Rachel Pleads For Democracy In Texas Democratic Party

The following is the latest message from Rachul Barrios-Van Os to the Democratic Party delegates that will be attending the convention in Dallas on June 26th through 28th.

I'm fighting for a Texas Democratic Party that is a 

party of the people, not a party of insider deals and anti-democratic machine politics. We have to be a true party of the people to inspire a majority of Texas voters to cast their votes for our candidates. 

One example of what I'm fighting against occurred when Glen Maxey, a fulltime paid Party staff member entitled Director of County Affairs, emailed a resolution to county and senate district party leaders before the county and senate district conventions asking the conventions to endorse Gilberto Hinojosa's candidacy for re-election as state party chair. As a fulltime party staff member Mr. Maxey should adhere to strict neutrality in internal party elections, but that is not the case under the administration of Chair Hinojosa, who sees nothing wrong with using the party machinery as a personal political machine. When I was growing up in the Southside of San Antonio this is what people called patrón politics, and they didn't like it.

 And now Mr. Hinojosa has sent all the convention delegates an email claiming that various senate districts have endorsed him, obviously intending to make the delegates think their votes have already been decided. But you have a free right to cast your delegate vote however you choose. Nobody can instruct any delegate how to vote at the Texas Democratic Party Convention, as Unit Rule voting is strictly forbidden by Texas Democratic Party Rules, Article IV, Section 4.e.: "The use of the unit rule or the practice of instructing delegations shall not be permitted at any level of the convention process."

 When Mr. Maxey, on behalf of Mr. Hinojosa, asked senate district and county conventions to pass pre-emptive resolutions endorsing Mr. Hinojosa for re-election, the filing deadline to run for party chair was still in the future and I was still weighing the very serious decision of whether to run. When I saw this crude anti-democratic action coming from the state party leadership I decided I had to take a stand, because I have learned from spending my adult life as a grass roots activist this is the kind of thing that turns people away from politics. The simple fact is that our party itself must be a true model of democracy if we hope to make more people feel welcome in order to broaden our political base of support to win Texas back.

 What I am fighting for is a democratic Texas Democratic Party, a party of the people leading the way to government of the people. Please join me in this fight. 

What she says is true. This resolution was introduced in my own county convention (Potter County), and although I opposed it and voted against it, it was passed. I agree with Rachel that this resolution was improper. The party's chairman should be elected by party delegates voting their conscience -- not voting to fulfill some resolution. And this is a major reason that I will be voting for Rachel Barrios-Van Os at the convention. I urge my fellow delegates to do the same.