Why Trump defeat may be boon to Texas Republicans
Donald Trump
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - A Donald Trump loss in Tuesday's presidential election could actually be good news for Texas Republicans.
The GOP controls all but one of Texas' 29 statewide offices and almost none are up for re-election until 2018.
That gives top Texas Republicans two years to potentially relish antagonizing a Hillary Clinton administration the way they did with Barack Obama in the White House.
A Trump defeat would also set the stage for a GOP rebound in Texas and across the country during the next midterm election. That could be similar to how Obama's 2008 win helped spur the tea party wave two years later.
And Trump coming up short could begin healing divisions within the party that were opened by such a bombastic and nontraditional Republican presidential nominee.