Harry's House Has a Beto Yard Sign

KATHRYN CHAVEZ: There is an energy that is unique to a Harry Styles concert. Ostentatious and elaborate outfits are the norm, often as an ode to the individual and flashy ensembles of Styles himself. Attendees bring signs with inside jokes that only true fans will know or questions and requests that align with Styles' sense of humor. On his own accord at his Austin, Texas, October 2 concert, Styles stepped into the political arena. The singer endorsed Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rouke via a sticker on his guitar and featuring O'Rourke, who was at the concert, on the in-venue concert video feed to thunderous applause. The 2022 Texas gubernatorial race between current two-term Governor Greg Abbott and former Congressman Beto O'Rourke will determine the legislative future of Texas, with issues such as abortion, immigration, and gun ownership on the line.

O'Rourke and Abbott were last on the Texas ballot for office in 2018. O'Rourke ran for Senate, losing to Ted Cruz, and Abbott won his first reelection for Governor. O'Rourke, however, ran a much tighter race than projected. Losing by just 215,000 votes, or 2.6 percent, it was the closest U.S. Senate race in Texas since 1978. Many projected the loss to be much larger, as the polls showed him more than 2.6 percent points, but rather 5-7 percentage points behind Cruz. Four years later, the polls are very similar to what they were in September/October of 2018. With O'Rourke polling the same a month out as his previous near upset, Texas Democrats are feeling hopeful. Styles lending his endorsement added fuel to the democratic enthusiasm, possibly adding the needed votes to push O'Rourke over the finish line.

The political environment has the potential to be in Texas Democrats' favor with the reversal of Roe v. Wade through Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization and the tragic mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Ballot measures all over the country prove that voters are showing up to the polls to protect abortion rights. But, looking at a poll from Quinnipiac, the most important issue Texans care about is the Texas-Mexico border. Nationally, Governor Abbott has faced criticism over his new policy to transport both legal and illegal migrants to northern states.

Then, in no doubt but a strategic play by Abbott, the two candidates debated on Friday, September 30. Due to High School football, most Texans were spending their Friday evening in stands, not in front of the TV. Despite hoping to reduce O'Rourke's audience reach, O'Rourke is gathering crowds almost daily, often in the hundreds all over Texas.

Harry Styles has played to sold-out crowds in Texas for nearly a decade; his most recent visit was the six-show residency in Austin. The British singer spent his early career in the world-famous boy band, One Direction. The band split in 2015, and Styles began his solo career. Winning a Grammy in 2021 for his song Watermelon Sugar and recently finishing 15 sold-out nights at New York Cities Madison Square Garden, Styles has arguably had the most success as a solo act. And even though Styles has never been a beacon of traditional values, he was baptized by fire in conservative media when he was photographed in a dress for his American Vogue cover. Many Republicans and conservative voices claimed the photo was an attack on masculinity.

Styles is not the first celebrity to endorse a political candidate; Styles is not even the first singer to support O'Rourke. Willie Nelson has been an active O'Rourke supporter since he ran for Senate in 2018, and Beyonce posted a photo wearing a "Beto" hat days before the 2018 election. Styles stands out, however, because his audience is primarily Generation Z and young Millennial women, for many of whom this is their first Midterm election in the Republican-dominated state.

Styles is not one to be silent about issues he supports. In response to the Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas mass shootings, he partnered with Everytown for Gun Safety for his Love on Tour. And on his social media profiles, he expressed his support for women's right to choose following the reversal of Roe v. Wade through Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. He once again expressed concern for the reversal of women's reproductive rights, saying, "No one can tell you what to do with your own body; it's yours" during his run in Austin. While his remarks were met with cheers, it's still Texas, which has a near-full ban on abortion due to the Heartbeat Act.

In 2021, the Texas state legislator and Governor Abbott passed the Heartbeat Act, which prohibits abortions after the presence of a fetal heartbeat is detected. A heartbeat can be found via ultrasound devices as early as six weeks after a woman becomes pregnant. The Act does make exceptions for medical emergencies; however, there are no exceptions for rape or incest. Women's reproductive rights and future are in the hands of individuals who will never have to bear children, as the Texas state legislature is 73 percent male, in addition to a male Governor.

The cheers and screams of approval from Styles' support of O'Rourke and reproductive rights align with current trends of young Americans leaning towards the Democratic party. But should this make the Abbott campaign nervous about young women's enthusiasm for progressive ideas and candidates? While an imperfect example, when Taylor Swift endorsed two Tennessee Democratic candidates in October of 2018, including now-Senator Marsha Blackburn's opponent, 65,000 people went on to register to vote in the next 24 hours nationwide. Looking at just Tennessee, 2,144 people registered 36 hours following the post, an increase from the 2,811 voters who registered in September and 951 in August. It is too early to tell what effect Styles' endorsement will have on the race.

However, there is no doubt that some people in the audience remained silent. This is still Texas, a state that has not sent a Democrat to the US Senate or the Governor's Mansion since the 1980s and 1990s. It could also be a "Sign of the Times" when looking at a Data for Progress poll; most young people between 18-36 in Texas lean Democrat. So, the question on everyone's mind is, does Harry Styles confirming his support of the Democrat light that spark to vote for O'Rourke among the 90,000+ people who attended his concert in Texas? That number does not even include the Texas fans who could not get a ticket or find time to get to Austin.

I am a longtime fan of Harry Styles and One Direction. A fan journey of going to One Direction concerts since 2011, being heartbroken when they went on "hiatus" in 2015, and now seeing them as solo acts. I got to meet Styles in 2018 and O'Rourke in 2022, so seeing Style's endorsement of O'Rourke was an incredible moment. And while not every singer has to share their political beliefs, when Swift and Styles made their endorsements, it made me like them more and increased my eagerness to vote. It may not seem fair that Democrats have the likes of Styles, Swift, and Beyonce in their corner, but looking at 2016 and 2018, celebrity endorsements do not always result in a win. The Texas gubernatorial race will be decided in a month, but Styles's most recent single can sum up the outcome of the results because it will all be "As It Was."

Kathryn Chavez is a Second Year Master of Public Policy student at the McCourt School. Originally from outside Dallas, Texas, she graduated from Southern Methodist University in 2021 with degrees in Business Management, Advertising and Fashion Media with a minor in Journalism.