Yesterday, we were out in Bastrop County, east of Austin, reporting on what it might take to turn Texas blue—or keep it red.
Late today, Michele Rutherford, the county Democratic chair, sent me a text. Here’s how her Election Day began.
I started my day with a good cry this morning at 5am then I got dressed and spent the day traveling over 100 miles to check on all 15 polling locations in the county and checked in with all of our volunteers working the polls or poll greeting today.
We feel hopeful but also extremely anxious. The weight of this election is so heavy, and we are so incredibly aware of how many people outside of Texas are holding their breath and rooting for us and hoping we can pull this off here in the Lone Star State.
Fifteen polling places. A hundred miles. And then home to clean up for the watch party.
This moment is so emotional for Democrats in Texas, and so ominous for many Republicans.
Across the country, in Iowa, Maine, Ohio, and Georgia as well as Texas, I’ve listened to people tell me, in their own way, the same thing:
It’s not working. The whole system, the political parties, people in power in government and in the economy—they are failing America.
Michele Rutherford closed her text to me with this:
“Send positive energy for your rural Texas friends. We need it!”
I’m in Texas tonight to see whether James Talarico can pull this off. I’ll be at his election-night gathering in Austin, watching the returns and the faces in the room.
And I’ll be thinking about Michele, who got up at five, had her cry, and got in the car.
—Terry
