While Democrats failed to elect a single candidate to statewide office in Texas in yesterday’s 2018 general election, a blue wave did manage to hit the state hard in crucial down-ballot races, as Democrats won every single seat up for grabs on four of its most influential intermediate appellate courts.
In upsets that few political observers—including some of the candidates who won the races—expected, Democrats took five seats each on Houston’s all-Republican First Court of Appeals and all-Republican Fourteenth Court of Appeals, eight seats on Dallas’ all-Republican Fifth Court of Appeals, four seats on Austin’s all-Republican Third Courts of Appeals and four seats on San Antonio’s Fourth Court of Appeals.
