GRAPEVINE, Texas _ Leaders of the conservative tea party movement who have spent years railing against Republican moderates are urging their supporters to back a full slate of Republican candidates this fall �� even ones they've previously opposed.
Republican strategists across the state concede that their party is out of practice in campaigning for a general election, a concern in a year where Democrats have fielded an unusually large number of strong candidates to run against them.
A number of prominent Texas Republicans have endorsed Democrats over the tea party's top candidates this fall.
"A lot of our fights here in this room, in the conservative movement, have been focused in the primaries," said state Rep. Jonathan Stickland, a member of the Texas House Freedom Caucus, said at a Tarrant County tea party meeting this week.
"You must care about this general election in a way that none of us have ever done before," said Stickland, who is challenged this fall by Democrat Steve Riddell.
Texas hasn't voted for a Democrat for president since Jimmy Carter in 1976, or elected a Democrat statewide since 1994.
Yet in the first midterm election of Donald Trump's presidency, Democratic candidates are waging aggressive campaigns in places where there haven't been serious races in recent memory.
"Most of our Republican candidates, incumbents, and consultants under the age of 50 have never had a race where they've had to worry about a general election," said Dave Carney, the architect of Gov. Greg Abbott's campaigns who was a political adviser to President George H.W. Bush. "It's been a big learning curve for everybody."
Democrats are targeting eight congressional races in Texas is districts now held by Republicans. Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke, who is running against Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has raised more money than any U.S. Senate candidate in history, money that Republicans worry could trickle down to help other Democrats.
"People ask me, 'what are you going to do when you get to Washington?" said Republican congressional candidate Ron Wright. "I say, 'Well I'm going to join the (conservative House) Freedom Caucus and bask in the glow of (Rep.) Louie Gohmert," a Texas congressman known as a conservative firebrand.
National Democrats included Wright's race on their list of Texas congressional targets. Wright's campaign, which took on a large debt fighting a tough primary runoff against fellow Republican Jake Ellzey, is a seat Republicans have won easily in recent years.
In San Antonio, Republican Chip Roy benefited from millions of dollars from conservative outside groups in a primary to succeed retiring Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas.
Roy, who was slow to fire up his general election campaign, now faces a tougher-than-expected race against Democrat Joseph Kopser, in a district that Smith held easily.
In Houston, Republican Dan Crenshaw gave $100,000 to a party leadership PAC after securing the Republican nomination in a primary to replace retiring conservative Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas. Crenshaw's race is also on Democrats' target list as he faces a general election contest with Todd Litton.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who invited President Donald Trump to campaign in Texas, urged conservatives at the tea party gathering to vote "straight ticket" for Republicans on the ballot this fall �� including those he's long opposed.
"There are some moderates in our party, and there are conservatives in our party. ... There are some business people who don't care about the pro-life issues, and pro-life people who don't care about the business issues," Patrick said. "Not every Republican with me on every issue, (but) every Republican has to line up."
Patrick this fall is opposed for re-election by Democrat Mike Collier, who was endorsed by Patrick's failed GOP primary challenger, Scott Milder.
