Activity by Progressive/Democratic Aligned Groups in Texas in the 2020 Presidential Campaign

Texas « Activity by Progressive/Democratic-Aligned Groups

Activity by Progressive/Democratic-Aligned Groups in Texas

• Former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke ended his presidential campaign on Nov. 1, 2019, but he remains engaged through his group Powered by People, which has focused on voter registration and contact.

Powered By People
November 4, 2020 email

I am deeply disappointed that we did not win in Texas.

Despite record turnout and an extraordinary effort on the part of our volunteers, Texas voters chose Donald Trump and Republican incumbents at nearly every place on the ballot.

For whatever it’s worth, it looks to be part of a larger, national trend. No matter the devastation wrought by this administration — hundreds of thousands dead from Covid and tens of millions out of work — our fellow Americans in state after state have voted to reduce the Democrats’ majority in the U.S. House, to keep control of the Senate in Republican hands and to deliver an uncomfortably close Presidential race.

As we continue to follow the national results, I wanted to leave you with a look at the work we’ve accomplished this year. It may offer only cold comfort in the wake of these losses, but these achievements are worth keeping in mind as we begin to think about the work that lies ahead.

Over the course of this year Powered by People's volunteers and supporters like you are responsible for the following:

We made over 76 million contact attempts to Texas voters (57.8 million texts and 18.3 million calls);

We helped register nearly 200,000 likely-Democrat Texas voters;

During the beginning of the pandemic, before the CARES Act was passed by Congress, we filled over 17,000 food bank shift hours across Texas;

We brought in more than 10,000 volunteers to call, text or knock on the doors of Texas voters;

We helped raise $2,034,165 for Democratic candidates and organizers in Texas (in addition to what we raised to run Powered by People);

And this one doesn’t have a measurable number to it, but I know it to be true: we gave it our best and we gave it our all.

I can’t help but imagine what we could have done if we were not restrained by the pandemic from knocking on doors and meeting voters at their homes, in their communities, across the state.

We’ve built a powerful grassroots volunteer organization and I’m hopeful that what we’ve learned this past year can be put to use in winning elections in future years. Remember, this state last voted for the Democratic nominee in 1976; last sent a Democrat to the Senate in 1988; last elected any Democrat statewide in 1994. We’re bound to get knocked down a few times (maybe a lot of times) before we finally win. The question for you, for me, for all of us, is: are you willing to get up again?

As awful as the Texas results are, as hard as it is right now, we must move forward and try again. Because, what’s the alternative? Can you accept conceding the future of this state to permanent GOP and Trumpist control? There’s much to learn from this election. Many people to whom we must humbly listen, to better understand what’s happened and what we can do better. But let’s commit ourselves now to doing whatever it takes when we get back up and get back after it.

I was watching the returns last night, and, exhausted from the day and dispirited from the results, I walked upstairs early, got in bed and passed out for 9 hours. I haven’t slept more than 5 hours straight in months. But I think my body and my mind knew that it was over, we’d done all we could, we pushed as hard we knew how, we left it all on the field and it was time to acknowledge there was no more that could be done for this election.

Now, like you, I’m watching the remaining states declare their winners for President as we approach a clear victor in the Electoral College. I remain ready to do whatever I can in the coming days for our democracy.

But for now, I am overcome by my deep gratitude for you and this team. I can’t tell you how inspired I am by all who contributed to the work, knowing the sacrifice entailed and the willing suspension of cynicism and fatigue that is required to believe in Texas. It leaves me feeling hopeful still, and only strengthens my dedication to Texas, to this team and to the work of helping this state fulfill its potential and promise. I hope to once again have the chance to do that work with you.

With love and gratitude,

Beto

Powered By People
July 16, 2020

Powered By People Expands Organizing Efforts Statewide, Announces Record Grassroots Outreach and Voter Registration Numbers

El Paso, Texas — Beto O’Rourke announced today that Powered By People will expand its grassroots organizing and outreach efforts statewide—not only working in competitive State House districts but also registering and engaging voters in every single one of the 254 counties of Texas. The newly expanded effort to call and text every Democrat across Texas while leading the largest voter turnout program in the state’s history follows historic organizing work.

“Thanks to the thousands of volunteers who have stepped up, we have the ability to call and text every Democrat across Texas,” said O’Rourke. “That means that in the midst of this pandemic, when our candidates are unable to knock on doors, hold rallies and town hall meetings and are totally dependent on phone-to-phone field work, Texas Democratic candidates will have the benefit of millions of voter contact phone calls made on their behalf.”

Powered By People’s growing ranks of volunteers have made more than 1.2 million total phone calls and sent 4 million texts to voters across Texas in the past 14 days alone. With Texas and its 38 electoral college votes clearly positioned as the biggest battleground state in the nation, energized phone bank volunteers made 316,000 phone calls in one night alone this week.

As the organization reaches out to prospective new voters in rural, suburban and urban Texas with a combination of direct mail registration forms and follow up phone calls, Powered By People has helped register nearly 50,000 likely Democratic voters so far.

This collective work means Democratic candidates running at every level—from the State House to the White House—will be armed with a list of confirmed voters and their phone numbers in every single State House district. They will also be the beneficiaries of tens of thousands of net-new voters to the rolls during the most important election of our lifetimes.

It also means that they won’t have to waste time calling bad numbers because volunteers will have made the millions of calls necessary to cull the list of extraneous numbers (including wrong numbers and Trump voters) and return a verified, usable list of Texas Democrats that can be turned out during early voting and on election day. That will go a long way in helping Democratic candidates win key State House races and a new Democratic majority ahead of redistricting.

Additionally, this expanded effort ensures that when the Biden campaign turns their focus to Texas, they can plug into a statewide voter contact database to efficiently and effectively pursue turnout. This will dramatically improve our chances of winning Texas for the Democratic nominee for President for the first time since 1976.

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https://poweredxpeople.org/what-we-do/ [as of July 7, 2020]
What We Do
If we are not impotent in the face of so much injustice… if we have a responsibility and a role to play in saving this country… if we are indeed the sum of our actions… then what we do, or fail to do, in these crucial months before the November election will define us and this country forever.

That’s why Powered by People volunteers are giving so much of their waking lives to the work of serving and winning Texas.

Before Covid-19, we organized thousands of volunteers to knock on over 41,000 doors in one state house district alone, helping to produce the largest voter turnout in a representative district special election in Texas history.

Then, as the pandemic hit and Texans lost their jobs in record numbers, we rushed assistance to our state’s food banks, with our volunteers filling more than 14,000 shift hours and raising more than $200,000 for food banks from over 36,700 contributors.

And because the upcoming elections are the most important of our lives and we want to bring as many of our fellow Texans into the fight as possible, last month we launched a major state-wide voter registration effort. So far, our volunteers have followed up on hundreds of thousands of mailed voter registration forms by making over 650,000 phone calls and sending more than 505,000 texts to unregistered likely Democrats in Texas, helping them to get registered.

Why?

Because the battle before us is the biggest we’ve ever fought. And so is the prize.

In Texas alone, if we pick up nine seats we will win a majority in the State House, one that will fight to end decades of racial gerrymandering and black and brown voter suppression, and move forward on the most important challenges facing us.

There is also this: a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver our state’s 38 electoral college votes to the Democratic nominee for president (which hasn’t happened since 1976). That would mean a resounding defeat for Donald Trump, a crystal clear victory for Joe Biden and a seismic moment in American politics that would change forever what is politically possible in our country.

Not just nice, but necessary. Because, if there was any confusion about it before Covid, or the massive economic contraction that has followed, or the brutal public murders of unarmed black men and women by police, or the most recent actions of the most lawless and immoral President to ever hold the office… then it should now be clear that this country is on the edge of the end, and unless we quickly, urgently steer a new course, through new leadership, we will not make it.

The only way to achieve what is necessary in our democracy is to win elections. And the only way to win them is by doing the tough, grinding, relentless work of identifying, registering, canvassing and turning out the voters of this state.

Powered by People exists solely for this purpose.

With your help, we will continue to raise, organize and deploy the many thousands of volunteers necessary to do this work. To win elections, to ensure that power truly rests with the people, to give this, and far more importantly, future generations a chance to survive and transcend our past choices.

I strongly believe that this moment will either mark the end of, or a new beginning for, this country.

Our present choice to make.

We in Powered by People will continue to choose to do this important work. I am grateful that you have chosen to support us and make it possible.

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• Texas is one of twelve states targeted by SwingLeft as part of its Super State Strategy.

https://swingleft.org/p/texas
Texas
SUPER STATE STRATEGY

Our primary objectives in Texas are to: 1) flip the U.S. Senate seat currently held by John Cornyn, 2) compete for the state’s 38 Electoral College votes, and 3) break unified GOP control of the state government by flipping the Texas State House.

In the state Senate, we are currently targeting one GOP-held seat. With only half of the chamber up for reelection in 2020, nearly all of the competitive seats are off the map until 2022. Our target district is located in southwest Texas, stretching from San Antonio to the Mexican border.

In the state House, we are currently targeting 11 districts—nine GOP-held seats and two Democratic holds. Nine of these districts voted for Beto O’Rourke in 2018, making them competitive in 2020. Geographically, the pathway to victory runs through the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area (seven targets) and the greater Houston metro area (four targets).

By the numbers
4 Seats needed to flip the state senate
9 Seats needed to flip the state house
1 United States Senate seat to flip
38 Electoral College votes

U.S. Senate Race

Runoff on 7/14

State Senate Candidate

SD-19: Runoff on 7/14

State House Candidates
HD-26: Runoff on 7/14
HD-65: Michelle Beckley
HD-66: Sharon Hirsch
HD-67: Runoff on 7/14
HD-92: Jeff Whitfield
HD-96: Joe Drago
HD-108: Joanna Cattanach
HD-112: Brandy Chambers
HD-132: Gina Calanni
HD-134: Ann Johnson
HD-138: Runoff on 7/14

What's at stake

124,300 DACA recipients in Texas: In 2017, the GOP-led Texas state legislature passed Senate Bill 4, a “show me your papers” law that targets sanctuary cities and requires local officials to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Texans deserve lawmakers who will champion policies to protect—not endanger—immigrant families.

5 million Texans without health insurance: For years, Texas has held the highest uninsured rate in the country—about double the national average—and it’s still climbing, especially in the wake of COVID-19, the unemployment crunch, and economic downturn. Of the total uninsured population, about 1.5 million Texans would gain health coverage if the state expanded Medicaid. About 33% of all Americans in the “coverage gap” live in Texas, which is one of just 14 states that still has not opted for Medicaid expansion.

22 Abortion clinics in the state of Texas: In Texas, the state legislature’s anti-choice majority has made it nearly impossible to access an abortion. Over half the state’s abortion clinics have been forced to close since 2012, meaning many Texans have to travel long distances to obtain an abortion. Some 250,000 residents in the city of Lubbock live more than 300 miles away from their nearest abortion clinic.

What's at stake facts updated June 2020