The Scoop

Republican Win In Texas Special Election Raises Questions About Biden’s Popularity

By • May 4, 2021 1:06 pm

The special election in Texas’ Sixth Congressional District had two Republicans gathering enough votes to advance to a runoff — in what was seen as a major blow to Democrats’ bid to flip seats in one of the country’s key states in the election.

Reports also noted that the result of the special election in the district, which covers some southeastern parts of Fort Worth, as well as some rural areas —  presented a snap of how the district has reacted to the new Democratic administration’s first 100 days in the White House.

Susan Wright, wife of the late Republican Rep. Ron Wright reportedly earned the most votes followed by fellow Republican Jake Ellzey who also defeated Jana Lynne Sanchez prompting the Democratic candidate to later on concede in a social media post.

“Dems should prepare for a SHELLACKING in 2022 … ‘Democrats aiming to flip Texas House seat fall short as 2 Republicans qualify for runoff,’ commented Fox News Contributor Tammy Bruce.

A columnist at the National Review, John Fund, also took to Twitter to read into the outcome of the Texas election related to the popularity of the new Democratic president — days after he released his vision for the country in his first address before the joint US Congress.

“If Biden Is So Popular, Why This?” Fund wrote, linking a story with the election result. 

“Republicans grabbed the two runoff slots in the Texas 6 special election … Dems were shut out, their candidates won a total 36% in a Dallas area seat that Trump carried by only 3 points last November,” he added.

In a social media post following her qualification for the run-off, Wright — a life-long Republican wrote: “Let’s go win this! #MAGA.”

 

The enthusiasm of the Biden administration ahead of his inauguration in January has appeared to have dissipated as he approached the 100th day of his term.

Several polls found that just over half of Americans approve of the job that the new Democratic president is doing — with failing marks specifically on the issue of immigration.

“Biden’s job rating is higher than Donald Trump’s was at this same point in time in the poll (40% approve, 54% disapprove), but it’s lower than Barack Obama’s was at 100 days (61% approve, 30% disapprove),” NBC News’ Mark Murray reports citing an NBC News and ABC News/Washington Post polls.

Bloomberg described Biden’s 100-day approval rating as “remarkably flat.” 

“This does mean that Biden’s honeymoon has been, at best, unimpressive; other than the perpetually unpopular Trump, Biden has the lowest peak (at 55.1%, compared with George W. Bush’s 58.6%). He’s spent most of the past month beating only Trump and Gerald Ford. To be sure: It’s far too early to guess how popular Biden will be going into the midterms in 2022, let alone a re-election campaign,” it added, noting that Trump, Ford, Obama, Jimmy Carter and Harry Truman “had already reached the best approval ratings they would ever get at this point.”

Last month, a Fox News survey also found that only 54% majority of voters approved of Biden’s job performance — higher than Trump’s 45% at this period — but lower than Obama (62%) and Bush (63%) approval at their respective 100-day points.

Democrats aim to turn Texas blue

Despite the defeat of Democratic bets in the recent Texas special election, the state’s Democratic Party chair, Gilberto Hinojosa noted that the party is setting its sights on the future.

“The clear enthusiasm in this election is one more sign that Texas is moving closer and closer to turning blue with every year that passes,” Hinojosa said in a statement. 

“The new Democratic South is rising, and we will continue to rally our movement to take back our state — including as we look toward the 2022 governor’s race.”

The date of the runoff has not yet been set.

Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump, who earlier rallied for Wright’s election —  congratulated her for advancing to the runoff 

The former GOP president carried the district by just three points in the previous presidential election, while he won the area by 12 points in 2016.

“The Democrats have just conceded the race,” Trump said following the results. “Susan surged after I gave her an endorsement last week. Her wonderful husband is looking down, and is very proud of her!”

Republicans sweeps Texas election 

Meanwhile, in another blow to Democrats’ ambitions in Texas, the GOP also secured several wins in Southlake, Texas, a community northwest of Dallas, where Republicans “swept local elections and took over the school board.”

Reports noted that the result came as “voters rebelled” against proposals to instate critical race theory in school curriculum being pushed by Biden and other progressive lawmakers — which “teaches that inequality is a result of systemic racism.”

“On one side, progressives argued that curriculum and disciplinary changes were needed to make all children feel safe and welcome in Carroll, a mostly white but quickly diversifying school district,” NBC News reported. 

It added that on the other hand, “conservatives in Southlake rejected the school diversity plan as an effort to indoctrinate students with a far-left ideology that, according to some, would institutionalize discrimination against white children and those with conservative Christian values.”

“Republicans blew out Democrats by a roughly 70% to 30% margin to take two spots and control of the Carroll Independent School District board, two city council seats, and the Southlake mayor’s seat. The election results, finalized Sunday, showed a ballooning voter turnout about 3-times larger than past local elections,” the DailyWrite wrote in its report.

Southlake attorney Hannah Smith, who won a spot on the school board said: “The election ‘was a referendum on those who put personal politics and divisive philosophies ahead of Carroll ISD students and families, and their common American heritage and Texas values.”#

Steeve Strange

Steeve is the CEO & Co-Founder of The Scoop.
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