Barrios-Van Os: The Change The TDP Needs

It's just two more days until the Texas Democratic Party makes a very important decision -- a decision that will determine the direction of the party for the next two years. That decision is who to elect as the new state party chair. The decision will be made by the delegates to the state convention on Saturday, June 9th. There are two major candidates for the office -- Gilberto Hinojosa, the candidate chosen by the failed current party leadership, and Rachel Barrios-Van Os, a progressive who offers a real change in the party's direction (hopefully leading to a new, vibrant, revived, and competitive Democratic Party for Texas).

I have made my decision to cast my vote for Rachel Barrios-Van Os, and I ask you to consider doing the same. Here is part of Rachel's latest message to delegate voters:

At a candidate forum that I attended, a questioner pointed out that many citizens do not know what the Democratic message is, and asked how we can educate more voters about it. This is a serious problem and there are answers.

In this year’s elections there are 64 districts in the Texas House of Representatives that have no Democratic candidate. That’s 64 House districts, containing over 40% of the population of Texas,where the voters will not hear a Democratic message about issues in the Texas House.

There are 12 Texas Senate districts with no Democratic candidate; so that’s 12 Senate districts, containing over 35% of the population of Texas, where the voters will not hear a Democratic message about issues in the Texas Senate.

Of three statewide seats on the Texas Supreme Court that are up for election, there is only one Democratic candidate. Of three statewide seats on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals that are up for election, there is only one Democratic candidate. This means that for 2/3 of the elections for the Texas Supreme Court and 2/3 of the elections for the Court of Criminal Appeals the voters will not hear a Democratic message.

There is even more to this picture. Every election, a handful of insider consultants and insider un-elected “leaders” get together and decide which races to “target” – in other words, which select Democratic nominees the Party will vigorously support and promote. Only a small handful of races get “targeted”, meaning that the majority of Democratic nominees get told they aren’t important.Worse, many voters hear a message that their votes don’t matter to the Democratic Party.

Not only do the majority of our Legislative candidates not get promoted vigorously, but it has been many years since the Texas Democratic Party promoted our entire ticket of statewide candidates with full-fledged vigor.

So it is no surprise that many voters in Texas don’t even hear the Democratic message. It is also no surprise that many voters across the state feel that their votes don’t matter to the Democratic Party. And that many voters who would vote Democratic don’t vote on the assumption their votes don’t matter.

Still another result is that the vigorous hard work of many dedicated Democratic volunteers doesn’t produce victories. We haven’t won a statewide election in 18 years. Over time, many hard-working volunteers do get discouraged as a reality of human nature, and stop volunteering.

All this has to stop! To take Texas back we have to show the voters in every district and county of the state in every election that the Democratic Party cares about their votes, wants their votes, and wants to fight for them against the greedy Republican elites.

When I am your State Party Chair, I promise with all my heart and soul that every Democratic nominee will be supported and promoted vigorously.

When I am your State Party Chair, I promise that I will pour myself into personally recruiting candidates, and helping SDEC members and County Chairs recruit candidates, to ensure that a Democrat runs against every Republican in every part of Texas at every level of the ballot, from precinct elections to statewide elections.

After the 2012 elections are over I will spend 2013 working tirelessly to fill up the 2014 ballot with Democratic candidates.

This doesn’t mean just putting our marbles on a few media-appointed “superstars”. Let’s not fall for that. Thousands of Democrats are worthy of running for public office and serving the public well.They only need to know their Party wants them and needs them.

And when the election is over, all the Democrats who fearlessly carried our banner on the ballot, whether they won or lost, must be embraced warmly, honored, nurtured, and encouraged to run again.

To those who ask, “where is the money going to come from”, I say, we must stop letting the fear of money hold us back. Our battle cries must be: Courage! We can do it! It’s time to win!

In Democratic Unity, I am
Rachel Barrios-Van Os*I approve this message.

http://the2012convention.com