Gina! James! Now Is The Time To Visit Rural Texas!

Jon Mark Hogg, Co-Founder The 134 PAC

By Jon Mark Hogg, Co-Founder The 134 PAC

With the primary runoff election on Tuesday, now is the time state-wide candidates need to start visiting rural places. They should start May 27 and do so through early August as much as possible.

Texas rural counties led the state in primary participation this year according to The Daily Yonder.

Don't believe me? The last mid-term primary in 2022 when Beto O'Rourke ran for Governor there were 1,700 primary voters in my county, Tom Green County. This year 4,500 people voted in the Democratic Primary.

If we have large Democratic turnout in the urban areas in November, some state-wide races are likely to be very close. I am thinking of Senate and Governor because those are the races I have seen poll numbers for, but other races could be close as well.

These races could be decided by three points or less. That is when rural votes become critical.

With as much voter dissatisfaction as there is with the governments in Washington and Austin, there are votes to get out here that would ordinarily be safe Republican votes.

We don't have to win any of the red rural counties to win state wide. An increase by 1% or 2% turnout in places like San Angelo, Amarillo, Brownwood, Marfa, Pecos ,Fort Stockton could very well tip the scale to a Democratic victory of 50% + 1.

I am not suggesting candidates traipse from farmhouse to ranch. I am suggesting they seriously target population centers in rural regions. There are a lot of them.

There are more rural voters in Texas than there are total voters in the entire State of New Mexico, and several other states as well. They are an untapped resource Democrats largely ignore.

I invite all serious state-wide candidates to let The 134 PAC help your team formulate a winning strategy for rural Texas over the next two to three months.

The amount of money it costs per vote in rural Texas is pennies on the dollar compared to Dallas, Austin, Houston and San Antonio.

When Labor day arrives we understand you need to be in the big cities. That is why now is the time to be seen in places like Big Spring, Fredericksburg and Del Rio. You won't have time in late August, September or October.

You won't regret it come November 4, 2026.

Jon Mark Hogg is the Co-Founder of The 134 PAC and the Democratic County Chair of Tom Green County.