Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) told PBS’s “Firing Line With Margaret Hoover” last week that the Republican Party needs to rapidly start making changes in the faces that represent the party and in its messaging if it wants to remain a player in U.S. politics, or else “there won’t be Republican Party in America.”
“There’s this term … ‘Texodus,’ which refers to the six Republican members of the House of Representatives from Texas who are not running again,” host Margaret Hoover said. “What’s going on?”
“Every member has their own, you know, reason for why they’re leaving,” Hurd responded. “Mine is simple. I think I can help my country in different ways. I don’t think – just because we don’t have term limits doesn’t mean we can’t walk away from these jobs. I’ve always said to do this job well, you know, you have a shelf life of six, seven, eight years.”
“Some of my other colleagues have been in Congress for several decades, and they’re looking forward to spending more time with their grandkids,” Hurd continued. “So I think this notion of ‘Texodus’ and whether Texas is in play, I think these are two separate issues, and I also believe Texas is in play.”
“Texas is a purple state,” Hurd continued. “Just because we don’t have a statewide elected Democrat doesn’t mean it’s not in play in 2020.”
“I think Democrats have the real shot of taking over a majority in the statehouse in Texas, which means they’re going to be responsible for redistricting in 2021,” Hurd continued. “So the trends that we saw happen in California, then the northeast and recently in Virginia, all of those trends are in place in Texas.”
Recent reports from The New York Times and The Washington Post confirmed Hurd’s comments as both left-leaning publications admitted that mass immigration and changing demographics were key to the Democrats’ wins in Virginia.
“You have said in a quote in The Washington Post that if the Republican Party in Texas doesn’t start looking like Texas, that there won’t be a Republican Party in Texas anymore,” Hoover interjected.
“And I think that applies to the rest of the country, and I would add, if the Republican Party doesn’t start looking like America and start appealing to all Americans, there won’t be Republican Party in America,” Hurd replied.
“And why should that matter to Democrats, and why should that matter to Independents?” Hurd continued. “The only way we have ever solved big problems in this country is by doing it together. The only way to do that is if you have a true competition of ideas in November.”
“I want to make sure we have a party that’s appealing to communities of color, people under the age of 29, [and] women with a college degree in the suburbs,” Hurd added. “Those are the three groups where the Republican brand is terrible and those are the three largest growing groups of voters.”
“So we have to be able to take a message to folks like that,” Hurd concluded. “And helping to change the face of the party so that we can do that is important for us.”
WATCH:
“Texas is a purple state. Just because we don't have a statewide elected Democrat doesn't mean it's not in play in 2020,” says Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX). "If the Republican party doesn’t start looking like America…there won't be a Republican Party in America," adds @HurdontheHill. pic.twitter.com/nI3ojuRCt7
— Firing Line with Margaret Hoover (@FiringLineShow) November 22, 2019