Live updates: Trump holds second Texas rally in one day; Talarico plans dueling event
Two rallies in one state in a single day is the kind of schedule that tells you how high the stakes are. Trump's team clearly sees Texas as worth the travel time, and Abbott's campaign is happy to have the national spotlight a week out. The dueling event from Talarico, meanwhile, is a reminder that even in a state that leans red, there's a Democratic operation that believes it can close the gap.
I'd want to know how big the crowds actually are at each stop. Rally size isn't a reliable predictor of votes, but it does tell you something about enthusiasm. And with a week to go, enthusiasm is what both sides are banking on.
The interesting part for me is what this says about the national party's attention on Texas. A president stumping twice in one day for a governor is unusual, and it suggests the GOP sees Texas as more competitive than the map might suggest, or at least worth shoring up. Either way, voters in Corpus Christi and Lubbock get a front-row seat to how the parties spend their final days.