Hi Friend,

With Hispanic Heritage Month in full swing, Democrats across Texas are fighting with new energy to defend Latino rights in our state. But as Texas Democrats’ Regional Political Manager for South Texas, that’s my job all year long. My name is Brenda Cruz, I’m a South Texan born and raised, and I can’t wait to tell you more about my vision for building power in my home community -- and making sure Latino voices continue to be at the heart of the fight.

Like many in my community and across Texas, I come from a family of immigrants. My father’s a naturalized citizen, my mom’s a first generation American, my grandmother immigrated from Mexico with just an elementary school education. I grew up with an intimate understanding of what it means to work to give your family a better life -- and the ways Republican lawmakers can make that work even harder. Friend, that’s why I’m working to build a Democratic groundswell in South Texas and beyond -- and I’m relying on you to join the fight. Can you chip in $7 or whatever you can to power Democratic organizing in my home community today?

My grandmother taught me from a young age that there’s power in our Democratic movement. From watching reruns of the West Wing when I was 13 to meeting Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail in 2008, we were energized by our shared faith in the ability of Democratic leaders to make a real difference in people’s lives. She wanted to see Texas Democrats rise to their full potential. I wanted to do everything in my power to make that happen.

So I hit the ground running, joining my College Democrats, starting the Lubbock chapter of Moms Demand Action, getting involved with Texas Democratic Women, and serving as a precinct chair for Lubbock County Democrats. That’s how I got my start in politics, at the county level, doing anything I could to help. I’ve seen firsthand that county parties are the foundation for everything we do in our Texas Democratic movement. And though I’m not working at the county level anymore, I believe that you don’t close the door behind you -- you keep it open for others to walk through as well.

Right now, as Texas Republicans are attempting to silence our voices, it’s more important than ever to bring Democratic power back to my South Texas community. And that’s what I’m working hard to do: advocate for county parties and county chairs to get the resources they need to be successful. Because so many Texans don’t realize how much power there is in their voice, in their vote, and in their community. If we can just open their eyes to that, the sky's the limit.

This year, Hispanic Heritage Month feels more poignant to me than ever. My grandma, the woman who taught me to be proud of my heritage, to be proud of who I am, passed away last year. Everything I do is to honor her and our community. Here in Webb County, I see the power, strength, and resilience of our Latino community firsthand every day. And I’m working hard to ensure people who look like me have every opportunity to make their voices heard.

If we’re going to fight back against Republicans’ attempts to stop us from casting a ballot, we need to mobilize Latino voters in South Texas and across the state. That starts with registering hundreds of thousands of Latino voters -- and we can’t do it without you. Can we rely on you to chip in $7 to ensure every Texan can make their voice heard at the ballot box?

Unidos en la lucha,

Brenda Cruz
Regional Political Manager, Texas Democratic Party