John,
I just got home from a really successful Texas organizing trip that left me even more optimistic about our future.
First stop was the University of Houston (go Coogs!) where I joined more than 30 of my fellow Powered by People volunteers on the North Lawn. We met hundreds of students there, taking the time to listen and talk with them about what’s happening in the country and our power to do something about it.
Over the course of six hours of nonstop engagement, we registered 95 students to vote and added more than 330 to our contact network. We will stay in touch with every single one of them over the course of this election to answer their questions, help them with information about voting, and ensure they ultimately cast their ballots. And we will do this within a personal, volunteer-to-voter relationship—no spam, no mass texting. This kind of direct connection defeats the cynicism and apathy bred by the cold, soulless automated politics that turns off so many young people today. And the proof is in the pudding. This program produced a turnout rate of 79.5% with the students we worked with last year, compared to a state average of 37% and a national average of 42%.
On Friday, I drove to San Antonio where I joined our organizers at the University of Texas at San Antonio to meet with, register, and commit to staying in touch with more young voters. I was especially encouraged by how many of our volunteers in San Antonio are students at UTSA, joining our more seasoned team to learn the ropes and take the lead on their campus.
Later that evening, I joined a candidate recruitment event on the West Side of San Antonio, encouraging the folks who came out to fill empty places up and down the ballot and, for those unable to run for office, to join Powered by People as a volunteer. I told them if ever there was a time that our country needed us, it is now. If ever there was a people who could save it, it is us. 21 of those in attendance signed up to run for office, and over 60 filled out the form to become a Powered by People volunteer.
And then on Saturday, I spoke at the Texas Tribune Festival about what’s at stake, what we’re fighting for, and what we can accomplish when we organize in person and meet people where they’re at. Afterwards, people once again came up to ask how they could volunteer for Powered by People. We signed up more volunteers for our Austin team, which means we’ll be registering and staying in touch with more voters there, which means we’ll be helping to send more new votes to key races across the ballot—including Senate, Governor, and Attorney General.
In all three cities, I experienced the power of action. It is the antidote to despair. It is the key to victory. It is hope in motion. And it’s not just me—these kinds of organizing events take place every day in Texas, all across the state. Amazing, everyday people stepping up at this moment of truth.
This is how we win the 2026 midterms. By doing the hard work now in 2025.
Help me and the thousands of other Powered by People volunteers continue this work, today and every day until we win the political power necessary to save Texas and save the country.
Can you chip in today to Powered by People to help us keep this going?
Thank you,
Beto
