Meet the Merry Band of Texas Democrats Running for Statewide Office

Coming out of the May runoffs, the Texas Democratic Party finally has its statewide ticket firmed up. And at a “Blue Wave Slate Jam” fundraiser in Austin on Tuesday, party leaders and candidates insisted that the slate is strong enough to break a 24-year drought — the worst of any state party in the Union.

“It’s the most diverse, strongest, hardest-working slate we’ve had in a long time,” Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa told a crowd of a couple hundred Democrats gathered at Scholz Garten, a longtime progressive watering hole. “If you compare our candidates — every one of them — to the clowns that are there right now, I promise you that ours are head and shoulders above in qualifications, in enthusiasm, in understanding the issues, and their ability to fight for families here in the state of Texas.”

Of course, if elections were won on diversity, hard work and baseline competence, Texas politics would be a different game entirely.

But in reality, the Democrats’ statewide slate is not exactly a political dream team. The seven candidates for statewide public office (not including judicial candidates) have little political experience, little to no name recognition and hardly any money. They face long odds against their Republican incumbent opponents.

Read more: https://www.texasobserver.org/meet-the-merry-band-of-texas-democrats-running-for-statewide-office/