Seizing on a spike in Covid-19 cases under a Republican governor and Donald Trump’s sliding poll numbers, Joe Biden is venturing into once reliably red terrain — Texas.

The former vice president’s campaign is going up on air with TV ads in Texas — a state that hasn’t voted for a Democratic nominee in 44 years — a sign it’s eyeing an expansion to its electoral map beyond the six battleground states where it is already spending ad money and building organizing infrastructure.

Without mentioning Trump or Gov. Greg Abbott by name, Biden, in the Texas-specific spot, positions himself as a leader who “won’t abandon” voters. In a move that seems to troll Trump, Biden urges Texans to do simple things like wash their hands, socially distance and wear masks.

Without mentioning Trump or Gov. Greg Abbott by name, Biden, in the Texas-specific spot, positions himself as a leader who “won’t abandon” voters. In a move that seems to troll Trump, Biden urges Texans to do simple things like wash their hands, socially distance and wear masks.

The Biden campaign wouldn’t disclose the size of the ad buy, saying it was part of a multi-state expenditure that was in the mid-six figures. In a state as massive as Texas, Republicans called the buy a ploy for free media and even Democrats say an ad buy of that size won’t even make a dent.