Texas Democrats gathered Wednesday at the party’s Bexar County headquarters for an informal gathering to energize volunteers as early voting enters its final days.
State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, who’s running for Texas comptroller, organized the last-minute effort to provide a final burst of momentum. She told the Current she picked San Antonio for a visit late in the election cycle because she believes local volunteers have done a tremendous job getting people to the polls.
She explained that voter enthusiasm tends to drop off the second week of the early voting period, and she wanted the gathering to stoke continued turnout.
“When one party has been in charge exclusively for 30 years, no matter whether it’s a Democratic one-party rule or Republican one-party rule, that has a tendency to breed inefficiencies, if not straight-up corruption,” Eckhardt said. “And I think most Texans now understand that we are in the corruption phase of one-party rule.”
Wednesday’s event brought together familiar political faces, including Texas agriculture commissioner hopeful Clayton Tucker, state Sen. José Menéndez, state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, former San Antonio mayor and former Bexar County judge candidate Ron Nirenberg, congressional candidate Kristin Hook and Texas House candidate Kristian Carranza.
For the first time in modern history, there’s a Democrat running in every state and federal race this cycle in the Lone Star State, according to the Texas Tribune.
Bert Santibañez, campaign director for the Bexar Democrats, said the scale of local voter outreach in San Antonio this cycle has been enormous.
The Bexar County Democratic Party has knocked on 120,000 doors so far this election cycle, spoken with 28,000 people and made more than 80,000 calls, he said. The party has raised $400,000 this cycle and also is on track to reach 3 million online impressions.
“We’re looking for more stability and a change in the cycle,” Santibañez said. “Texas Republicans have wanted to rule Texas for 30-plus years, and it just seems that voters are looking to change.”
Early voting in San Antonio this cycle has already surpassed total early voting turnout for the 2022 midterms, with Democrats outpacing Republicans, according to Santibañez. He said concerns about the cost of living and immigration policies, not to mention anxiety over the nation’s current political climate, are motivating people to head to the polls.
Field organizer Tricia Gronnevik said similar concerns come up during her conversations while canvassing San Antonio neighborhoods. Gronnevik spent the day walking neighborhoods on San Antonio’s far north side with Hook, who’s running to represent Texas’ 21st Congressional District.
Gronnevik said repeat visits this cycle by Democratic candidates reflect Bexar County’s significance in statewide races. U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico, gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa and Vikki Goodwin, who’s running for lieutenant governor, all held events here last week.
“The fact that they believe in Texas and that they know we’re not a lost cause gives me the kind of hope that I need to keep going,” Gronnevik said of the repeat visits. “It can get hard doing this work, you know? Election after election cycle, getting so close in some cases.”
Tucker, the agriculture commissioner candidate, also stressed the importance of reaching voters in the San Antonio area, given the city’s economic and cultural value to the state. He added that concerns about food affordability, food safety and data centers are the most pressing issues he’s heard about from voters of both parties.
“It’s not about what jersey you wear during the sports season, politically or otherwise. This is about coming together and doing what’s best for Texans,” Tucker said.
As the Friday deadline for early voting approaches, Eckhardt emphasized the importance of residents urging friends and family to participate in the political process — and doing so this cycle.
“Your best chance at restoring stability and fairness, transparency, accountability and trust is to vote for a change,” Eckhardt said.
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