Emboldened by their success in 2020, national Republicans are trying to make inroads in areas of Texas that are considered Democratic Party strongholds.

It’s part of a national strategy to improve outreach in minority communities. Members of the Republican National Committee have opened what they call community centers in blue areas across the country. Of the 10 centers that they’ve christened in advance of the 2022 midterm elections, four are in Texas. The first three centers debuted in McAllen, Laredo and San Antonio.

And on Saturday the RNC took its offensive to Dallas County, opening a facility in Coppell. It’s an area that was once solid Republican, but has dramatically trended in favor of Democrats. Dallas County has been reliably blue since 2006, when Democrats took firm control of countywide politics.

Republicans hope that the 2022 midterm elections will begin the process of taking back Dallas County and other areas dominated by Democrats.

“We are really excited about this center here in North Texas and we’re excited about the centers all across the country,” said Republican National Committee co-Chairman Tommy Hicks Jr. “We’re reaching out and building relationships with the Black communities, Hispanic communities and Asian-Pacific American communities across the country. We want to make sure that we develop relationships right here today, and not just ask for their vote right before the election.”

The theory behind the community centers is simple: open offices in areas where Democrats have been winning in order to sell a GOP message of family values, limited government and pursuit of the American dream. The community centers are glorified campaign offices that offer more than a place to host phone banks or meetings. They are also designed to be actual community centers, albeit with a conservative theme.

In Cleveland, a Republican community center hosts Browns football watch parties.

“Once they know what we stand for, we’ve seen huge conversions,” said Khushboo “Khush” Rawlley, co-founder of the Dallas-based conservative Indian American advocacy group called U.S. Impact.

But Democrats aren’t impressed, and they call on Republicans to be upfront about the GOP message.

“Their message is that Black people and Hispanics shouldn’t have a right to vote like everyone else,” said Gilberto Hinojosa, chairman of the Texas Democratic Party.

Hinojosa is referring to a controversial elections law that restricts mail-in voting. Critics say it disenfranchises some voters, while Republicans counter that the law is designed to prevent election fraud. He added that Republicans were not committed to fully funding public education, against expanding access to health care, against raising the minimum wage and recently developed new legislative and congressional boundaries that didn’t acknowledged that minority residents made up 95% of the state’s population growth over the past decade.

“If they’re honest, that’s the message they have to sell to the people of Texas,” Hinojosa said.

Republicans disagree. They contend their policies empower minority voters.

The new community centers are staging areas for GOP outreach to minority communities. The South Texas offices will help Republicans pursue Hispanic voters. In 2020 former President Donald Trump ran well against President Joe Biden in many Hispanic precincts. That has emboldened Republicans to recruit and organize in the Rio Grande Valley, putting pressure on Democrats to hold what was once safe turf.

Last week Republican John Lujan captured South Texas’ House District 118, an area Biden won by 14 percentage points.

Lujan, who also won a 2015 special election for District 118, will have to win next year’s general contest to hold the seat. If he loses, he will have the dubious distinction of winning two special elections, but failing to be a part of a legislative session.

“The RNC has recognized that they need to bring minority communities together and build communities out, so they will be on our team for the next election,” said Texas Republican Party executive committee member Abraham George. “We will see a great turnout from every minority community.”

In the Coppell Center, Indian Americans led prayers and the pledges to the American and Texas flags before rallying the crowd to resist Biden and Democrats. An added feature was a Diwali ceremony.

Republican Andy Nguyen, who came to the country from then war-torn Vietnam, said the GOP has momentum.

“I sincerely hope we keep this up,” he said. “If we do, Democrats don’t stand a chance.”

Matt Rinaldi, an Irving Republican and chairman of the Texas GOP, said western Dallas County is critical to his party’s success in North Texas.

“This area is going to be very important because in 2014 it was about 67% Republican. In the last election it was a little over 50%,” Rinaldi said. “We have people in this area who were voting Republican just a few years ago that decided to not vote Republican recently. And we’re getting them back.”

Hinojosa said Democrats are not taking their base voters for granted, and are preparing to vigorously defend their turf.

“We’ve requested that the [Democratic National Committee] start looking at helping us set up offices in South Texas as well,” he said. “We’re going to be opening up an office in McAllen and then in one in Eagle Pass, probably within the next 30 days. “We’re making sure that people are registered to vote.”

But Nguyen said Republican outreach to minority voters would be successful.

“They are Republican,” he said. “They just don’t know it.”

Twitter: @gromerjeffers