San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro spoke on national television this weekend, about the push to turn Texas into a majority Democratic state. However, some here, said that’s unlikely to happen.
Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos, a Republican, said Texas has long been a majority Republican state and he doesn’t think that will change easily.
He said that was evident during the last general election, although President Barak Obama won his re-election bid, he did not win Texas.
But Cascos adds that red or blue, people spend too much time concentrating on party affiliation instead of studying the candidates and focusing on the issues.
"We spend way too much time playing partisan politics, which is really what's frozen our country at the national level,” Cascos said. “But it's created a lot of legislation that cannot pass because of the partisanship. No one really knows what Texas is going to do – I don’t see it changing colors."
Cameron County Democratic Party Chair Silvia Garza-Perez said she agrees with Cascos that turning Texas blue won’t be easy, but she thinks it's just a matter of hard work and grass roots efforts to get it done.
She said the focus are young people, Hispanics and African Americans.
"A lot of the people bringing this (effort) to the ground are those that have been impacted by women's issues,” said Garza-Perez. “The Dream Act, Social Security, (unemployment) - those are the people that are going to be coming out."
Garza-Perez said the Democratic voters are out there and it can be done.
She said over 70 percent of people that turned out at the polls in Cameron County during the past general election were Democrats, paving the way for other counties.
She adds as people have become more educated throughout the state, they are learning and willing to stand up for their rights and beliefs.
A majority Democratic Texas, could happen as soon as 2016, she said.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKGBT