White male Democrats vanishing in Texas legislature

Dallas News - White male Democrats once dominated Texas politics. But next year’s elections could leave five or fewer of them in the House.

As Democrats put their emphasis on turning out more women and Hispanic voters and Republicans try to maintain advantages in the state’s small towns and rural areas, the trend, decades in the making, is expected to continue.

And it mirrors the national political dynamic, where Democrats are in a party dominated by minorities and Republicans by white men. Conservative Democrats in Congress like former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn and former U.S. Rep. Charlie Stenholm of Abilene have all but vanished from the scene.

The polarization of the parties along racial and ideological lines makes it harder to reach compromise on economic issues and other matters. White male Democrats used to serve as a bridge between liberal and conservative elements of the party, but the conservative wing of the Democratic Party has been obliterated.

Democrats started the 2013 legislative session with seven white male members. At least two plan to retire.