Remember what happened to Arizona in the 2020 election? It was the product of more than a decade of mobilizing voters and electing Democratic statewide officials. The same could happen to Texas soon. 

There’s no guarantee that Texas will flip in this upcoming election cycle, or even in the next, but as the Latinx vote proved to be one of the final margins to make a difference in Arizona, analysts believe Texas is well positioned to take similar steps. They’re just not on the same timeline. 

The U.S. Census Bureau also recently announced its reapportionment data for 2020, wherein Texas emerged the winner in terms of Congressional seats added until the next decennial count. It is to be seen how the new redistricting maps are drawn, but with two new congressional districts, there’s potential for more political movement for either party.

Until the smoke clears on that front, the Latino Victory Fund, as it has in years past, has identified and endorsed five Latinx Democratic candidates that could move the state closer towards its vision of a Texas House, and other state and local municipal positions, in control by the Democratic party. Specifically, by Democratic Latinos.

It announced candidate endorsements in the upcoming municipal elections in San Antonio, Dallas, and Fort Worth and in the special election for the Texas’ 6th Congressional District. 

“Today, we're proud to announce our endorsement of five candidates in Texas. These Latino leaders will be key to mobilizing Latino voters, increasing Latino representation, and building Latino political power across the Lone Star state,” the organization wrote on Twitter.

This time around, Latino Victory has endorsed:  

• Jana Lynne Sanchez, candidate for 6th Congressional District
• Adam Bazaldua, candidate for Dallas City Council, District 7
• Ana Sandoval, candidate for San Antonio City Council, District 7
• Robert Treviño, candidate for San Antonio City Council, District 1
• Tara Wilson, candidate for Fort Worth City Council, District 4. 

If elected, Sanchez would be the first Latina and first woman to represent Texas’ 6th Congressional District, which encompasses parts of Fort Worth and the southern areas of Dallas and Fort Worth. 

Sanchez previously ran for the district in 2018 and lost, but her pursuit was followed  in the documentary Surge. There are also nearly two dozen candidates fighting for the seat. One of Sanchez’s opponents, Susan Wright was recently endorsed by former president Donald Trump. 

Tara Wilson would be the first Latina elected to represent Fort Worth City Council’s 4th District. She served as a frontline nurse throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and says she “was called upon in May 2020 to serve the Latinx community, specifically the Spanish speaking community of Chicago to help fight Covid-19 in an overwhelmed ER.”

The elections will take place soon, on Saturday, May 1, 2021. Take a look at all the candidates below: