In suburban Texas, 'It feels like there's no place for lifelong Republicans like me'
COLLEYVILLE, Texas - Vanessa Steinkamp is the kind of voter that Texas Republicans counted on. She's a devoted conservative who volunteered for Bob Dole's presidential campaign, interned for former GOP Sen. Bill Frist and lives in an affluent suburb between Fort Worth and Dallas that is the reddest pocket of a reliably Republican district.
These days, though, Steinkamp feels alienated, not energized, by her party. The thought of voting in 2020 brings on a weary sigh.
"It feels like there's no place for lifelong Republicans like me," she said.
Her unease underscores a larger problem for Texas Republicans: Female suburban voters like Steinkamp are no longer a sure bet for the party, injecting new competitiveness into the Lone Star State's politics.
That dynamic captured the national spotlight last week when U.S. Rep. Kenny Marchant, a Republican who represents the communities outside Dallas
