18 races to follow for the 2018 midterms

6. Texas’ 7th District

Candidates: Republican incumbent John Culberson vs. Democratic challenger Lizzie Pannill Fletcher

Traditionally speaking, most people outside of Texas have practically dismissed the state as a lost cause — or a given boon, depending on how you vote. That’s because the received wisdom holds that Texas is a fiercely independent and staunchly Republican state.

But, that kind of viewpoint isn’t really giving the people of Texas enough credit for their diversity of opinion. There are plenty of people with strong Republican values and voting cred, sure. Yet, that’s not the whole story. More and more, the growing population in Texas’ urban and suburban communities is lending a distinctive left-leaning voice to the conversation.

That’s why the state’s 7th Congressional District is bound to have an interesting election come this November. This district includes a fair portion of wealthy western Houston, with a large part of its outlying suburbs. What kind of traditional takes will hold, and which will be broken there?

It’s true that a Republican has held this seat for a whopping fifty years. Yes, and the district also voted for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in the 2012 elections. And, traditionally speaking, wealthy Americans are more likely to vote for Republican candidates. That’s the kind of assurance that incumbent Republican Representative John Culberson is hoping will carry him through to another term. Culberson has represented the 7th District since 2001.

Are things changing, however? Certainly, that’s what Democratic challenger LIzzie Pannill Fletcher is hoping. She might be right, too, given the changing demographics and political leanings of the district in question.

Campaign website for John Culberson: http://www.culbersonforcongress.com/
Campaign website for LIzzie Pannill Fletcher: https://lizziefletcher.com/