Shell_Seas
Shell_Seas's JournalTexas GOP's March Madness: Ballot Initiatives Bound to Backfire
The Republican's proposals are a blueprint for backlash and could help mobilize a Texas blue wave.
https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/texas-gops-march-madness-ballot-initiatives
Today, the Texas GOP published their ballot initiatives, which will be on the March 2024 Republican primary ballot. The ballot initiatives are racist, unhinged, and based on conspiracy theories. At this point, we shouldn’t expect anything less from the Republican Party of Texas.
Proposition One - Texas should eliminate all property taxes without increasing Texans’ overall tax burden.
As a homeowner in Texas, I can assure you that property taxes here are ridiculously high. Property taxes in Texas are the sixth highest in the nation.
Property taxes are a vital source of revenue for local government. The burden falls squarely on property taxes to compensate for the lack of other income. This money (property tax revenue) funds essential resources and public services for Texas citizens, including public schools, libraries, emergency services, road maintenance, and community safety measures.
Merry Mayhem: The Republican Party's Christmas In Texas
From holiday cheer to political fear, the consequences of the GOP's culture war bring us division and political polarization.
https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/merry-mayhem-the-republican-partys
For those who celebrate Christmas, I hope your day was merry. For those who do not, I hope you enjoyed the day off of work. I spent the weekend with my family. We had a lot of fun. All of the kids are growing like weeds. One of my cousins brought a girl home for the first time, and another cousin pulled me aside and confessed he was becoming more liberal in his old age.
Christmas is supposed to be a time of cheer and joy. Unfortunately, the Republican Party is so entrenched in their stupid culture war that thcan’tn’t act like ordinary people for a holiday. When I finally got around to logging onto social media, I was greeted by this:
This is the man who is running against Tony Gonzalez (R) in TX23, the same one that left an inactive explosive device in Uvalde last week. The ‘AK Guy,’ who has built his persona upon a fascination with AK47s and AR15s—the very instruments of such unimaginable sorrow in Uvalde—now seeks a congressional seat in the same grief-stricken community.
I'm Voting For Roland Gutierrez In The Democratic Primary - Here's Why
The case for Roland Gutierrez.
https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/im-voting-for-roland-gutierrez-in
Ted Cruz is one of the worst-elected Republicans we’ve seen in Texas in the last few decades. He votes against Texan’s best interests, and his entire world revolves around being famous rather than a politician. Most Texans agree that Cruz’s days are numbered, and in 2024, we will band together to get him out of office. But beyond that, we have to think about who will serve us best in the United States Senate.
First, we must be honest about the other Democrats on the ballot because there are many. I’ve spoken to several of them and think they have great ideas, but most haven’t raised anywhere close to enough money to be competitive in this election. In political campaigns, especially in a large and diverse state like Texas, money is a crucial resource for various reasons, making it challenging for a candidate who’s only raised $20,000 or $50,000 to compete effectively against someone who has amassed hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.
There are enough candidates in the Democratic primary where this race will likely go to a runoff between the top two candidates, Colin Allred and Roland Gutierrez. I believe that Gutierrez can beat Ted Cruz, and I think he’s our better choice for Senator.
The passion and drive to make Texas a better place.
Which Majority-Minority Districts Are Held By Republicans In Texas?
There's a lot of potential for political change in Texas, as majority-minority districts held by Republicans are becoming more competitive for Democrats.
https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/which-majority-minority-districts
Texas is not a red state. It’s a non-voting state. In the last election, 62% of the voter turnout was Anglo, even though white people only make up 38% of this state. In Texas, our government is run by white supremacists who thrive on their ability to hurt others. Despite what the GOP talking heads say, we have the data to back up how diverse our state is and how non-Anglos vote Democrat.
Here is the exit poll data from 2022 regarding racial demographics:
Victoria Neave Criado vs. Nathan Johnson: The Showdown No One Saw Coming
A Texas-sized Democratic duel is coming to Dallas County. #txlege
https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/victoria-neave-criado-vs-nathan-johnson
A lot of Democrats have had a knee-jerk reaction to Victoria Neave Criado throwing down the gauntlet and challenging Nathan Johnson for his Senate seat. This is because in Texas, we haven’t seen a lot of competitive Democratic races, and we always worry about splitting the Democratic vote. However, competition within the Texas Democratic Party is good for several reasons.
It encourages candidates to engage with the voters on a different level than if they were running unopposed. Even in safe Democratic seats, our elected officials should prove to their constituents that they are the best people to address their needs.
This will increase political engagement and turnout despite the fears over splitting the vote. When voters are involved in a vibrant democratic process, they feel more compelled to participate.
I don’t have an opinion about this race, but it is one I promise to watch and keep you apprised.
This morning, both appeared on Inside Texas Politics on WFAA. Hear what they had to say (the segment starts about two minutes in).
Texas Democrats Enter 2024 Cycle with Larger Slate of Candidates, Poised to Contest More Republican Seats Across State
https://www.texasdemocrats.org/media/texas-democrats-enter-2024-cycle-with-larger-slate-of-candidates-poised-to-contest-more-republican-seats-across-stateYesterday, the candidate filing period for the 2024 Primary Election closed, and the Texas Democratic Party is proud to be represented on the ballot next year by a broad and diverse group of qualified candidates running for office up and down the ballot in all corners of our state. Running for hundreds of offices from U.S. Senator to Texas Supreme Court to precinct chair – countless Democrats have stepped up to create real change in their communities, and we’re ready to mobilize our diverse base of voters ahead of the March 5th Primary Election.
The Texas Democratic Party’s flagship initiative to recruit candidates–Lone Star Rising–has drastically increased the number of Democrats running for office and will allow the Party to contest more Republican seats in 2024:
Statewide:
Democrats are contesting every statewide office up for election with 12 candidates combined for both US Senate and Railroad Commissioner.
Texas Supreme Court:
Democrats are contesting every Supreme Court position up for election with four candidates.
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals:
Democrats are contesting every Court of Criminal Appeals position up for election with three candidates.
State Board of Education:
Democrats are contesting every State Board of Education seat up for election with seven candidates.
Texas Senate:
Democrats are contesting every Texas Senate seat up for election with 22 candidates.
Texas House:
Democrats are contesting 84% of the seats in the Texas House with 162 candidates.
A New Dawn For Democrats In Texas?
Texas Democrats are charging head-first into a red sea of chaos. Is this a signal of the coming end of GOP dominance?
https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/a-new-dawn-for-democrats-in-texas
The message that I’ve been hearing from Democrats, Liberals, and Leftists all around the Lone Star State for the last year has been, “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!”
During this year’s legislative session and the multiple special sessions that followed, we saw something fundamentally changed within the public political engagement in Austin. Every single culture war issue Republicans pushed in the legislature had substantial public opposition and very little support. Yet, they pushed these bad bills anyway, despite them being unpopular. Everyone noticed.
There isn’t a marginalized group that the majority party hasn’t targeted within the last two sessions. Women, poor, Asian, immigrant, Black, young, and old have all been subjects of oppressive measures by the Republican Party. The people are fed up, and they are pushing back.
Democrats have never had more candidates on the state ballot.
Who Will Be On The Texas Ballot In 2024?
2024 will have some exciting Democratic primaries in Texas.
https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/who-will-be-on-the-texas-ballot-in
We made it to the filing deadline. We know who will be in the primary races and who will be on the ballot in 2024. Scroll down for the full list in this order: U.S. Senate, Railroad Commissioner, Congress, State Senate, State House, State Board of Education, and Texas Supreme Court.
Note: While several people have posted selfies of themselves filing on social media, the Secretary of State's website does not show them as candidates. I will keep checking and updating this list as needed, so make sure you bookmark it. My guess is if they aren’t on the site by the morning, it’s the end of that candidate for this cycle.
If you aren’t sure who all of your representatives are, you can find out here.
The Monsters Among Us (Ken Paxton)
Corruption and Consequences in Texas Politics.
https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/the-monsters-among-us
When the Senators who acquitted Ken Paxton decided that Tim Dunn’s money was more important than the rule of law, they created a monster. Paxton has decided to unleash his depravity, believing he is immune to accountability.
As we all know, abortions in Texas are against the law. When Kate Cox learned her fetus had trisomy 18, a condition almost always fatal before or shortly after birth, the Center for Reproductive Freedom filed a lawsuit on her behalf. The lawsuit stated the abortion law prevents Cox from receiving proper healthcare and could threaten her fertility or her life.
Fact: The fetus would die.
Fact: Without this healthcare, Cox could lose her uterus and never conceive again.
Fact: Without this healthcare, Cox could die.
A judge granted a temporary restraining order, allowing Cox to terminate the pregnancy. Watch the clip below, showing the moment the judge granted the restraining order.
Who Is On The 2024 Ballot In Texas (So Far)?
With only five days left until the filing deadline, many races are filling up.
https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/who-is-on-the-2024-ballot-in-texas
There are only FIVE days left until the filing deadline. Below is a list of everyone who has filed so far. I know several people who are still running, who I have personally spoken with, and who have not filed yet. This list will not be complete until next week after the deadline. However, I wanted to get out there who we already have on the ballots and which seats are still empty… in case a last-minute candidate decides to throw their hat in the ring.
An asterisk next to a candidate’s name indicates they are the incumbent. I’ve included the websites of the Democratic candidates (hyperlinked). I did not include the websites of Republican candidates because I don’t care about them, but I’m sure you can find them if you’re interested. If a Democrat’s name isn’t hyperlinked, that means I couldn’t find a website for them.
If you aren’t sure who all of your reps are, check here.
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Member since: Thu Aug 11, 2016, 03:03 PMNumber of posts: 3,339
