2020′s first big test? Not Iowa, but a tiny Texas House race

By PAUL J. WEBER
an hour ago

KATY, Texas (AP) — Beto O’Rourke is livestreaming again. Joe Biden and Julián Castro are making their presence felt. Mike Bloomberg has knocked on doors and outside groups are running TV attack ads. On the brink of 2020?s first big contest, it all screams high stakes.

Not in Iowa. This is just for a single Texas House seat.

“This is one of the most important elections taking place in the country right now,” said O’Rourke, who since ending his own presidential run in November has campaigned for the Democrat in the race, Eliz Markowitz, including again Saturday with Castro.

The outcome of the Jan. 28 special election runoff near Houston — a week before the Iowa caucuses — in an ethnically diverse district of 220,000 people won’t change the balance of power in the GOP-controlled Texas Capitol. But like other special elections since President Donald Trump took office, this one is seen as brimming with broader significance: the year’s first bellwether that could signal bigger trends to come in November.

https://apnews.com/f6c742c64b7517fc49551764a406a820