Campaign trails heat up in Fort Bend and Harris counties
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Democratic Senate candidate MJ Hegar visited Fort Bend and Harris counties on Sunday and joined other Democratic candidates on a mission to turn Texas blue.
"It has a huge impact in Texas," she explained. "When you say, 'Can I count on you to vote?' and they say, 'Sure.'"
A Democratic presidential candidate hasn't won the state since Jimmy Carter in 1976. This year, polls show a tightening presidential race.
Statewide races are getting expensive which is a sure sign of competition.
In the latest reporting period, Hegar outraised Republican Senator John Cornyn by a 3-1 margin.
Meanwhile, Cornyn is in Washington D.C. this weekend and is focused on the Supreme Court nomination.
He still leads in the polls, and has recently attacked Hegar on comments about transitioning away from the oil industry.
"We have been losing energy jobs in Texas hand over fist since 2014," Hegar said in response. "I'm actually fighting for energy industry jobs. That's what we're doing. It's going to take decades to transition."
Democrat Sri Preston Kulkarni outraised Republican Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls in the latest quarter.
National donations are still coming in as both parties vie for the congressional seat.
ABC13 did not get a response from Nehls before this article was published.
"People told me, 'That's just a moral crusade, because Texas is a red state,'" Kulkarni told a crowd of supporters on Sunday. "Is Texas a red state, y'all? No, not at all."
Democrat Sima Ladjevardian trails behind Congressman Dan Crenshaw in fundraising numbers, but the battle has become the most expensive race for Congress in Texas.
We did not hear back from Crenshaw before this article was published.
"I want to make sure everybody, you vote all the way up and down," Ladjevardian urged supporters.
