Early voting for the March 6 primary continues through Friday. Turnout lurched toward 5% today, the eighth day of the early voting period, in the 15 counties with the most registered voters. Both parties remain on pace to have their highest early voting turnout ever for a gubernatorial election year and second-highest ever for any election year.
Through Monday, the seventh day of early voting, Democratic turnout was 90% ahead of the first seven days of 2014 and 7% ahead of 2016. More people have voted early in the Democratic primary this year than over the same periods of time in 2010 and 2014 combined. Republican turnout was 17% ahead of 2014 but 20% behind 2016, which was a record-setting year for the party. The number of people who have voted in the Republican primary through the first seven days has increased every gubernatorial election cycle since at least 2002 (Data prior to 2000 is incomplete.).
According to Republican strategist Derek Ryan’s ongoing analysis of the voters participating in the primary, the average age of Republican primary voters is 65. The average age of Democratic primary voters is 58. Voters just at or under 30 comprise less than 5% of all primary voters.
Trump Endorsements: In a pair of tweets four hours apart, President Trump tweeted his endorsements of the slate of statewide Republican elected officials.
I want to encourage all of my many Texas friends to vote in the primary for Governor Greg Abbott, Senator Ted Cruz, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Attorney General Ken Paxton. They are helping me to Make America Great Again! Vote early or on March 6th.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 27, 2018
Texas LC George P. Bush backed me when it wasn’t the politically correct thing to do, and I back him now. Also, AC Sid Miller has been with me from the beginning, he is “Trump’s Man in Texas.” Also support Comptroller Glenn Hegar, and Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 27, 2018
SD8 open: The Phillip Huffines campaign released a new ad focused on toll roads.
Bexar Co.: New York, N.Y. fund manager George Soros contributed $950K to the Texas Justice & Public Safety PAC. The beneficiary of that investment was Joe Gonzales, the Democratic primary challenger of Bexar Co. Dist. Atty. Nico LaHood (D). Soros spent at least half a million dollars in the 2016 race for Harris Co. district attorney.
©2018 Texas Election Source LLC
