“Even the most relentless statewide candidate is never going to talk to every voter that they need to,” Texas Majority PAC Director Katherine Fischer told the outlet. “We need a network of talented, compelling Democratic communicators across the state to clearly communicate the message that Republican leadership has failed us, and that Texans should consider voting differently this cycle and in the future.”

The effort will also force Republicans to stretch their resources across the state.

“No Republican gets a free ride in Texas,” Texas Democratic Party Chairman Kendall Scudder told the outlet in an interview. “If you are a Republican and you want to hold public office in this state, you’re going to have to fight us for it.”

The Washington Examiner reached out to the Texas Democratic Party for further comment.

The effort also stems from a belief in the Democratic Party critics may deride as far-fetched — that the party only does so poorly in rural areas because it doesn’t usually campaign there.

“When you don’t have Democrats running, you don’t have Democrats showing up in communities telling people what we stand for,” Scudder said. “The Republicans have an opportunity to brand us and tell people what we stand for instead of it coming out of our mouths.”

Rural areas across the country are nearly unanimously the most right-leaning constituencies, leading to biannual electoral maps that resemble a canvas of red with blue metropolitan dots. Democrats typically counter this by accepting their perceived lack of appeal in the area and focusing on population-heavy cities.

Republicans were largely dismissive of the Democratic Party’s move to run in every race. Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R-TX) chief strategist, Dave Carney, told the Texas Tribune that the effort was “just a gimmick, if they don’t back it up with serious resources.”

“When they start funding these outliers get back to me,” he quipped.

The effort is led in part by former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) and former state Sen. Wendy David (D-TX).

POWERHOUSE TEXAS DELEGATION SCRAMBLES 2026 MAP WITH WAVE OF HOUSE RETIREMENTS

The Texas Democrats face an uphill battle, with the state having just shifted rightward in the last election. Republicans hold 25 of the state’s 38 congressional districts, a total set to increase with redistricting, and supermajorities in the state legislature. Democrats haven’t held a statewide office since 1994.

Democrats in the state usually consolidate their resources and focus on races they believe they can win. The party has left an average of 50 state and federal seats uncontested every election cycle since 1994, according to the party.