Wendy Davis told the Austin American-Statesman newspaper on Wednesday that “Texas is not really a red state, it’s just a non-voting state.” …

Maybe. Around 1980 – eight years after Texas’ turnout rate dropped below the national average – Texas became a pretty deep red.

Since 1979, two out of the state’s five governors have been Democrats. But before 1979, all but five of the governors were Democrats – although Democrats of yore are not the Democrats of today. (Also there was one member of the Unionist party and one independent governor.) …

Presidential elections are a different story. Texas has voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election since 1980. And other than the Clinton elections, Republicans won by no small majority.