Hi Friend,

Today marks the 101st anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment -- when women won the right to vote across the United States for the first time.

It didn’t happen overnight. It didn’t happen by accident. Women marched, rallied, were beaten, and were jailed in order to win our most basic constitutional right: the chance to make our voices heard at the ballot box.

However, the fight was far from over -- and continues to this day. The 19th Amendment excluded women of color across our country. Today, we owe our voting rights not only to the suffragettes of the early 20th century, but to the Black women who led the Civil Rights movement and the fight for the Voting Rights Act, and the Latina and Indigenous women who fought for decades to secure voting rights for their communities.

Right now -- infuriating as it is -- we are once again facing attacks on our right to vote. And the reason is clear. Texas Republicans are trying to cling to power the only way they can: by shutting down our voices. But we won’t let them. Texas Democrats are fighting back with the same unflagging strength as those who fought before us. Advocates, activists, community members, and our Texas Democratic legislators -- all of us are speaking with one voice to defend our freedom to vote.

Friend, these attacks break my heart. But we have come so far. I can’t tell you how meaningful it is that today -- more than a century after the 19th Amendment -- a Black woman is serving in our nation’s second-highest office for the first time in history. Vice President Kamala Harris is a reminder of why the right to vote matters so much -- the right to choose leaders who look like us, who will fight for us, and who put people first.

We deserve to be able to choose leaders who will fight for us. Democracy is as simple as that. And that’s why Texas Democrats will keep fighting tooth and nail to protect our freedom to vote. We’re fighting for our future -- just like the women who came before us. We’re fighting for all of us.

In solidarity and power to the people,

Dr. Carla Brailey
Vice-Chair, Texas Democratic Party

P.S. Whether it’s defending our right to vote or registering new voters, we’re pushing to make sure every eligible Texan can make their voice heard. Join our weekend of action this weekend to help register new voters or talk to community members -- sign up here!

Texas Democrats will do whatever it takes to protect our freedom to vote. Help us keep the fight alive, chip in $7 now:

Count me in