First in The Blast: Julie Oliver, the Democrat challenging U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, R-Austin, is being named to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Red to Blue program.
"Texans know tough, and Julie Oliver has always beat the odds," DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos says in a statement. "A homeless, pregnant teenager who dropped out of high school, Julie endured to finish high school, put herself through college and law school with a young family and build a successful career.
The Red to Blue designation comes roughly a month after the DCCC expanded its Texas target list to include Williams' 25th Congressional District and two others. The committee has now designated 10 total seats in Texas that it's working to flip this November, and Oliver is the seventh contender in those races who's received the Red to Blue distinction.
Oliver also ran against Williams in 2018, losing by 9 percentage points. This time, Democrats have touted internal polling that shows a closer race — Oliver trailing by 2 points in their latest survey — while Williams' campaign said early this month that its polling had him ahead by a wider margin of 12 points.
— Patrick Svitek
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