Some Texas Democrats are convinced Biden can win the state

Joe Biden in San Antonio, Texas.
(Image credit: Daniel Carde/Getty Images)

Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro are urging Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden to spend more money in Texas — and fast.

During a virtual news conference on Thursday organized by the Texas Democratic Party, O'Rourke and Castro explained why they think Biden has a chance to win the Lone Star State. Biden has more cash on hand than President Trump, giving him an opportunity to flood the airwaves with ads, and while Trump won Texas in 2016 by nine points, most recent polls show a tight race, with Biden trailing narrowly.

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With its 38 electoral votes, Texas will likely have all its ballots counted on election night, and O'Rourke wants to see Biden declared the winner on Nov. 3. "This state is theirs to lose," he said of the Biden campaign. "They've invested close to zero dollars in the state of Texas, and they're doing this well already. Imagine if they invested some real dollars." A Biden visit between now and Election Day "would electrify this state," O'Rourke said. "His commitment to the most diverse electorate of any swing state in the country would be powerful not just in Texas but would be powerful across this country."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.