John,

Last November we had the closest presidential election in Texas in decades. And an analysis we just completed shows how TFN's youth organizing program, Texas Rising, helped lead the way in the ongoing effort to flip the state and bring with it a more progressive Texas.

Here's what our analysis, based on voting data released within the last day, indicates:

• The electorate was younger. The number of voters ages 18-29 increased by about a half-million in 2020 over 2016. They accounted for 14.13 percent of the total vote, more than double their 2014 share and up from 12.83 percent in 2016.
• The electorate was more diverse. Voters of color made up a little more than 32 percent of the overall electorate in 2020, up from just under 30 percent in 2016 and only 24 percent in 2014. The increase was driven especially by higher turnout from Latinx and Asian American voters.
• The younger electorate was especially diverse and becoming more so. The percentage of voters ages 18-29 who were people of color increased to 43 percent in 2020, up from about 39 percent in 2016 and less than 33 percent in 2014.

These figures are both a snapshot of the past and a glimpse into the future. In these data points I see more than a decade of Texas Rising organizing young people and communities or color, as well as providing these communities the infrastucture and tools needed to build a movement. And they show a future where this rising generation becomes the most powerful electoral force in the state.

I also see in these figures a team that -- faced with a pandemic -- used texting, phone-banking and email to contact about 1.8 million eligible young voters ahead of the election, the majority being young Texans of color.

This is, of course, not the end of the story. Our team will be working on local elections this year, the midterm election the next and every election beyond that. 

The bottom line is that the electorate is becoming younger, more diverse, and more progressive. And it's bringing with it lasting, progressive change.

But it's on all of us to build the Texas we are fighting for in 2021 and beyond. So John, will you please donate what you can to help us build power in the months ahead? Every dollar you give will help us move even closer toward a more just and equitable Texas.

Thank you for sustaining this important work and for all you do to change Texas each and every day.

Onward,

Val Benavidez
TFN President

P.S. John, will you help fuel our fight in 2021? Your gift today will have an immense impact on our fights for progressive change up ahead. Please, donate now.