AND TAKING THE PARTY DOWN WITH HIM:

The president's margins in Texas will matter, and Republicans fear that a close race at the top of the ticket might wipe them out in down ballot races.

Five House Republicans from the Texas delegation are retiring at the end of the year and the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates three of those as either toss-ups or leaning Democratic.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is also up for reelection and will likely face the toughest fight of his career in 2020.

Biden's campaign says it intends to compete in Texas, where the state Democratic Party has become one of the largest in the nation. Texas's fast-changing demographics have hastened its move from solidly red state to purple battleground.

"It is a very serious moment for Republicans in Texas," said Bill Miller, a veteran Republican campaign operative in Austin. "Any Republican that doesn't take the moment seriously will be surprised in a very bad way in November. They have to be alert and engaged or they'll find themselves in trouble with a capital T."

A Quinnipiac University survey released last week found Trump leading Biden by 1 point in Texas. Trump leads by 2.2 points in the RealClearPolitics average.

Texas Republicans are primarily worried about their standing in the suburbs, where women and independents have steadily gravitated away from the GOP since Trump took office.

Republican support has eroded in the areas surrounding Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio, four of the nation's largest and fastest growing metro areas. Democrats defeated longtime GOP incumbents in Houston and Dallas in 2018.

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