The Purpose Of Primary Elections

If they want November, they must earn March.

If an American president uses the American military against American citizens on American soil, would that be a declaration of war against us? Just a question for you to ponder while you lie in bed tonight. 😴

A while back, a legislator emailed me and asked me what the purpose of my work was. It was a question I never thought about before then. They asked me that because I wrote about Republicans’ cruel and performative outrage over a bill, but didn’t mention it was the Democrats’ bill (who emailed me), or about the other caucus members who stepped up to protect them. The purpose of that article was about the GOP’s behavior. But later, I called that same Democratic lawmaker out for a bad vote on an anti-climate bill (an issue I take very seriously).

When I started this, years ago, I wanted to expose the truth about Republicans, their lies, their hypocrisy. I still do. That hasn’t changed. But we, the people, should want to hold every lawmaker accountable, no matter the party. And most importantly, I want to remind every frustrated Democratic voter out there in Texas that they aren’t alone and it isn’t hopeless.

So, after thinking about it for a long time, the purpose of my work is to inform, expose, and give people the clarity they need to fight back.

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It’s so important that in this election cycle, we challenge Republicans up and down the ballot.

We can’t let one Republican go unchallenged, especially for the State House. And we vote them out during the general elections in November 2026.

That being said, the primary election’s purpose is to vote out the Democrats we’ve been unhappy with, including county chairs.

I know some of y’all get worked up over primary elections. Honestly, I do too. But primaries are where we set the standards for our own party. It’s when we get to send our elected officials a message that our votes aren’t automatic. If they want them in November, they have to earn them in March.

Primaries are our chance to clean house. We might have the number to flip the Texas House. To win a Senate seat. And even a few more statewide seats in November. But whether we do or we’ve got a slim margin, or even if we’re stuck fighting Republicans again, we want the fighters who are going to fight hardest for our values.

My “The Border Isn’t Actually Moving Red” Theory.

What’s happening along the Texas border isn’t a red takeover. Voter turnout in many presidential elections hasn’t even cracked 40%. Why? Since most people don’t see either party fighting for them, they don’t bother showing up.

Yes, money talks, and there’s plenty of it. Influential donors like Harlan Crow (who, by the way, collects Nazi memorabilia) have plowed millions into pro-business, centrist-but-GOP-friendly campaigns. That kind of cash funds ads and messaging that frame Democrats as soft on social issues, which muddies the water fast.

Then there’s the myth that Texas’s Mexican‑American communities are a monolithic liberal bloc. Not true. A recent University of Texas study found Latino voters are deeply driven by kitchen‑table economic issues, like healthcare and the economy, not immigration or identity politics.

But what are they seeing from “centrist” Democrats along the border? Votes that align with Republicans on millionaire handouts. That disconnect leads to voter frustration, which shows up as silence at the polls, not a conservative embrace.

Theory: It’s that complacency is greasing the slide, and the right people (the ones who’d challenge the status quo) stay home.

Here’s what I think could actually tip the scales: A bold, progressive-populist movement, particularly at the primary level. If strong candidates like Jessica Cisneros or Eteine Rosas can energize and organize, they could crack through the apathy and ignite turnout across border communities.

Full disclosure. I’m 400 miles away and no local expert, but I know the potential is there. And maybe someone reading this piece is the one who knows how to make it happen. The progressives are there. They just have to be activated and organized.

The quorum stayers.

There’s been so much speculation over why the border Democrats tried to give Republicans a quorum over the last few weeks.

Several of them issued statements, but days later, they were negotiating, trying to prevent Republican shenanigans, and filing court documents for members. Ultimately, it’ll be their primary voters who decide whether or not they want to believe those excuses. But I want to tell you another narrative. One about Republican money and bad political advice.

Those border Reps tried to give the Republicans a quorum because their districts voted for Trump. They were afraid that if they broke quorum, the Republicans would vote them out. So, instead, they’d rather alienate the remaining Democratic voters along the border and push the border further right.

But it won’t save them. Every single one of them already has or will soon have Republican challengers. In November, when given a choice, Republicans will vote red to replace them, not to save centrist Democrats. And since they’ve alienated their base, all they’ve done is push the border further right.

For that, these reps should be primaried:

• Terry Canales (HD40)

• Oscar Longoria (HD35)

• Armando Martinez (HD39)

• Joe Moody (HD78)

• Sergio Muñoz (HD36)

• Richard Raymond (HD42)

• Eddie Morales JR (HD74)

• Philip Cortez (HD117)

• Mary Gonzalez (HD75)

• Erin Gamez (HD38)

And the county chairs that have been protecting them?

To be clear, there are good county chairs and bad county chairs, and that includes along the border. That being said, people talk. Precinct chairs, organizers, and candidates know that if a county chair is protecting a bad Democrat or multiple bad Democrats, it’s common knowledge.

Whether that Chair is protecting them for the sake of donations or at the behest of the local congressperson, people know that. If your County Chair isn’t up to par or isn’t doing the job you expect them to do, just like any other elected Democratic official, you should primary them and elect someone who will do the job.

And if your elected Chair has been accused of scandalous financial dealings and backroom underhanded shadiness, maybe it’s time for them to go. Find someone else who represents the people better and who will work harder to increase Democratic voter turnout come November next year.

The whole quorum thing.

Remember, y’all, I said it was going to be okay. And it will be. We’ll get through this. America isn’t the first country to fall to fascism. It probably won’t be the last.

There have been a lot of questions from many people about why some Democrats returned, while others stayed, and I have the whole scoop.

I want to preface this with two essential facts that everyone needs to know.

1. The vast majority of elected Democrats are lawyers. So when it comes down to exact legalese issues, there may be disagreements with interpretations of the law.

2. A whole shit load of caucus members and staffers have been leaking. When I say a shit load, I mean I heard all of this information from no less than five sources by Sunday.

The first call I received over the weekend indicated that the Black Caucus was hesitant to return, aiming to deny Republicans a quorum. However, it was the white House members who were urging the caucus to attend the special session.

My initial reaction when I heard this was not only shock, but as someone who has been actively practicing anti-racism for many years, I was horrified.

As a white woman, to my fellow white people, I realize that many of us are on different legs of our anti-racist journey; assuming that you’re politically to the left, you’re at least on some part of it.

It’s important to know that in Texas, white people are a minority in the Texas Democratic Party, and even within the House Caucus, white people are the minority, and based on where we have been in history, we should have a huge focus on intersectionality.

That being said, I mulled over whether I would reveal these names or not, but if I’m being true to the anti-racist work I’ve committed to and the purpose I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I see no other option.

Three separate sources confirmed this. The white Democratic House members who were pushing for a quorum return were:

• Ann Johnson (HD134)

• Donna Howard (HD48)

Now, it should be noted that I mentioned early on that not everyone could hold out until December, and Donna Howard is the sole caregiver of her young grandchild, who is toddler-aged.

As far as why Ann Johnson’s push to come back? There are a lot of ugly rumors circulating right now. The truth will eventually come out. It should be noted that Johnson’s district is 60% people of color.

And the rest who followed them home?

Aside from those two, there were another 25 Democrats who came home with them. Giving Republicans a total of 37 Democrats present on the House floor yesterday.

Allegedly, the lawyers working with the Democratic House Caucus are telling the Democrats that these maps are so racist that they can get thrown out of court. And that may be the case, but for that to happen, the Democrats have to happen; they have to be there to fight. The maps must be approved, and then they have to be challenged in court.

Maybe they will get thrown out of court, and none of this will matter in the end.

And if the maps do go through? They’re a dummymander and we get the John Lewis Voting Rights Act passed in Congress in 2027. And if we work hard, we can flip the Texas House, appoint an independent redistricting commission, and fix the gerrymandering anyway. It’s not hopeless.

Of course, it’s Texas, and one crisis begets another.

When the 25 Democrats returned, they were forced to sign permission slips to leave under armed guard so they wouldn’t leave the state again. One Democrat refused, Nicole Collier (HD95), who has now been imprisoned in the Capitol building.

If there was ever any question in your mind that Republicans were white supremacists, surely the events in Texas over the last month have answered it.

The Democrats who did not return to Texas.

There is a lot of anger right now at those who signed the permission slips and left Representative Collier, although Gene Wu (HD137) and Vince Perez (HD77) came back to the Capitol and stayed with her in solidarity.

If you ask me, I think everything will work out in the end, but I know it’s important to some people to know who stayed behind in Chicago and didn’t come back to Texas. Those members were:

• Alma Allen (HD131)

• Diago Bernal (HD123)

• John Bucy (HD136)

• Liz Campos (HD119)

• Aicha Davis (HD109)

• Yvonne Davis (HD111)

• Harold Dutton (HD142)

• Josey Garcia (HD124)

• Jessica Gonzalez (HD104)

• Vikki Goodwin (HD104)

• Bobby Guerra (HD41)

• Gina Hinojosa (HD49)

• Jolanda Jones (HD147)

• Venton Jones (HD100)

• Trey Martinez Fischer (HD116

• Terry Meza (HD105)

• Christian Morales (HD145)

• Ron Reynolds (HD27)

• Ana-Maria Ramos (HD102)

• Lauren Simmons (HD146)

• James Talarico (HD150)

• Hubert Vo (HD149)

• Charlene Ward Johnson (HD139)

At the end of the day, what we’re staring down in Texas is the rise of white supremacy and the creeping normalization of fascism.

That’s the backdrop for every choice our leaders make right now. And if I’m being honest with you, I don’t write these things because I enjoy starting fights or calling people out. I write them because I believe in Texas Democrats. I believe in our platform, I believe in our people, and I believe we can beat this back. But I also know none of us, whether voters, organizers, or elected officials, are infallible.

This article is probably going to kick a hornet’s nest. So be it. I never got into this to make enemies, but I did get into it to tell the truth. And the truth is, we have four months until the filing deadline. That’s four months to decide what kind of candidates, what kind of party, and what kind of future we’re going to fight for.

If we want to win back the border, we cannot afford to keep sending centrist placeholders who vote with Republicans on corporate giveaways while their constituents stay home in frustration. We need progressive populists to step up and primary every Democrat and county chair standing in the way of real change. That’s how we turn apathy into turnout and silence into power.

As for the quorum walkout and those who broke it, ultimately, that’s for each district’s primary voters to weigh. Donna Howard’s circumstances are more understandable. Ann Johnson’s district may have more reckoning to do. Or maybe the caucus will quietly sweep it under the rug. But if we’ve learned anything, it’s that nothing gets fixed when we look away.

I believe in us. I believe in the people of Texas who refuse to bow to fascism. And I believe that if we’re brave enough to be honest with ourselves and with each other, then we can build the kind of Democratic Party that finally delivers for everyone.

• November 4: Constitutional/TX18/SD09 Election

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