Friend,
From the January 6th insurrection to the Texas legislative session that saw Republicans pass some of the most extreme anti-abortion bills and worst voter suppression measures in the state’s history, the story in Texas remains the same: a handful of extremists are doing everything they can to keep all of us divided so they can continue to consolidate their wealth and power.
This is a problem that runs deep, and extends beyond the media-driven culture war that multi-millionaire statewide politicians like Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Gov. Greg Abbott stoke in order to stay in good graces with the Trump base. The GOP has invested heavily in locking down control of every level of Texas government, and we’re paying the price – with bad, failed policy that keeps property taxes artificially high, leaves our infrastructure crumbling, and blocks commonsense ideas that enjoy broad popular support.
It’s time to go on offense. Our ideas are popular. The people are with us. And now it’s our turn to fight.
Today, we’re proud to announce Ground Game Texas: a bold new project to create lasting political change in our state. Ground Game Texas will prioritize year-round voter contact on progressive issues – no more election “off years” or waiting for presidential campaigns to come to town. We are launching local-level campaigns to fight for progressive causes in every part of this state, including cities and towns you may have never heard of. Ultimately, we’re going to follow in Georgia and Arizona’s footsteps to permanently transform Texas politics.
We know the issues are on our side. No matter where we live, or the color of our skin, we all want better jobs and higher wages, good health care, and a livable planet. We want safe and reliable infrastructure, not Big Oil bailouts. We want justice and accountability, not oppression and impunity.
It’s time for us to join together, people from all walks of life, to fight for our collective future. But to win on progressive issues, to succeed in this great big state, we need to go on offense.
No more off years. No more complacency. We can't rely on consultants, pollsters, and TV ads to move people to the polls. We need to talk to voters year round, every month and in every city across Texas.
Because if we can increase voter participation in small towns by a few hundred at a time, and in larger cities by thousands and even tens of thousands, we will get to our goal. And the alternative is unthinkable — we cannot allow the status quo in Texas to stand. So let’s get to work. Let’s go on offense.
Take it from us – changing Texas is no small task, and it can’t be done in a single election cycle. But if we do the right work, the right way, there IS a path to victory. We hope you’ll join us on it.
Onwards,
Julie Oliver, Mike Siegel, and the Ground Game Texas team