The 3 Dos and 3 Don’ts for the new Texas Democratic majority

Houston Chronicle · The Editorial Board · 2026-11-06 11:01 UTC

The Houston Chronicle editorial board encourages Texas Democrats to roll back Republican excesses but not indulge their own.

Not since Rice University defeated the Longhorns on the gridiron has Texas witnessed such an astounding underdog victory as the Democratic sweep of our statewide offices. And like the Owls of 1994, there are no doubt plenty of Democrats still in something of a hangover — whether figurative or literal — trying to recombobulate what exactly happened.

As Texas Democrats get their footing, it may be tempting to continue the revelry into the upcoming legislative session (bill prefiling begins on Monday, Nov. 9) and keep tearing down goalposts in celebration. But we imagine that the seminarian who led their ticket might remind them of Ecclesiastes: There is a time to tear down and a time to build.

Or, as another famous Texas Democrat put it: Any jackass can kick down a barn, but it takes a good carpenter to build one. Democrats in Austin should be donkeys, not jackasses.

Read the full story at Houston Chronicle · All coverage of this story