As the Lone Star State awaits the results of the 2020 election, many are wondering if this will be the year Texas turns from red to blue. Hays County is no exception, as it has seen a surge in progressive movements and Democratic candidates in recent years. In the County Commissioners Court, Republican Commissioner Lon Shell is facing off against Democrat Lisa Prewitt for District 3.This district includes parts of Wimberley and Woodcreek, and most of the southwestern half of the county. If Prewitt is elected, it will be the first time in more than a decade that the court has a Democratic majority, according to the president of the Hays County Democratic Party.
Erin Zwiener and Carrie Isaac are competing for House District 45, an undecided district in Hays and Blanco. Both sides are focusing heavily on this area. Cutler instituted a countywide citation and diversion policy earlier this year, which has been supported by progressive movements such as cite and release and cite and divert. This is important for Hays County, which has been a predominantly conservative county. Several groups in Hays County are recruiting and training election observers to work at polling stations during early voting.
The Texas Civil Rights Project threatened to sue the county amid allegations that it was suppressing the vote of college students, so Hays County Commissioners extended voting on the Texas state campus and created an additional voting site on Election Day. Mark Jones, professor of political science at Rice University, said Hays County wasn't as red as other parts of the state heading into elections, but said they turned blue “much more abruptly than in other counties”.Election data from Hays County indicates that students in the state of Texas took advantage of extensive voting opportunities. Security labels were seen on voting machines as Hays County election staff waited to load them into a truck to be taken to early voting centers from their offices in San Marcos.Overall, competition between Democratic and Republican candidates in Hays County leaned toward a Democratic Party victory. This is why both sides are focusing heavily on this area. It will be interesting to see how Hays County votes in this election. With record voter turnout in Texas this year, it could be a sign that the Lone Star State is turning blue.
