Friend,

Instead of focusing on issues that actually help people, from our failing power grid to COVID-19 relief to paying a living wage, Governor Greg Abbott and Texas Republicans have spent recent months waging an unremitting assault on the right to vote. 

Now, anti-democratic voting restrictions are the law of the land in Texas.

Friend, our hearts are heavy as we write these words. The reality is, S.B. 1 is an enormous blow to our democracy. Not only is it now harder for all Texans to vote, S.B. 1 raises new barriers to already-marginalized communities. Millions of new voters, young voters, low-income voters, and voters of color will struggle to make their voices heard — all because a powerful and wealthy minority is desperate to cement a permanent grip on political power.

But at the very same time, we have never been more committed to the Ground Game Texas mission: to build local campaigns around popular issues, mobilize progressive voters from the ground up, and transform the Texas electorate.

Support Our Work

Let’s be very clear — there is no easy solution to changing things in Texas, and we’ll never pretend that’s the case. Remember that S.B. 1 is part of a decades-long effort to restrict voting rights, gerrymander communities, and intimidate and demoralize voters into silence. Decades of war on democracy will not be undone overnight.

But if we do the right work, the right way, with patience and passion, there is a path to victory. 

Ground Game Texas is about prioritizing year-round voter contact on progressive issues. We are launching city-based campaigns to fight for causes like climate jobs and marijuana decriminalization in every part of this state. We are going to focus on cities and towns you may not have heard of. We are going to pursue strategies that may seem small in scope. But know that we are doing this with the big picture in mind. 

Because if we can win in Grand Prairie, if we can win in Mission, if we can win in El Paso and Killeen and Bedford and Euless, we are creating the foundation for long-term change.

The last Presidential election was decided by 650,000 votes. Changing that many minds won’t happen all at once. Identifying that many new voters is no easy task. But it’s like the Bishop Desmond Tutu once said, in reference to overturning apartheid in South Africa:

“There is only one way to eat an elephant: a bite at a time.”

Here at Ground Game Texas, we love elephants, but we are also committed to the long-term work of political change. This is not a short-sighted effort. We can follow in the footsteps of Arizona and Georgia. We can turn a regressive state into a progressive one.

The answer to voter suppression in Texas isn’t short-term tactics OR surrender. It’s building a progressive Texas from the ground up. If you’re in a place to do so, please chip in anything you can to Ground Game Texas today to help us organize across the state and turn the tide in this war on democracy. 

Contribute

Thank you for fighting alongside us,

Julie Oliver and Mike Siegel