Jeb Hensarling says he’s confident Texas will remain red

Rep. Jeb Hensarling said Tuesday he’s confident Texas will remain red in 2018 despite Democratic enthusiasm in the state.

“I still believe that due to the tax cut and jobs act that we are seeing growing economy, lowest unemployment in 17 years, highest wage increase in almost a decade, and I think, ultimately, that’s going to be reflected in the election in November,” Mr. Hensarling, Texas Republican, said on CNN.

Mr. Hensarling announced last year that he will not run for re-election. He is currently chairman of the Financial Services Committee, but he is term-limited in that position due to the GOP’s rules on leadership positions.

Texas has the first primary races of the 2018 midterms Tuesday. Democrats surpassed the GOP in early voting in the state, causing some worry about Republicans in the deep-red state. The Democrats also more than doubled their 2014 turnout.

But Mr. Hensarling said he’s confident in the Republican leadership in Congress, touting “bipartisan deals” that benefit all Americans.