Cornyn's re-election campaign sparks questions on both party flanks as Dems chase 'the ghost of a Blue Texas'

But also being asked is whether the Democrats will once again dish out tens of millions of dollars in hopes of trying to flip a Senate seat blue in red Texas?

He hauled in nearly $93 million and outpaced Cruz in fundraising during the 2024 cycle, although the GOP incumbent brought in slightly more campaign cash overall, thanks to a fundraising head start soon after his 2018 re-election.

Cruz ended up winning re-election last November by roughly nine points, which was much more comfortable than his 3.5 point victory in 2018 over former Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who hauled in $80 million - a staggering amount at the time - and outraised Cruz by a two-to-one margin.

While the 2018 battle between Cruz and O'Rourke grabbed tons of national attention, it was far from the first time Democrats had spent big bucks on an unsuccessful ballot box effort in Texas.

Mackowiak emphasized that Democrats in Texas "haven't come close, with the only exception being Beto O'Rourke in 2018."

"Money is not enough for Democrats to turn Texas blue. It is necessary but not sufficient," he argued. "What they have to have is something that they don't have, which is an electable, mainstream, moderate, pro-business Democrat. That category almost doesn't exist in Texas."

Asked if the Democrats are pouring money down the drain, Ed Espinoza, a Texas-based communications professional and political analyst who once served at the Democratic National Committee, said, "Every time I was asked that question the past few cycles, I'd say, 'No, absolutely not.'"

Pausing for a moment, Espinoza then emphasized, "I think 2026 is an important year for Texas Democrats because it's an opportunity to demonstrate that they're still in this fight."

"In 2018, we saw strong Democratic gains in Texas. In 2020, we saw those gains hold. There was slippage in 2022 and 2024 and a lot of that was due to redistricting," he argued. "But 2026 is the year that Texas Democrats can and must demonstrate they're still in this fight."