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In reply to the discussion: Exclusive: Top House Democrat Unveils Plan to Beat Back Progressive Rebellion [View all]summer_in_TX
(2,752 posts)Texas gerrymandered congressional district went through Austin and candidates from Austin often got on the ballot. Austin Democratic groups vetted the candidates, donated, endorsed, They tended to be progressive, environmentalists, campaigning on Medicare for All and the Green New Deal.
I live the next county over and my Republican Congressman was in one of those gerrymandered districts. The rest of our Congressional District was heavily Republican so the liberal Austin Dems flamed out.
But often there were more moderate Dems campaigning who couldn't get Austin endorsements and their counties didn't have lots of Dem groups to endorse them. Candidates with more endorsements get more money, so the Dems who I thought had a real chance in our district never survived the primaries.
I would have been happy to have the Austin liberal candidate as my Congressman but in reality she never had a chance, and that Austin effect has made it impossible for Dems who had a better chance to do well.
We will see how redistricting affects things this cycle. I'm not holding my breath.