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LUBBOCK — A sea of red baseball caps formed outside the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center before sunrise Tuesday. In the afternoon, thousands of Republicans gathered to hear President Donald Trump. Some were draped in American flags. Others wore sequined cowboy hats. They also carried gifts that read: “Trump was right about everything.”
Across the street, two dozen protesters gathered. They held signs supporting Democrat James Talarico for nomination to the U.S. Senate. Other signs were anti-Trump. A few miles away, dozens of Talarico supporters gathered for their own rally at the city’s Fiesta Center. The line enveloped several city blocks.
By 7 p.m., Lubbock had become the center of the political universe with Trump and Talarico holding dueling rallies.
The Lubbock split-screen laid bare the difficult political terrain Texas Republicans will face this fall, especially at the top of the ticket. Talarico maintained a small but steady lead over Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in most opinion polls this fall. Other Democrats, including gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa, appear ascendant. Their rise has been fueled in part by growing discontent over the cost of living, the proliferation of data centers in rural Texas and other issues such as school funding. To win statewide, Democratic candidates must increase their support in places like Lubbock, which have proven to be a firewall for Republicans.
To that end, Talarico spent the day hopscotching across West Texas, headlining rallies in Midland and Amarillo. Paxton, Talarico’s Republican opponent, also held events in Sherman, a small city about 65 miles north of Dallas, then traveled to Amarillo. Before Lubbock, Trump was in Corpus Christi, the Nueces County seat, which Democrat Beto O’Rourke narrowly won in 2018.
“Democrats are very motivated right now to get out to vote,” said Drew Landry, a political science professor at South Plains College in Levelland. “So how can you stem this tide? You bring the creator of the MAGA movement to MAGA country.”
Lubbock has always been a brilliant ruby red home base for Republicans. The city — nicknamed the capital of West Texas — has a mix of voters ranging from college-age students to wealthy business owners and seniors. When election season rolls around, the city is covered in red and white signs reading “Conservative” and “Republican.”
The Hub City is also home to a dedicated army of Democrats – whose hopes and dreams of a blue wave sweeping across its cotton fields are routinely dashed.
Ken Adams, chairman of the Lubbock County Republican Party, said Trump’s appearance was an important moment for Lubbock. It’s a reward for West Texas Republicans, he said, who supported the red wall that kept the party in power all these years.
“It’s almost like the Super Bowl,” Adams said before the Trump rally. “You feel the energy, the excitement and you think of a coach pumping the team up right before they come out of the tunnel and onto the field.”
Lubbock Democrats view Trump’s end-of-season rally as something different — a display of fear.
“It feels like Republicans are scared,” said Kim Gonzalez, secretary of the Lubbock County Democratic Party. “Why would they come to Deep Red Lubbock if they weren’t a little afraid of what’s happening in Texas? Things are changing.”
CC Lawrence, a student at Texas Tech University, was among the protesters outside the Trump rally. She called Trump and Paxton criminals and said the way the Epstein files were being handled was unacceptable. She wants those involved to be punished, she said. She is also worried about the price of gas and the war in Iran.
“These forever wars suck up our resources, devour taxpayer dollars and enrich billionaires,” said Lawrence, who wore overalls with an American flag pattern.
Inside the room, the crowd was electric as they awaited Trump’s arrival. “USA” chants broke out several times, and they booed mentions of Talarico and “blue-haired weirdos” in reference to Democrats. One attendee shouted “monster” when Talarico was mentioned by a speaker.
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, a Lubbock native, told the crowd that Austin is “the craziest, bluest progressive place there is,” and that they would decide what happens in Texas if Republicans lose. The crowd booed in response.
“If Lubbock doesn’t vote, if Amarillo doesn’t vote, if every other major city and county doesn’t vote, Travis County will decide what our state is,” Burrows said.
Trump spoke for more than an hour, repeating his familiar attacks on Talarico. He claimed Talarico and Democrats would repeal the Second Amendment and millions more people would flood from the U.S.-Mexico border.
“So if you’re going to vote, we’re going to have a huge victory in Texas,” Trump said. “You can’t have a guy like Talafreako, because he’s not even a Christian. We can’t lose the votes.”
Loretta Davis, a Lubbock resident, said she was planning to vote this week and after Trump’s speech she was even more motivated to go.
“I’m so happy with everything he’s done and everything he’s doing,” Davis said. “Especially closing the border and helping everyone come together in the United States. »
“They see what we see”
Talarico is not the first Democrat to make gains in West Texas. O’Rourke, of El Paso, visited the area regularly during his unsuccessful campaigns for U.S. Senate and governor. On Tuesday, Democrats once again promised that this is their moment.
“West Texas is showing up,” said Democratic Senate candidate Riley Rodriguez. “We (retake) our state for the people. »
More than 4,000 people registered for Talarico’s rally, according to a campaign spokesperson. Demand was so high that the campaign changed locations to accommodate more people.
Talarico took the stage around 8:30 p.m., shortly after Trump finished his speech.
“I know we’re not the only show in town tonight, and I appreciate the four thousand people who came here tonight,” Talarico said. “That’s a lot of Talafreakos in one room.”
He promised to reduce the costs of housing, groceries and health care. He said costs were inflated because of Trump administration policies.
Talarico promised his campaign represented workers taking back power from billionaires, whose corruption he also blamed for the “affordability crisis” in the state.
“They’re scared, they’re terrified,” Talarico said of Republican and party spending on the Senate race. “They see what we see: that we are about to win this election.”
Disclosure: Texas Tech University has been a major financial supporter of the Texas Tribune. The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that is funded in part by donations from its members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial support plays no role in our journalism. Find a full list of them and more information about our financial and disclosure policies here.
