Victoria Neave Criado vs. Nathan Johnson: The Showdown No One Saw Coming
A Texas-sized Democratic duel is coming to Dallas County.
A lot of Democrats have had a knee-jerk reaction to Victoria Neave Criado throwing down the gauntlet and challenging Nathan Johnson for his Senate seat. This is because in Texas, we haven’t seen a lot of competitive Democratic races, and we always worry about splitting the Democratic vote. However, competition within the Texas Democratic Party is good for several reasons.
It encourages candidates to engage with the voters on a different level than if they were running unopposed. Even in safe Democratic seats, our elected officials should prove to their constituents that they are the best people to address their needs.
This will increase political engagement and turnout despite the fears over splitting the vote. When voters are involved in a vibrant democratic process, they feel more compelled to participate.
I don’t have an opinion about this race, but it is one I promise to watch and keep you apprised.
This morning, both appeared on Inside Texas Politics on WFAA. Hear what they had to say (the segment starts about two minutes in).
Senator Johnson has a positive attitude and seems optimistic.
While he admits to being surprised by this challenge, Johnson expresses how it’s an excellent opportunity to let the voters know more about what goes on in the Senate.
WFAA reporter Jason Whitley told Johnson, “One of the charges she levels against you is you’re too timid.”
Johnson defended his record. As someone who regularly watches the House and the Senate, I can confirm Johnson has stood up against some of the worst bills. However, have enough Democrats in the Senate pushed back as hard as the Democrats have pushed back in the House?
That’s a good question, and some have expressed that Senate Democrats fell more on the Conservative side of the big blue umbrella. It’s something voters should explore.
Whitley’s first question to Neave Criado was, “Why walk away from a safe seat and a leadership position?”
What a bullshit question. I never hear reporters ask Republicans this question. Things are changing in Texas, and they better get used to it.
Neave Criado touted her record in the House and said she wanted to bring that same leadership to the Senate. She accused Johnson of not having “that fight” against Abbott's attacks.
Neave Criado’s segment starts after just seven minutes. Make sure to watch the video above because she gives a strong argument.
Both Johnson and Neave Criado have a record to run on.
Each one of them can point to the good things they’ve done, while their opponent can point to something the other one hasn’t done. It will be an interesting race to watch over the next three months.
Here are the voting records on key votes from each (hyperlinked):
And here is the link to their donation histories:
Senate District 16 is 73% non-Anglo and 49.3% Hispanic.
Last week, the Texas Tribune ranked all of the Texas House members from left to right. If you compare where Neave Criado is to where Nathan Johnson was when the Texas Tribune ranked the Texas Senate earlier this year, they aren’t that far off ideologically. Neave Criado is a smidge to the left of Johnson.
This is one election I expect to see a debate in.
Texas will be blue by 2030. Get used to Democratic primaries. There are several more in the Texas Legislature this next year. Stay tuned for more.
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