Texas Democrats are sorting through what went wrong after their shining hopes turned to ash in November — and what it means for their long-term plans to take power.

The party was optimistic it could make pivotal gains across the state, especially in the hard-fought race between Sen. Ted Cruz (R) and Democratic Rep. Colin Allred.

But in the end, the party “woefully underperformed,” according to state Sen. Roland Gutierrez (D), the latest gut punch for Democrats in a state they’ve desperately tried to turn blue.

“It’s sort of a Lucy-and-the-football story,” Southern Methodist University historian Cal Jillson told The Hill.

“Every election cycle, they feel as if they are on the verge, and if they just had some natural money to put into the race, they could close it out.”

But many Democrats agreed that the wrong message, wedded to a too-thin electoral strategy and handled by a part-time staff with little connections to local Democratic machines, ultimately cost the party potential wins in the Lone Star State.