a lead. Some of the other polling we've seen has seen basically a dead heat. Dead heat and a very slim margin of error here. So right now we are at the West End in Dallas. This will be where we watch the returns and we wait to see what will happen with Paxton's campaign tonight. But I want to mention, Greg, you know, we have seen a lot of energy around issues like affordability. And when I've spoken with voters at different polling places, they mentioned that is really what's going to drive their vote. Now, of course, there is the character of both candidates. But people I've spoken with have said, regardless of what they do in their private time, They really want someone in that Senate seat who's going to make things more affordable for them, make it so they can put gas in their cars, make it so they can afford to support their families. That is the thing that is top of mind, more so even than public safety, which we know has also been a big topic for people in the past. So that's something that we have also been waiting to hear from. And of course, as the candidates have been making their final push in the last few days, we've heard them try and touch on that as well. Before there was a people-powered movement. There were people, ordinary Texans working hard every day to make a life for themselves. We've always been the underdogs. We've always been up against a rigged system, but we've always had each other. And now we're here on the brink of making history, I'm starting to speak now. hours from taking our power back. It hasn't been easy, but nothing worth having is. I'll have you address some of those fears in your state that Democrats could flip Texas blue based on what's happening there right now, early voting, hitting records, spending in your race, hitting records. How are you feeling today? Yeah, so we definitely need our Republican votes out today. The Democrats banked a lot of early votes. They voted early. Our voters, a lot of them, over a million haven't voted yet. And we will continue, of course, to watch things very closely. And I'll bring you updates throughout the evening as we learn them. I'm Karis Belger in Dallas. Back to you. All right, Karis, thank you so much. The Senate race, also a talker in Iowa today. Republican Representative Ashley Hinson and Democratic State Lawmaker Josh Turek are in a highly competitive race for the seat left open by retiring Republican Senator Joni Ernst. Fox's Oliviana Gomez is in Des Moines. Oliviana. Hey, Iowa Senate race, just like your guys's could really be some of the closest races that we're watching in the country. Voters I talked to here say the issues in driving this race really could get them voting for someone in a party they don't usually vote in. Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson is going against Democrat Josh Turek. For retiring Senator Joni Ernst's seat, President Trump campaigned in Iowa for Hinson on Sunday. But beyond the national issues we're hearing about, there are some very local concerns also shaping the race. Water quality is one. Cancer rates keep coming up in conversation with voters as well, because Iowa has the second highest rate of new cancer diagnoses in the country. And the voters I've talked to want answers about why. Have lost my husband, my father, my sister, my brother, my brother in law too, all to cancer. There's also the issue of getting quality health care to people in rural parts of the state. And farmers have also raised concerns about diesel costs and the impact of tariffs on Iowa agriculture and manufacturing sectors. Some Republicans tell me they're frustrated with the Trump administration and say they'll vote Democrat this year, While others say they're stupid. Standing firmly behind Henson. I am a registered Republican. I've been disheartened by the Republican Party. I feel like they don't stand up for what they really have traditionally stood for in the past. I think it's important that we elect great leaders that can foster the American values of what our constitutional republic was founded on. And I think Ashley's the one. And the Senate isn't the only big race we've got here. Iowans are also choosing their next governor, and there's some competitive House races as well. And much like you guys, we had a big early voter turnout as well, 25% more early voters in absentee than last midterm election. I'll send it back to you. Oliviana in Des Moines, thank you so much. We are diving further into the balance of power when Battleground Texas returns. Welcome back to Battleground Texas. My colleague here in Houston, Lena DeFlores, is always up on the national balance of power equation. She's here now to talk about the picture taking shape in the upper chamber. Lena. With the Senate, there are 100 seats. Now, it doesn't matter the size, the population of each state. Every state gets two U.S. senators that they send to the upper chamber of Congress here. Now, even though there are 100 seats, not all 100 of them are on the ballot this time around. Only 35 races are on the ballot. The breakdown here, though, is going to be important because the majority of those seats are Republican. So the current control, Republicans just have it. Fifty one is the majority. Republicans have 53 seats as opposed to Democrats who have 47, which is why Democrats are looking to pick up some seats. If I can get that next graphic. Thank you. That would be great. So they're looking for a net gain of four. Now, Republicans can lose three seats and still be in the majority. Now, if there is a 50 50 split, it comes down to the vice president of the United States, in this case, Vice President Vance, because the vice president of the country is the president of the Senate and would be the tiebreaker if there There were a 50-50 split here. I'm going to throw a monkey wrench in this here. Democrats are looking for a net gain of four. I'm going to say they probably need five because of Senator Fetterman in Pennsylvania, who has been breaking farther and farther away from the party. Now, again, remember I said, even though there's 100 seats, that only 35 of them are on the ballot. If I could take a look at the next graphic so that I can break down the numbers for you. Democrats are looking to gain four. Now, I say net gain because if Democrats lose a seat and Republicans lose a seat, it can go back and forth. They need what they have plus another four. Now, here's the thing. Republicans have twice as many, nearly, seats up on the ballot. Republicans of that 35 have 22 seats that are up for grabs, as opposed to Democrats' 13. So Democrats are looking to hold what they've got and expand a little further, while Republicans are trying Trying to hold the line, knowing that they can lose three races, but not four. Now, here in Texas, this is a battleground state for the first time in decades here. And the Senate race between Tallarico and Paxton, now the most expensive non-presidential Senate race with almost $400 million spent since the primary, post-primary. Millions, hundreds of millions have been spent here. And not only that, we're also taking a look at not only the dollars, but the first time that Texas is actually not a gimme state for Republicans. Rudy? Well, great breakdown, Lena. That was awesome. Now, another one of those crucial Senate races is playing out in Maine, where Democrat Troy Jackson is trying to unseat Republican Senator Susan Collins. Fox's Kaylee Shuler joins us live from Portland, Maine. Kaylee, what's going on there? What's the turnout like? What are voters saying out there? Yeah. Hey there, Rudy. So just under four hours until the polls close here. And it was a pretty busy morning. There was a long line out the doors. Ever since then, people have been slowly trickling in. There's been a decent stream of people coming out to vote. And people have said they have been excited to cast their ballots in this highly contested Senate race. So Jackson, of course, is trying to defeat Susan Collins, who has held this seat for three decades. And some voters say that it's time for her to go, while others say they want her to have a sixth term. She is one of the few Republicans who's middle of the road, can see both sides of the issues. People are starting to get tired of her and they don't like her connection to other parts of our administration. There was record turnout for early voting, more than 300,000 Mainers casting ballots before election day. I've been in the state for the better part of the last month talking to voters, and some say they're concerned about the integrity of the election process. So today I asked Maine Secretary of State Shana Bellows how voters can be confident election officials are handling their ballots properly. Two separate incidents last year where election materials ended up where they weren't supposed to be. How can voters feel confident tonight that their ballots are going to end up where they should? We fired them. If you're not getting the job done, we were able to find the problem, rectify the error, make sure that it had no impact on the election. Five-term Republican Susan Collins is fighting to hold onto her seat. She's been campaigning as an independent thinker who fights for Maine. She says her seniority in the state gives her an advantage, while Troy Jackson says it's time to shake things up. He's been tying Collins to President Trump and campaigning with progressives like AOC and Bernie Sanders. In fact, in Washington, you have to have experience, you have to have knowledge, you have to have relationships and seniority. And I have all four of those. This race is about getting our government back and then pushing it forward in a way that I don't think any of us has ever seen. Maine uses a ranked-choice voting system, so if neither candidate gets 50% in the first round, then it goes into a runoff, and then it could take several days to find out who wins this race. Rudy? All right, Kaylee, thanks a lot. Great assessment. Stephen? Yeah, man, a lot of races, guys. The big day is here. Okay, let's talk about Texas first. What did your gut say about the Senate race in Texas, Greg? Well, not my gut, but my guys say Ken Paxton needs nothing less than an Election Day trifecta. He needs rural Texas to come out day of, heavy duty, and all in for him. He needs Republicans on the fence to leap off, hold their nose, and vote for their party's nominee. And he needs energetic Democratic turnout in the major blue urban centers to sag substantially. If all of those things happen, and it's a big if, Paxton could still sneak through if his deficit with independents evens out in the final tally. Guys, that's a lot of bullseyes to hit. Needs a perfect storm, according to Greg. Rudy, what say you? Stephen, I think it all comes down to conservative center-right independents and, of course, those Cornyn supporters. After I looked at several of the turnout reports today from places like Lubbock and Tyler and even some traditional red spot areas in the Houston metro area, I'm starting to think, starting to wonder if we're about to see another one of those Hillary wins, Dewey wins, big miscalculations. Stephen? Tomorrow morning, if things go Tallarico's way, is it more about Dems turning out in Texas or Paxton being Paxton, Greg? Stephen, it will be the perfect storm Dems have been dreaming about. A collision of factors led by the weakness of a morally reprehensible candidate who was lazy and the antithesis of charismatic on the trail at a deeply unpopular president underwater with the Texas general electorate. Factor in lingering affordability issues and inflation chipping away at security and quality of life. And cap it all off with an intelligent, highly articulate candidate preaching hope while more or less successfully downplaying much of the kooky stuff he's said in the past 10 years. Toss in self-inflicted damage with Tejano voters triggered by Trump deportation overreach and suddenly what was once impossible becomes doable. Rudy? Rudy, if Paxton wins, is it a vote of confidence for Paxton or is it Republicans just holding their nose? Well, first of all, I'd like to say, Greg Grugan, boy, what a Debbie Downer. Ha, ha, ha, ha. Oh, you know, Stephen, I think that if Paxton, let's say he does win, he shouldn't misread this as a mandate, you know, maybe charity, you know, clearly a hold back and a hold your nose moment. So so that's that's what we're looking at now. We're all in on the Texas governor's race when battleground continues. Are you not entertained? I had that vibe going. There's our good friend Randy Wallace. You know, a couple of music videos to motivate us for the candidates and the governor's race. You know, Randy, how do you like that music there, brother? You know, did it get you going? And what are you seeing in this race so far today? Yeah, and Rudy, it's really going to be interesting to see if we're going to know tonight, right? I mean, it could be maybe in the morning tomorrow before we actually know if 68-year-old Greg Abbott will win a fourth unprecedented term. Term, let's see. Let's remember that he was the longest-serving attorney general in the state of Texas, and he's the longest incumbent governor in the United States. But he has the race problem. Of his life tonight, this is the most formidable candidate he's ever had, and in some of the polls, it looks like she's getting a little bit ahead. I think we got some sound with the governor. Listen, my opponent, she made her position clear. After Hurricane Harvey hit back in 2017, my opponent said that the only way forward is with a Texas Green New Deal. Let me tell you something. That's crazy talk. That's not the way forward. The way forward is to make sure that Texas continues to lead the country and be one of the global leaders in producing oil and gas. It's what the world relies upon, and it will prevent happening in Texas. What's happened in so many other regions across the world, as well as what's going on in California and New York right now. I want you to find two more votes tomorrow. Two more votes. Two more. We'll decide the whole election. Two more votes. Because this election is so, so close. It is neck and neck. And this is a fight we cannot lose. We are in the fight for our lives. Now, how historic would it be if Gina Hinojosa won? She would be the first Democratic governor in Texas since Ann Richards. Ann Richards was just a one-term governor. George W. Bush beat her in 95. So it's going to be a historic evening tonight to see if Greg Abbott remains the governor of Texas. Rudy. Yeah, Randy, and you're out there on the big mall. I want to say thanks. He came up from Houston today, guys. He got the rain to move out of here. So Randy came to Austin, and the rain went to Houston. So appreciate that, Randy. Thanks a lot. Okay, guys, 10 months ago, Texas Republicans were coming out of, you know, pretty much a big legislative session, a lot of big wins for the big red team. All three of us saw the cracks in the wall, though, right? Unresolved internal warfare lingering over hemp rules. The lingering bitterness over that school choice rhino purge, growing battle between John Cornyn, Ken Paxton, Wesley Hunt was brewing, simmering about the pop, Stephen. For you, where did the wheels really come off for the Texas GOP, and when did the Texas Democrats finally hit a high gear? Was it that redistricting war that happened earlier? I think the redistricting war was the opening salvo, but let's keep it simple. It was when gas prices continue to go up. Now, granted, as I said yesterday, they have gone down some, but still gas prices are up, the cost of things are up. We have a war that the president said was not going to happen under his second term. And so let's keep it simple. It's about the change in people's pockets is what really gave Democrats the momentum that they hoped for. All right, gas prices, maybe the rocket fuel for the Democrats, maybe the critical last straw being that redistricting fight. Greg, did the... Did all that give Democrats nationwide, it did, you know, in a way, a reason to mobilize that redistricting fight, even going to states that already had gerrymandered Republicans into extinction. So what is your watershed moment? What caught your attention? What can you go back and say, you know, this is it. This is the point. Rudy, can I have a couple? I'll start with the two ice killings in Minnesota offered Donald Trump an opportunity to change course. Instead, he seemed to double down, resulting in the Lorenzo Salgado killing here in Houston, which will cost Republicans hundreds of thousands of votes here. I also have to go back to the Paxton impeachment, where Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick seemed more focused on sticking it to then-House Speaker Dade Phelan with a Paxton acquittal than purging a fatally flawed Senate wannabe from the political process. For better or worse, Dan Patrick owns Paxton. Imagine how different the landscape would look if the cancer on the current Republican ticket had been excised before GOP donors had to pour more than a quarter billion into a desperate race, which, frankly, they may well lose, Rudy. Yeah, I think that's all spot on. So much in play that brought us to this point. Now let's see what happens tonight. Can they bail themselves out? Or is this going to be a major time to reboot the Texas GOP? Greg, take us to break. All right. Plenty more of Battleground Texas when we come back. When a would-be assassin's bullet came within an inch of taking his life, he didn't back down. He didn't cower. He got up. He turned back to that crowd. He put his fist in the air and he yelled three words. It's fine. This is what it looks like to refuse to back down. All right, safe to say political combat is the theme when it comes to the Republicans today. In fact, President... Trump taking to X first with a push for Governor Abbott posting, Greg Abbott is the strong and highly respected governor of Texas, a state I love and won big three times. As Governor Greg is always fighting tirelessly to champion Texas values, grow the economy, cut taxes and regulations, support our amazing farmers and ranchers, and on and on. Then he put his support behind Paxton posting, It is my great honor to endorse the highly respected Attorney General of Texas, Ken Paxton, an America First patriot and someone who has always been extremely loyal to me and our amazing MAGA movement. Stephen? Former Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan was on CNN this morning talking about early voting and the Democrat turnout. Republicans find themselves in a very large hole on election day, and I just drove up here this morning through two hours of rain through Houston, Texas. And so, to quote Lee Corso, Senator Davis, not so fast, we still have- Do you think that could affect turnout? Well, we still have election day, and a lot of people vote on election day. A lot of Republicans vote on election day, so we'll see what turnout is today. But Republicans find themselves in a hole right now and they need to get out of that hole right now. If the election was held Sunday night, yes, there would be some upsets here in Texas. All right, pretty interesting interview there, guys, with the former Speaker of the House. Last week, he was essentially promoting the let's all just take a pass on Paxton idea, which, of course, the Tallarico camp just loves to hear. And now he's talking about the early voting hole. Republicans have found themselves in, but possibly can dig themselves out. You know, it's not a full-blown defection. But last night at that Paxton rally, State Representative Mitch Little was continuing to trash talk the Bush family, calling them a cartel. You know, it's all selective revenge, right, guys? All right, guys. We're not going to promote any kind of healing that way. Stephen, big mistake. Yeah, I mean, okay, if you need every single vote that you need and you know that there are some people in your own party who may leave that race blank or vote for the other guy, it needs to be kumbaya on repeat. And so I think you're hearing mixed messaging, some advocates of Ken Paxton blasting the Bush-era Democrats and then some saying, no, we need to bring them to our side. We won't know until tonight if there was a big Republican defection or people just leaving it blank, because I think Governor Abbott still looks like he's in good shape. But OK, everyone can't be wrong, right? I think there are some panic buttons going off in the Paxton camp about tonight. Greg, earlier you noted that President Trump sure was posting a whole lot. I think he strained his finger. He was doing so many races across the country today. But, you know, it looks like, though, you know, he did a long list here in Texas of endorsements, except for what I noticed and read, no Beau French, no Nate Sheets for ad commissioner. Thank you, Commissioner. You know, so what's the beef? If the president can do selective, I'm going to pass on these guys, shouldn't they feeling good? I get, you know, okay. You know, give him a little love right there, you know, or is this, as Stephen was just talking about, hype? Double standard, hypocrisy, the whole mix. Rudy, I think we all know by now Trump demands absolute fealty with those who defy his dictates, subject to excommunication from MAGA. Remember that even after Cornyn towed the Trump line for years, the president went all the way back to the days after J6 to torch the senator for his alleged disloyalty. The ranks of one-time Trump allies kicked to the curb is piling up. In a political world where addition to a party was always the goal, not subtraction, we've seen the same thing happen here in Texas. Feeling out. Members of the Texas Senate torched. George P. Bush banished. The list goes on. Sort of a reign of terror, MAGA style. Rudy? Yeah, Stephen, I think you brought this up earlier that if not, I'm going to give you credit anyway, that your gut feeling is that the the Republicans possibly hang on to the statehouse. But, you know, there could be some canaries in the mine. Mine is Ellen Troxclare. She's in a race with a guy who hasn't even campaigned. If she loses, it's going to be a huge blue wave. So what's your canary? I'm looking at that Senate race in Tarrant County, Ramette versus Walmsgans. It'll be a repeat matchup for them. I haven't seen all the political ads that I saw during that special election for the Democratic candidate, but a lot of people are turning out in Tarrant County. A lot of people turned out today, so what does that mean? And I just want to say this before we go to break. In Dallas County, talking about a Democrat stronghold, in Dallas County, as of 1 o'clock, 80,000 voters, more than 80,000 voters today. So we'll see what that looks like. All right, coming up, more Battleground. We'll be right back. Welcome back to Battleground, Texas. Social media, you know, didn't replace old school shoe leather, but posting a big part of the modern campaign right now. And on election day, several candidates are doing some of the online block walking. For example, Beau French. Guys, it's halftime, he says. 7.7 million Texans voted early, a midterm record. The second half is on us. Punch out, vote, then go home. Polls close at 7. Dan Patrick posting also saying, vote now for safe neighborhoods and strong communities. Polls close at 7 PM local time. Make sure to stay in line and vote. Bobby Polito down in South Texas posting, quote, I've spent this campaign traveling across our communities, listening to families, and hearing what matters most to you. Now it's time to make your voice count. Get out there, take your family or friends, and go vote. And then locally, our congressman here in the Austin area, Greg Casar, posting, quote, from Montana to Minnesota, from El Paso to Houston, I've been on the road and I've never seen energy like this. Get out there and vote. Let's go flip the House and Senate. Happy Election Day, America. Greg. I'll take it from here. The second the polls opened at 7 this morning, there was a little rush. Then a steady stream of voters since. We're talking about up here in our neck of the woods in the DFW area. Lori Brown is here live in Dallas County. Lori, how does it look? Steven, we are seeing a steady stream of voters coming out during the workday. So we expect to see more folks showing up once they get off work. But people here have been telling us that they feel good coming out to vote. They feel like the issues that have been important to them are... They feel like things are not going so well economically, at least the people here in this Dallas area that are going to the polls. They say that gas prices and the cost of groceries is making things tough. So they felt that it was important to go and cast their ballots. And as for why people waited until election day, we're hearing that they're procrastinators. And some people just say that it feels better to vote on election day and it makes it even more fun to come out and vote on election day. So that's what we're hearing from folks. All right, Lori Brown live in Dallas County. Lori, and the Dallas County judge, Clay Jenkins, like I said, at 1 o'clock said, what, more than 80,000 people have voted on Election Day in Dallas County. Lori, thanks. All right, we're talking turnout so far today. Next on Battleground. Welcome back to the battleground. Okay, guys, consensus of my number crunchers, was that Republicans need a very robust turnout on this midterm election day. Rudy, based on what you see, are conservatives answering the call? Yes and no. I think definitely Team Red's coming out today, without a doubt. But I think it is, you know, going too far by saying that it's all going to We're going to be red voting today, right? I think based on what we just heard from Lori, there are people who are still thinking about the economy, still thinking about the high cost of gas. They have a problem with that. And those don't sound like Republican down, you know, voting red all the way straight down. So, yes, I think that the conservatives, the Republicans did show up today, are showing up today. But, you know, is it all Republican? Definitely not. All right, Stephen, two of the counties at the top of the list when it comes to the GOP Texas firewall are Collin and Denton. What are you hearing about turnout there? Paxton genuinely needs an onslaught if he hopes to win, and not to mention Tarrant County. Yeah, Paxton has to win his home county of Collin County. That's without a doubt. And the thing is, Collin County is an early voting county. So talking about Democrats banking votes, that Collin County vote might be banked. I'm waiting for an update from the Collin County election administrator. Maybe I'll bring you guys an update during the show. Denton County also, but he also needs to not just get blown out the water in Dallas County. He also needs to try to get Try to win convincingly in Tarrant County, not just a close win. But if Talerico convincingly wins Tarrant County and makes it even just close in Collin County, there may be trouble in the Republican camp. Yeah, I've got to tell you guys, I vote day of, unlike you two. I vote day of in my southwest Houston precinct. I saw a brisk turnout, and I was doing a little profiling. Didn't see a lot of Paxton voters there, a lot of Republican voters. Interesting demographic. We have a lot of very conservative Jewish folks over there. They were turning out. Interesting. All right, Rudy, take us to break. All right, when Battleground continues, the balance of power is up for grabs. The U.S. representatives will take a look at that power grab. Welcome back to Battleground, Texas. Lena DeFlorius joins us again. Lena, you're not just keeping an eye on the Senate. You have an eagle eye on the House as well. Break it down for us. All right, because Congress has two chambers. So here we go with the House of Representatives. We'll be right back. 435 seats on this one. So for control, you need 218. Now, Republicans have... Have it, but just barely, with 219. But here's the thing. This is based on population. They're two-year terms. So every time you go to the ballot box, every two years, you're voting on this chamber. Now, because all 435 are on the ballot, here's where we start today. Zero, zero. Zero Democrats, zero Republicans. There are no incumbents. Everyone in the House has to run for their seat every two years. Now, today, because we're starting at zero, zero, it can be either way here for control. Now, here's the thing. Of the 435 seats, ever since Congress was established, the federal government was adding more seats as the population of the country grew. Until 1910, they capped it and said, OK, 435 is where it ends. Otherwise, the capital is going to have to be the size of the Grand Canyon. Now, because you cannot up that number from 435 and because you cannot change your representation number until the census at the end of the decade, this is where redistricting comes into play. In Texas, we have 38 different districts. Now, as you know, Republicans were looking to change the map here by redrawing. Now, in order to change this, you can't go outside of the border of the state. So by focusing on five districts, trying to make them a little more Republican friendly and red leaning, you had to redraw other districts as well. So even though they were looking specifically at five districts, they ended up changing 22. Now, is that a gamble That's going to pay off. We won't know until the end of the. election here. But I will tell you, when the census comes around in 2030, that is when we have an opportunity to change our representation in the House. Since 1970, because of the census, we have added 15 representatives. But that not only affects us in the House of Representatives, it will also impact us with the presidential race come 2032, because it affects the number of electoral votes as well. Greg? All right, Lena, our parting shots when Battleground Texas returns. Welcome back. This is the portion of the show we reserve to settle all family business on the battleground. I'll go first. I can't help but recall the heady days of November 2024 when Donald Trump pulled off the previously unthinkable, attracting a 27-point cycle-over-cycle swing in the Texas Latino vote and winning every border county in the process. Less than two years later, that pendulum swing with Tejanos has been absolutely squandered. By undelivered promises of prosperity and by ICE overreach that's been both destructive to their businesses and communities, not to mention deadly. Had Republicans nurtured that 2024 Hispanic surge, one has to wonder if they would be sweating tonight as hard as they obviously are. Stephen? Yeah, I mean, mine is just whatever was on everyone's mind. Is history going to be made tonight or not? And then I'll reiterate something that I said, I think, yesterday. Is all of this for nothing for Democrats? I'm wondering if Tallarico loses, will Democrats give up on Texas nationally? Will the money escape Texas, or will they continue to invest in Texas like they did in Georgia, and Georgia is now seeing the fruit of its labor? Rudy? Yeah, I'm going to build on that one, Stephen. Win, lose, or draw, both parties need to take notice of what's happening right now. The extreme politics of the days past need to be of the days past. This state is divided. This state has multiple opinions, and both parties need to recognize that. And maybe that will be the lesson of this midterm election. But out of the whole thing, I always complain that we never get to the big Big number of registered voters. We always fall short. We're going to fall short again in this midterm. But boy, what a great turnout regardless. Congratulations, everyone. That was a great day. It's been a great day. It's been a lot of fun on the battleground. Right, guys? Let's wrap this thing up. You can go to our YouTube pages to see this episode and all the other ones to just check it out and dial us in. And keep the conversation going by hitting us up on social media. And absolutely make sure to join us tomorrow at 3 for all the post-election analysis. Until then, vaya con Dios from the Fox, Texas trio.