This ought to be fun.

We have 3 candidates to choose from, our current Chair Gilberto Hinojosa, Kim Olson, and Carroll Robinson. I’ve heard all three speak at various events and I have my personal choice. Here is what I think the atmosphere is like in the convention.

Most everyone I have asked have good words for Chairman Hinojosa but follow it with a big but……we need to do something different. Hinojosa is running on his record but the other two are running on his record also. Hinojosa has been the chair for 10 years now and quite frankly I have to agree with the opposition. Our state has moved backwards on all fronts and we stalled in 2020. 

Lots of folks wearing pink Kim Olson shirts. Lots of women are supporting her. Robinson has a small showing. Hinojosa has a supporters but seem to be subdued. We will see what shakes out when the the sign waving starts.

Hinojosa has some interesting endorsements including one from an unknown PAC called Future Generations. Never heard of them but I received a text endorsing Hinojosa. FG was created recently, raised only $66,000 and seems to be endorsing far lefties across the county and Hinojosa, which I do not consider a far lefty. Not sure why they would pick a State Chair race to endorse.

Olson has received an endorsement from the Texas Progressive Caucus. I know very little about them.

Vote is later today.

Who’s is Future Generations PAC?

Sometimes a change is necessary. That time is now.

I remember voting for Gilberto Hinojosa many years ago. He was a great choice then and did a great job for many years but it is time for the party to move on and do something different. As with every issue facing our state whether it is gun safety, immigration, civil rights, women rights, etc, etc, we are not moving in the right direction. It is time to do something different.

Kim Olson is running for the Chair of the Texas Democratic Party. Kim’s resume is outstanding. Take a minute to review it here. She has been involved in the party for many years, running for Texas Agriculture Commission and Congress, and advocating for Democratic issues. (See her video here. It’s a good one.) Running for office requires raising money. Running the Party also requires raising money as well as enthusiasm.  I am confident she has the ability to raise money for the party. Kim is tough, battle tested. Unlike many who have run for office and lost, Kim is still here, still working to make our Party and our State better. 

We should all thank Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa for his years of service to the Democratic Party. He has served our Party honorably. Kim is up for election on Saturday. I believe the Party will be represented well by Kim Olson if elected.

The Texas Democratic Convention will take place  in Dallas from Thursday-Saturday July 14-16. Here is a quick guide for those attending:

Do not sign any petitions. When you check in and during the convention you will be asked to sign petition for various resolutions. Do yourself a favor Don’t sign them. If a group gets enough signatures from each of their Senate District their resolution must be brought to the floor for a vote. Sometimes this could amount to a very long, drawn out, worthless vote. If the resolution they are pushing have merit they should have pushed them through the resolution committees of the Senate Conventions. Many of the fringe groups have done this in the past.

The Texas Democratic Party has a load of information at their website, TexasDemocraticConvention.com. It has a schedule of events and the rules of the convention as well as other information. Take some time to read it.

Go to the Kickoff receptions. The kickoff is a great way to meet your elected officials, donate to the party, and have fun. It is always a good party for the party. The kickoff is at the host hotel on Thursday evening. Find tickets here.

Find hospitality suites. Many elected officials and organizations will have hospitality suites throughout the event. Organizations like Annie’s List, Texas Freedom Network, Young Democrats, etc are just a few that will most probably have a party. This is again a great way to meet like minded people on specific issues. And they are usually a lot of fun!

Visit the vendors. Once they are open find a plastic cover for your convention credentials. The vendors will have t-shirts, stickers, and other political merchandise. Many organizations will have a booth with information about their specific issue. Find an issue you are concerned about. Sign up to keep informed.

Attend your Senate District Caucus. At this time delegates will vote for SDEC chairs and positions for the various committees. You should have been contacted by those who are running by now.

Attend a caucus. There will be a caucus for a number of organizations including the Hispanic Caucus, Young Democrats, and specific issues caucus. Pick one and attend. Unfortunately they only schedule a couple of hours for these meetings and most of the time is spent listening to candidates.