A brief cheer erupted among attendees as Florida’s governor’s race was called for the Republican candidate, but the excitement was short-lived. At the Paxton watch party, the mood quickly shifted back to uncertainty as Talarico continued to hold the lead on Fox News, which was projected on a large screen for the crowd to watch.

Meanwhile, Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song” blared through the speakers, with the lyrics, “I still have a little fight left in me,” seemingly intended to energize and rally the crowd. Despite the song's message, the atmosphere remained uninspired.

Alejandra Martinez is a Fort Worth-based environmental reporter. She’s covered the impacts of petrochemical facilities on Black and brown communities, including investigating a chemical fire at an industrial...