Its all hands on deck: DNC chair Tom Perez holds Austin event ahead of Election Day – Austin American-Statesman

With less than 24 hours before the polls open on Election Day, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez spent his afternoon in Austin as part of a last-minute effort to rally Democratic voters.

"Its all hands on deck now," Perez told reporters at Rattan Creek Park in northwest Austin. "Every county Ive been to has the following in common: They blew through their 2016 vote totals."

Thats the case statewide and in Central Texas, where Travis County surpassed the total number of votes cast in 2016 on Wednesday. Hays and Williamson counties reported the same days earlier.

"The momentum is here," he told a masked crowd at the park in Austin. "This is a battleground state. I meant it back last year. I mean it even more now."

Perez arrived in Texas on Saturday and spent the weekend traveling to Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo.

On Monday morning in San Antonio, he stumped for MJ Hegar, the Round Rock Democrat aiming to unseat U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. Perez was joined by U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio and Democratic congressional candidate Gina Ortiz Jones, who is running in the district represented by U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Helotes, who isnt seeking another term.

Hours later in Austin, dozens of Democrats flocked to the Austin park for a socially distanced event, including state Reps. James Talarico of Round Rock and John Bucy III of Austin.

Perez noted that the election is bigger than just the presidential race for Democrats in Texas.

Republicans hold the majority in the Texas House, and Democrats would need to gain nine seats in the Tuesday election to seize control.

There is a lot at stake for both parties in the upcoming legislative session and redistricting is at the top of the list.

State lawmakers will work to redraw the states political boundaries using new data from the decennial census. The Senate is expected to remain under Republican control, but if the House is run by Democrats, both parties will get a say in drawing district lines for the next decade.

"Whoever is in charge is doing redistricting," Perez said. "We picked a terrible year to get our butts kicked in 2010, and it had residual impact for a decade. We are returning the favor."

Perezs visit also comes as polls show President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden virtually tied in Texas. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report, a leading election forecasting site, on Wednesday moved the state from "lean Republican" to "toss up."

Trump and Biden have not visited Texas in recent months, but Bidens running mate, Kamala Harris, made a swing through the state on Friday, signaling that Democrats are taking the state seriously.

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Its all hands on deck: DNC chair Tom Perez holds Austin event ahead of Election Day - Austin American-Statesman