Texas is now a toss-up, Cook Political Report says

Texas, which was previously leaning Republican in the presidential election, should now be considered a toss-up, Cook Political Report said Wednesday.

There have been several recent polls out of the Lone Star state suggesting the Democratic nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, has a legitimate chance of defeating President Trump and picking up the 38 electoral votes. Per Cook Political, Texas could see a record turnout this year, and the state's changing demographics and recent election history — including Democrat Beto O'Rourke's narrow loss to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in 2018 — further hint that the tide could be turning in what has been a consistently red state over the last several cycles. O'Rourke, for one, sure thinks that's a possibility, and is trying to get the Biden campaign to place a greater focus there in the final stretch.

Trump still has a good chance of holding on to Texas, however, and Cook Political notes Biden likely doesn't need to flip the state to get at least 270 electoral votes. But if he pulled it off, it would make the incumbent's path to re-election even more challenging, considering Texas has the second most electoral votes after California, which is solidly blue. Read more at Cook Political Report.

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