The democratic socialists of america are doing the best we can in NY. Unfortunately the processes to take over the NY dem party is not the same as Texas. Its practically almost impossible for us to take over the new york democratic party as the appointees are concentrated through the governor. The governor has so much authority over appointing new york democratic party officials because former governor cuomo designed it like that. He corrupted the processes to allow the party be an extension of him not anyone else. DSA has been successful in taking 6 assembly state seats and 3 state senate seats. I myself am planning to snag a state assembly seat but DSA has been in this battle for the longest time without being reliant on corporate donors. We are the chapter that elected AOC and Zohran and so many others.
Yes they have to. The bylaws havent changed since 2018 when he got elected. He really changes so many of the bylaws to concentrate authority on him and his lobbyists. In fact its the same with the democratic party in the five borough in NYC. They all are people who cuomo lobbied to install in and what they did they changed the bylaws to consolidate so much authority and power to the party chair position that they removed any democratic authorities the committees had and restricted them. Thats why for example in Brooklyn Antonio Reyonso the brooklyn borough president created a progressive coalition called New Kings County Democrats. They are a product of staffers and progressives that were pushed out of the party and any reforms that were advocated the Kings County party chair removed them.
That's terrible, Mubashir! Now I finally understand WHY the New Kings County Democrats were formed. I remember it was quite exciting & it had to be SO frustrating when the Kings County party chair removed their voice. I'm so sorry. :(
THIS was a terrific piece, Michelle!!! Thank you for helping to demystify the process & for the essentials of the roadmap needed to push the party left. I didn't entirely understand previously how the Texas Dems had managed to write such a progressive platform & why we have a shot to add to the coalition. I also better understand about Allred.
It at least used to be exhausting to attend even the big county information sessions. I was an Obama delegate from my district & attended 2 days of Dallas County's before deciding I had to pass. (we had a surplus) They discussed & asked for volunteers for the various committees & although I was interested it didn't make sense for me while I was trying to get a special needs kid through HS & into junior college. On the 3rd day, as I recall, all the Obama delegates were led to endorse Clinton. They were so angry & I was glad I hadn't attended, lol. Those were the Texas Two-Step Days with the convention & the caucuses at the same time.
I was an Obama County Delegate too in Dallas County. Then went back to my life. Now I know that was actually my path. If you still live in Dallas County, look up your precinct, if it is empty, file for it. Join Beltline Area Dems, we are the new cool kid club thinking differently, across neighborhood, city and county lines. Your time and/your treasure, that is what we need. No matter where you are, I have a list of dems that need to be called to ask them what they are concerned about. Not telling them which candidate to vote for, asking them to be part of community!
Anyone that I talk to that is not involved and criticizes the Democratic Party I usually tell them; “who do you think is the Democratic Party?”
They usually say people that they don’t like. I say to them; “No, WE are the Democratic Party!” If you are not involved, just complaining, that is a problem.” We are volunteers doing the best we can in a democratic process. The majority forms the party. I will share this with anyone criticizing the Democratic Party. When Hillary lost to trump I went out to learn the process. It has been 9 years! I still feel that I don’t know everything. That was the #1 reason I began to pay for subscription. You taught me so much. And continue to teach me. For that Thank You!
Thank you for your support. And that's the thing: the "Democratic Party" is such a vague term. When people use it, I too ask them to be more specific. I don't think the average person understands how the entire structure works and how they can make a difference individually. Hopefully, I shed light on the process.
I would be perfectly happy with "lighting a fire under the Democratic Party's butt to get them moving" as opposed to "Radicalizing the Democratic Party".
We are trying to radicalize a very old, and very decrepit institution, occupied by some very old, and very decrepit fossils, many of whom really should be in assisted living facilities and nursing homes -- and they are supposedly our "progressives"! (Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, notably excepted: they actually walk their talk!)
I hear you, I do think we've been trying to light a fire under them since January (but Schumer and Jeffries still capitulate). That being said, this article wasn't really about the electeds, more so the actual Party. Additionally, those who complain online constantly don't want to start a fire, so I was offering them a solution. Either they take it to heart, or they don't, in the meantime, there is still real work to be done.
I try to light fires. When I wake up every morning, I ask God to show me a way to make Good Trouble this day. I use Five Calls to make five calls each day; I write letters; I go down to our State Assembly with my notebook full of legislator's votes, to ask them to be accountable for those votes; and I have several volumes of form letters which say essentially nothing for 50 years of efforts.
I now vote in the following order:
- Democratic Socialist
- progressive
- liberal Democrat
- mainstream Democrat (only if one of the above-mentioned three are not running)
That’s basically what we’re attempting to do by putting propositions on the ballot and running for SDEC. Hard, hard work but important. Brilliant, as usual.
The Texas GOP will consider censuring 10 Republican lawmakers next month - including House Speaker Dustin Burrows - in a move that could potentially bar them from appearing on the GOP primary ballot.
Hard work can get even backroom people like me noticed. I volunteer, I show up for committee meetings, I do my homework. I’ve never had a party office other than precinct chair outside of being on standing committees. Even though i love schmoozing af conventions, I spend hours doing committee work. When I started in 1974, there were still John Conolly minions running TDP, even though Big John had gone Republican. And we liberals with Billie Carr had to caucus as Moderate Progressives. We have really changed directions now.
The expert who said it was a mistake compared it to the DNC moving from Washington, DC, to Pittsburgh or Denver. However, the difference lies in the fact that Congress meets year-round, every year. The Texas Legislature only meets for 140 days in odd-numbered years, and the TDP is keeping an Austin office open.
If being at the Capitol was important for all 24 months of each two-year term, I would agree, but it's not. Unless there's a special session, there are 19 months of the 24-month term in Texas, where being planted in Austin doesn't matter so much.
Well said. You are more experienced in Texas politics so i trust your word. You have proven with a lot of these articles that your understanding in Texas politics is not that simple as people from outside of Texas do. You cannot imagine how many friends i have outside of DSA. Liberals mostly who think Texas is too trumpy or too much of a red state where people care about MAGA stuff and this is why Texas is suffering. There seems to be a common trend with a lot of liberals not progressives and even DSA mind you of dehumanizing people who are in red states and its quite frustrating.
Oh, I know. The online rhetoric from the July 4th floods reminded me of that too well. However, there are 5 million Democratic voters in Texas, which ranks second in the number of Democratic voters, only behind California. And all of our cities are blue, and most of our large counties.
I don't see MAGA around in my daily life, in my blue area, surrounded by 8.5 million other people. Mostly, Texas is full of non-voters who checked out of politics.
It's funny because I was just discussing this with my husband the other day, who was born and raised in Dallas, a very urban city. He believes that if he ever went to NY and told people he was from Dallas, they would think he lived in the sticks and rode around on horses. He's probably right, but it made me laugh so much knowing he's from what's considered the "inner-city."
FYI - for TX HD3 Keith Coleman has now decided to not run for that position but to primary Laura Jones for US HD 8. Many of us are not happy about this development.
look thru the curtain...always look thru the curtain
RW is apoplectic about Kimmel not because he said anything bad about Kirk
in fact they are trying to draw attention away from his showing a clip of Trump in front of the helo, asked about Kirk by the spray, said......"Kirk, starts with a K , i think"..."now let me direct ur attention to my renovations of the rose garden"
obviously, the response of a dottering senile old fart revealed is something MAGA doesn't want u to know....
sorry Red Hats...Trump showed his ass at the UN
it was never about Kimmel, it was about the Trump clip
The democratic socialists of america are doing the best we can in NY. Unfortunately the processes to take over the NY dem party is not the same as Texas. Its practically almost impossible for us to take over the new york democratic party as the appointees are concentrated through the governor. The governor has so much authority over appointing new york democratic party officials because former governor cuomo designed it like that. He corrupted the processes to allow the party be an extension of him not anyone else. DSA has been successful in taking 6 assembly state seats and 3 state senate seats. I myself am planning to snag a state assembly seat but DSA has been in this battle for the longest time without being reliant on corporate donors. We are the chapter that elected AOC and Zohran and so many others.
That’s interesting. I didn’t know that. The bylaws need to be changed.
Yes they have to. The bylaws havent changed since 2018 when he got elected. He really changes so many of the bylaws to concentrate authority on him and his lobbyists. In fact its the same with the democratic party in the five borough in NYC. They all are people who cuomo lobbied to install in and what they did they changed the bylaws to consolidate so much authority and power to the party chair position that they removed any democratic authorities the committees had and restricted them. Thats why for example in Brooklyn Antonio Reyonso the brooklyn borough president created a progressive coalition called New Kings County Democrats. They are a product of staffers and progressives that were pushed out of the party and any reforms that were advocated the Kings County party chair removed them.
That's terrible, Mubashir! Now I finally understand WHY the New Kings County Democrats were formed. I remember it was quite exciting & it had to be SO frustrating when the Kings County party chair removed their voice. I'm so sorry. :(
Former governor cuomo was a fool and so greedy for power that NY dems cannot function without him. We are still suffering to this day because of him.
😡😡
😭 I hope this can be reversed soon. Unfortunately, justice moves slow. 🥹
THIS was a terrific piece, Michelle!!! Thank you for helping to demystify the process & for the essentials of the roadmap needed to push the party left. I didn't entirely understand previously how the Texas Dems had managed to write such a progressive platform & why we have a shot to add to the coalition. I also better understand about Allred.
It at least used to be exhausting to attend even the big county information sessions. I was an Obama delegate from my district & attended 2 days of Dallas County's before deciding I had to pass. (we had a surplus) They discussed & asked for volunteers for the various committees & although I was interested it didn't make sense for me while I was trying to get a special needs kid through HS & into junior college. On the 3rd day, as I recall, all the Obama delegates were led to endorse Clinton. They were so angry & I was glad I hadn't attended, lol. Those were the Texas Two-Step Days with the convention & the caucuses at the same time.
I was an Obama County Delegate too in Dallas County. Then went back to my life. Now I know that was actually my path. If you still live in Dallas County, look up your precinct, if it is empty, file for it. Join Beltline Area Dems, we are the new cool kid club thinking differently, across neighborhood, city and county lines. Your time and/your treasure, that is what we need. No matter where you are, I have a list of dems that need to be called to ask them what they are concerned about. Not telling them which candidate to vote for, asking them to be part of community!
Anyone that I talk to that is not involved and criticizes the Democratic Party I usually tell them; “who do you think is the Democratic Party?”
They usually say people that they don’t like. I say to them; “No, WE are the Democratic Party!” If you are not involved, just complaining, that is a problem.” We are volunteers doing the best we can in a democratic process. The majority forms the party. I will share this with anyone criticizing the Democratic Party. When Hillary lost to trump I went out to learn the process. It has been 9 years! I still feel that I don’t know everything. That was the #1 reason I began to pay for subscription. You taught me so much. And continue to teach me. For that Thank You!
Be the change you want to see in the world! 🙏🏼
Thank you for your support. And that's the thing: the "Democratic Party" is such a vague term. When people use it, I too ask them to be more specific. I don't think the average person understands how the entire structure works and how they can make a difference individually. Hopefully, I shed light on the process.
I would be perfectly happy with "lighting a fire under the Democratic Party's butt to get them moving" as opposed to "Radicalizing the Democratic Party".
We are trying to radicalize a very old, and very decrepit institution, occupied by some very old, and very decrepit fossils, many of whom really should be in assisted living facilities and nursing homes -- and they are supposedly our "progressives"! (Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, notably excepted: they actually walk their talk!)
I hear you, I do think we've been trying to light a fire under them since January (but Schumer and Jeffries still capitulate). That being said, this article wasn't really about the electeds, more so the actual Party. Additionally, those who complain online constantly don't want to start a fire, so I was offering them a solution. Either they take it to heart, or they don't, in the meantime, there is still real work to be done.
I try to light fires. When I wake up every morning, I ask God to show me a way to make Good Trouble this day. I use Five Calls to make five calls each day; I write letters; I go down to our State Assembly with my notebook full of legislator's votes, to ask them to be accountable for those votes; and I have several volumes of form letters which say essentially nothing for 50 years of efforts.
I now vote in the following order:
- Democratic Socialist
- progressive
- liberal Democrat
- mainstream Democrat (only if one of the above-mentioned three are not running)
I will NEVER vote for:
- Libertarians
- Republicans
- MAGAs
That’s basically what we’re attempting to do by putting propositions on the ballot and running for SDEC. Hard, hard work but important. Brilliant, as usual.
The Texas GOP will consider censuring 10 Republican lawmakers next month - including House Speaker Dustin Burrows - in a move that could potentially bar them from appearing on the GOP primary ballot.
Hard work can get even backroom people like me noticed. I volunteer, I show up for committee meetings, I do my homework. I’ve never had a party office other than precinct chair outside of being on standing committees. Even though i love schmoozing af conventions, I spend hours doing committee work. When I started in 1974, there were still John Conolly minions running TDP, even though Big John had gone Republican. And we liberals with Billie Carr had to caucus as Moderate Progressives. We have really changed directions now.
https://www.tpr.org/news/2025-09-22/texas-democratic-party-launches-expansion-plan-aimed-at-ending-decades-long-statewide-losing-streak what do you make of these articles. Apparently there are some political scientists who think Kendall decision to create a decentralized democratic party is a mistake.
The expert who said it was a mistake compared it to the DNC moving from Washington, DC, to Pittsburgh or Denver. However, the difference lies in the fact that Congress meets year-round, every year. The Texas Legislature only meets for 140 days in odd-numbered years, and the TDP is keeping an Austin office open.
If being at the Capitol was important for all 24 months of each two-year term, I would agree, but it's not. Unless there's a special session, there are 19 months of the 24-month term in Texas, where being planted in Austin doesn't matter so much.
Well said. You are more experienced in Texas politics so i trust your word. You have proven with a lot of these articles that your understanding in Texas politics is not that simple as people from outside of Texas do. You cannot imagine how many friends i have outside of DSA. Liberals mostly who think Texas is too trumpy or too much of a red state where people care about MAGA stuff and this is why Texas is suffering. There seems to be a common trend with a lot of liberals not progressives and even DSA mind you of dehumanizing people who are in red states and its quite frustrating.
Oh, I know. The online rhetoric from the July 4th floods reminded me of that too well. However, there are 5 million Democratic voters in Texas, which ranks second in the number of Democratic voters, only behind California. And all of our cities are blue, and most of our large counties.
I don't see MAGA around in my daily life, in my blue area, surrounded by 8.5 million other people. Mostly, Texas is full of non-voters who checked out of politics.
It's funny because I was just discussing this with my husband the other day, who was born and raised in Dallas, a very urban city. He believes that if he ever went to NY and told people he was from Dallas, they would think he lived in the sticks and rode around on horses. He's probably right, but it made me laugh so much knowing he's from what's considered the "inner-city."
This is an excellent article! Thanks for this valuable information.
I get an email or 2 every week from Clayton Tucker.........he seems to be the only democrat running
You want me to put you on some email lists, lol.
can u get me on Allison's supersecret list.......
TCDP new slogan; "Democracy done wrong'
see u at the next Opal Appreciation do dah
"Health uninsured rates remain high in Tarrant County. Here’s why it matters. "- FWR
maybe our County Chair could pen and op-ed on the subject?
that's if she wasn't pathologically disinclined to engage with voters
Always look forward to your writing and learning more about Texas Dems.
FYI - for TX HD3 Keith Coleman has now decided to not run for that position but to primary Laura Jones for US HD 8. Many of us are not happy about this development.
ICYWW: what happens now?
Don’t worry — Erika Kirk will never replace her husband
She can't replicate his brand of gutter misogyny"- Amanda Marcotter
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6puwNzllVEY
Breaking: Dallas, TX
Bullet casings reading 'anit-ice' are a lie
Kash Patel rushed to the scene to drop cartridges says Kimmel
........".Fasle Flag" says Rushbo from beyond the grave
'false flag' cries Alex Jones in his bankruptcy proof island
'false flag, tell the truth' says Kirk from the great beyond
'not since 'the single bullet' has Dallas been so consternated says Tim Koss
'show the film' says all
actually is Markc Veasey, if u can believe it..I had no idea he was alive.
look thru the curtain...always look thru the curtain
RW is apoplectic about Kimmel not because he said anything bad about Kirk
in fact they are trying to draw attention away from his showing a clip of Trump in front of the helo, asked about Kirk by the spray, said......"Kirk, starts with a K , i think"..."now let me direct ur attention to my renovations of the rose garden"
obviously, the response of a dottering senile old fart revealed is something MAGA doesn't want u to know....
sorry Red Hats...Trump showed his ass at the UN
it was never about Kimmel, it was about the Trump clip
MSM failed to reveal this BTW