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Chair Talk
April, 2026
Most of you know the Texas Democratic Party was ineffective for many years and deeply in debt. March 2025, Kendall Scudder was elected the TDP Chair, and things changed rapidly. By October, the TDP was debt free and Kendall had moved the main office from Austin to Dallas. TDP opened new offices in Houston, Amarillo and Eagle Pass. More offices will be opening to get out the vote for the November General Election.
Terri Burke is the new Executive Director of the TDP. She put out a March Director’s report with some great news! The Primary turnout across Texas was exceptional, with many counties reversing 2024 patterns. Starr County turnout increased 280%, Hidalgo 114%, and major metros also surged — Bexar 153%, Dallas 125%, Harris 122%. And our county - Blanco was 64% better than 2024. Runoffs are historically low turnout, so maintaining this momentum is essential.
Kendall and the TDP announced a $30 million coordinated campaign titled “Texas Together”. The campaign launched March 7 in Dallas and visited eight additional cities over 13 days, including Fort Worth, San Antonio, Amarillo, Tyler, McAllen, and Austin.
"Texas Together" includes Field offices in key counties (Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar, Travis/Williamson, Hidalgo/Cameron, El Paso, and more).
Some of the programs getting started are:
· Cost sharing agreements to reduce overhead for all counties
· A statewide Research Hub
· A combined volunteer + paid organizing program targeting low propensity voters
Goals: 3.5M doors • 21M calls • 350K vote plans • 500K letters • 1M+ turnout
During the Primary, the TDP team staffed the hotline and poll watcher program, resolving 675 Election Day incidents. They also canvassed and certified the largest Texas Democratic Primary in state history and paid 100+ election workers! Runoff prep is underway.
The first of many expected fundraising house parties were launched. The first two successful events: San Antonio: 25 attendees, $12K+ raised; Dallas: 66 attendees, $15K+ raised
March online donations totaled $125K, with 64% recurring.
Chair Kendall Scudder traveled more than 2,100 miles between March 10 and 21 speaking at 10 events, including "Texas Together" kick-off rallies as well as the three county conventions.
All I’ve got to say is WOW! Let’s get up to speed with this and see how WE can take advantage of this campaign.
The Supreme Court is deciding “We don’t pick and choose parts of the Constitution”— that’s not how democracy works. This case on Birthright Citizenship is about more than immigration — it’s about whether a president can ignore parts of the Constitution they don’t like. The 14th Amendment clearly guarantees citizenship to those born in the U.S. and courts have upheld it for over a century. If we start picking which parts of the Constitution to follow, we stop being a nation of laws and start becoming a nation of personal power.
We, Democrats, believe in changing the Constitution the right way. We are not afraid of debate or change — but there is a constitutional process to do it: amendments, Congress, and the will of the people. The contrast here is clear: Democrats follow the rules and respect the process. This president tries to rewrite the Constitution trying to act like a king.
We love this country enough to defend its founding principles, and we are thankful that the Supreme Court seems skeptical of Trump’s birthright citizenship order. Patriotism means defending the Constitution — not bending it for political convenience. We believe in: the rule of law, equal rights under the Constitution, and the idea that no one — not even a president — is above it.
There is a coordinated effort to make voting harder. We must be vigilant to be aware of what This president is doing, so we can help voters! The SAVE Act would force Texans to jump through new hoops to register, and now his executive order goes even further — trying to create federal voter lists and restrict who gets mail ballots. The Constitution is clear: states run elections, not the president. We already know systems used to verify citizenship can be inaccurate and flag eligible voters. Please, pay attention to what’s happening nationally, statewide and locally to restrict our constitutional right to vote! We must actively help people who need help understanding their rights.
Now for some good news! First, thanks to everyone who came out for Our No Kings Day Rally. These events bring us together, energize us, and confirm, in an almost spiritual way, that we’re on the right path and we will win! Especially when there are eight million of us in the streets!
Young women are being inspired to run for office after participating in their first No Kings protest.
It has been very hard to find news about Trump’s two-month-long oil blockade on Cuba, but a humanitarian aid convoy arrived in Cuba carrying 20 tons of aid in an effort to break the U.S. 64- year trade embargo and the oil blockade, both of which have plunged the island into crisis.
In a humiliating defeat for Trump, Democrat Emily Gregory flipped Florida House District 87 — Trump’s home district, which he won by 11 points in 2024.
Rep. Greg Casar joined Sen. Chris Murphy in introducing the Bets Off Act, which would stop gambling on things like war and assassinations.
Thanks so much for all you do. Come to our monthly General Meetings (2nd Tuesdays of each month) and discuss ideas for getting out the vote for the runoff and General Election.
Maggie
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