Good morning, 

Here is the Texas Minute for Monday, July 18, 2022.

– Brandon Waltens 

• This past weekend, Texas Democrats held their biennial convention in Dallas, where delegates meet to  elects the party leadership, creates its platform, and gears up for the November election. 
   
• After covering the Republican Party of Texas Convention last month, Texas Scorecard went to Dallas to talk to delegates to find out why they were there, what priorities they care about, and if they believed that the Democrat party truly has a chance in Texas in 2022.
   
• That was too much for them to bear, however, and we were kicked out of the convention. Here is the story.
   
• And here, for the first time, is the full video:
   

• Like other media outlets, Texas Scorecard applied in June for press credentials and were assured by party staff that we “should be all set” and that credentials would be emailed out shortly before the convention.
   

• After not receiving them, the day before the convention we inquired again about the status of the credentials. We were told “unfortunately we do not have space and are not able to accommodate your request,” adding, “space and resources are limited and we only have capacity for so many outlets.”
   

• We asked again and were denied again, with a recommendation that we watch the livestream of the major events on YouTube. Despite the two denials, however we decided to head up to Dallas regardless. Additionally, the Texas Election Code is clear: the “news media are entitled to attend” the Democrat and Republican conventions. 
   
• When we arrived, we found that the convention center was far from “at capacity” and only lightly attended.

• All was fine as we set up a camera and microphone in a lightly-traveled hallway on the ground floor and began to ask willing participants various relevant questions:

  Is this your first time at the Democrat convention?
  What priorities do you care about?
  Do you think Beto O’Rourke has a chance in November?
  Do you think Joe Biden will be the nominee in 2024?
   

• After holding polite, informative interviews for over an hour, a disruptive attendee began to hurl obscenities and shout that we were “fascists.” Then, she brought a few friends who began taunting us and yelling for the purpose of disrupting an interview.
   

• With the mob cheering on, one of the KBH Center’s “security” ushers soon informed us the event was “private” and that we must leave. (She also was probably unaware of state law on the matter.)
   

• I asked, once more, if we could go get our media credentials, but was escorted to the door. We weren’t there to make a scene. Our goal isn’t to be the story, or in the story, but rather to report on the issues that matter to Texans. So, at the Democrat Party’s (profane) direction, we respectfully left.
   

• As it turns out, Democrat delegates also decided not to stick around, as on Saturday there was not a quorum to pass the party’s own platform.
   

• One has to wonder why the Democrats were so worried about having delegates speak on camera. Are they not proud of their delegates…? Or, perhaps, are worried about what they might say? Either way, nothing good happens when politicos hide from Texans.

Your Federal & State Lawmakers

The districts displayed here should reflect those recently redrawn by the Legislature. Though the new lines do not take representational effect until 2023, they will appear on the 2022 ballot. Please note that your incumbent legislator and/or district numbers may have changed.