Here's the population figures for anyone that's wondering (Wikipedia quick estimates)...
Texas state Population: 24,326,974
Counties over 100,000 (shaded by presidential election results... blue for Obama, red for McCain). They represent a solid 2/3 of the statewide population.
Bexar: 1,392,931
Bell: 237,974
Brazoria: 241,767
Brazos: 152,415
Cameron: 335,227
Collin: 491,675
Dallas: 2,294,706
Denton: 584,238
Ector: 121,123
Ellis: 111,360
El Paso: 721,598
Fort Bend: 354,452
Galveston: 277,563
Grayson: 110,595
Gregg: 111,379
Harris: 3,693,050
Hidalgo: 569,463
Jefferson: 252,051
Johnson: 126,811
Lubbock: 242,628
McLennan: 213,517
Midland: 116,009
Montgomery: 293,768
Nueces: 313,645
Potter: 113,546
Randall: 104,312
Smith: 174,706
Tarrant: 1,446,219
Taylor: 126,555
Tom Green: 104,010
Travis: 812,280
Webb: 193,117
Wichita: 131,664
Williamson: 249,967
(compiled using the US national Election atlas:
http://www.uselectionatlas.org/RESUL...s=48&year=2008)
So still on the Republican side, but there are definitely some inroads that have been made in 2008.
Counties to watch in the 2010 Governor's race and again in 2012...
Tarrant (Ft. Worth)... there's a lot more Democrats here than what is being indicated, and I think it's a matter of getting some good motivation for them to register and vote. Ft. Worth is certainly more conservative than Dallas, but it's starting to reveal a progressive side. I think Bill White has the ability to recruit a lot of Democrats and liberal-minded people here.
Nueces (Corpus Christi)... they only voted for McCain by a 52-48 margin in the last election. So I think by 2012 they'll be flipped.
Fort Bend (suburban Houston)... they were one of the closest suburban counties in the state to voting for Obama... 51-49 margin. Conservatives no longer have a stronghold on this area.
Hays (suburban Austin)... I didn't include it on the list, but by the 2010 census it will likely be over 100k. Again, Obama only lost here by a 51-49 margin.