Texas’s Republican establishment thought it was unshakeable. The blue tsunami that recently swept across the state proved the opposite. The wave culminated with Republicans washed out on the floor of the Capitol, having lost both the governorship and a Senate seat. For Texas Democrats, the ask was plain: Don’t boo, vote. They listened.

Pundits did their fair share of speculating about Texas’s tidal turn in advance of the elections. I drew my own conclusions about both parties’ campaign strategies in an earlier think piece. But with all the guesswork about why Texas might go blue, we forgot about a key advantage the state’s Democratic nominees had on their side: youth.

Recommended Stories

Ken Paxton’s defense attorney endorses James Talarico in race for Texas Senate seat

Texas voters split over whether the RNC midterm convention will boost GOP: Poll

Trump makes convention pitch for Paxton: You may not like his looks, but he’s the best AG in Texas history