The 2022 Democratic Primary Is Here!
Check out my recommendations for the March 2022 Democratic Primary
Happy Monday, and welcome to the seventh edition of Waco Can’t Wait, a progressive newsletter focusing on McLennan County, Texas, and Federal politics. First, I wanted to apologize for being absent the last couple of weeks. I had six final exams this quarter, my sister’s wedding, and a campaign kickoff followed by two block walking weekends with Hope for Waco ISD. I feel sufficiently rested, excited about this new quarter, and ready to get back into the swing of things.
In other news, I have decided to maintain my focus on writing my own original content, rather than venturing into the world of interviewing. I will continue to write (with a little more regularity) and my intention is to launch a podcast sometime this Summer.
While I do apologize for the tardiness of these recommendations, I am guessing that any of you who voted in the first week of early voting likely did your research. If you would like to see a sample of what your voting precinct’s ballot will look like, click here. If you want some information on where and when to early vote, click here. Election Day is March 1st from 7 AM to 7 PM. For those of you still trying to sort through all of the candidates, I hope that this helps!1
Candidate Recommendations for the March 2022 Democratic Primary
For U.S. House District 17: Mary Jo Woods
Mary Jo Woods is the sole Democratic candidate for the 17th congressional district, and she is running on a platform of supporting rural America, preserving democracy, and fighting for gender equality. Given that this new district takes in large swaths of rural Texas, it is important that any candidate for this seat runs on rural issues. While this is a difficult seat to run for, I believe there are lots of opportunities to close the gap. This district has three large universities (Baylor, Sam Houston, and Stephen F. Austin), has large communities of color, and will likely continue to trend left.
For Texas House District 56: Erin Shank
I am really, really excited about Erin’s run for House District 56. I have had the pleasure of working with Erin as a Democratic activist and as a legal intern in her bankruptcy law practice. She is passionate, highly intelligent, and more than qualified to serve in the Texas House. From the jump, Erin has been laser focused on identifying issues our community cares about, reaching out directly to constituents, and building a winning campaign team. Erin is focused on fixing the electric grid, expanding rural broadband, advocating for disability rights, protecting women and children, and bringing our tax dollars home. If you’re looking for a candidate with deep roots in Central Texas who consistently demonstrates her commitment to the community, then Erin is your candidate.
For Texas House District 13: Cedric Davis2
Cedric Davis is a former Mayor of Balch Springs, Texas, a veteran of the U.S. Army, a former teacher, and a former police chief. Wow! To top it all off, he is the current City Manager for Marlin, Texas. In 2018, Davis placed third in the Democratic Primary for Governor, and he will no doubt bring his experience from that campaign to his race for House District 13. We need more people running for office who have this level of local public experience, and I believe Davis’s experiences will allow him to communicate with voters who often shy away from Democrats.
For State Board of Education District 14: Tracy Fisher
Tracy Fisher has served on the Coppell ISD Board of Trustees since 2012, and it shows. She has served as President and Vice President of the school board, and she has served at the local and state level on boards and councils related to education. She has shown her commitment to providing all children in Texas with a world class education, and she will fight to keep Texas public school funds in Texas public schools. While conservatives wage a war against our public schools, citing the fictitious teaching of critical race theory while trying to defund our schools with vouchers, we need advocates on the State Board of Education who have a proven record of fighting for our kids. Tracy Fisher appears to fit the bill.
For Governor: Beto O’Rourke
Y’all probably saw this one coming from a mile away, but I cannot get away from this guy. Beto is without a doubt the best chance we have of defeating Greg Abbott. He has the strongest profile, the best fundraising numbers, and some of the most devoted volunteers of any candidate running statewide. Beto’s campaign set a goal to contact 2,000,000 voters in the month of February, and his 44,000 volunteers blew past that number in 12 days. Instead of solely running a campaign focused on base turnout and progressive messaging, Beto has pivoted this time around to highlighting wedge issues that Abbott is weak on. A few examples of this are the electric grid, the mishandling of Operation Lone Star, and reproductive health. That said, Beto continues to run on the issues with broad popularity in Texas, including marijuana legalization, medicaid expansion, and expanding our renewable energy capacity. He is committed to campaigning everywhere, and down ballot candidates will benefit from his coattails. Perhaps the third time will be the charm.
For Lieutenant Governor: Mike Collier
While Mike Collier was not the top performing Democrat in 2018, he did have the distinction of being the top performing Democrat in 2/3 of Texas counties. These counties were mostly rural, and his message of supporting our public schools, closing tax loopholes for corporations, and supporting small communities resonated outside of the I-35 corridor. If Collier had the same fundraising and top-of-the-ticket performance as Beto, he may have been the only statewide Democratic candidate to make it across the finish line. We need more candidates like Mike who resonate with voters that are looking to get back to basics. Texans deserve a problem solver in the Texas Senate, and Mike is the right guy for this role.
For Attorney General: Rochelle Garza
While a lot of attention has been paid to the Republican Primary for this seat, I would argue that more attention should be paid to the Democratic Primary. We have some really qualified attorneys who have served locally, have fought to preserve people’s civil rights, and would all be significantly better than Ken Paxton. That said, Rochelle Garza stands out from the pack. Garza worked as a staff attorney for the ACLU and actually defeated Ken Paxton in court when she was representing a pregnant immigrant in detention seeking an abortion. Garza also comes from the Rio Grande Valley, and it is important that we run candidates who understand that part of the state. She is running on protecting our civil rights, legalizing marijuana, and protecting consumers.
For Comptroller of Public Accounts: Janet Dudding
I had the chance to speak with Janet Dudding on Zoom for over an hour during the holiday break. We spoke about how the comptroller’s office has a role to play in combatting climate change and how the office can be a platform for changes to fiscal policy. Dudding comes to this role with a wealth of experience as an auditor and a budget manager in government entities. She has clearly done her homework, and is ready to hit the ground running once she assumes the position of Comptroller.
For Commissioner of the General Land Office: Jay Kleberg
Jay Kleberg is a sixth-generation Texan and heir to the King Ranch. He is a proven environmental advocate who has served in multiple roles related to environmental conservation, addressing climate change, and serving his community. As an Eagle Scout and a lover of our state’s parks and wildlife, I have a deep respect for anyone who fights to preserve the things that make our state beautiful. We need a candidate who has direct experience working with the issues affecting the General Land Office, and Kleberg is that candidate.
For Commissioner of Agriculture: Susan Hays
Hays grew up in the small town of Brownwood, Texas, where her family has been ranching for generations. She went on to graduate from Georgetown Law School and become Texas’ first Cannabis Super Lawyer for her advocacy in the cannabis industry. She helped to write and pass the Texas Hemp Legalization Bill in 2019, and would no doubt continue her advocacy for this cash crop as our next Commissioner of Agriculture. She is also an expert in Legislative and Campaign Law, which will no doubt be helpful against her Republican opponent.
For Railroad Commissioner: Luke Warford
Luke Warford is running a campaign that is focused on preventing another Winter Storm Crisis and educating voters on what it is that the Railroad Commission actually does. Despite its name, this commission is primarily tasked with the regulation of oil and gas in Texas, and the commission has little to do with its original task of regulating the railroads. This funny little quirk of history has allowed this commission to operate largely without any kind of civilian oversight, and that opaqueness likely contributed to the lack of regulation that led to the power going out. Warford is ready to implement policies that would embrace innovation, fight climate change, and end the corruption that has long plagued this governing body.
Given that many of our democratic primaries for local races have gone uncontested, I have decided to revisit these races at a later date. I do look forward to volunteering on these campaigns, and I thank these local candidates for running. I will try my best to provide opportunities for them in the future to share their qualifications for their positions and their visions for our community.
I should mention that though Cuevas Peacock’s name will be on the ballot, he has suspended his campaign. I had the chance to meet with Cuevas before his original announcement, and I was pleased to learn about his commitment to the community. I look forward to seeing what he does in the future.