Henry Cisneros in the hunt for Latino voters in Texas
Zooming from political wunderkind in San Antonio to Cabinet official in the Clinton Administration, Henry Cisneros has been on a meteoric path his whole life. Now 63, he is officially out of elected office but still very much involved in the Democratic Party.
Before the March primary this year, thousands of Texans received a “robocall” from Cisneros on behalf of State Board of Education candidate Rebecca Bell-Metereau. He’s been stumping for Bill White and other Democrats all over Texas ever since. He is always in demand as a speaker to drum up dollars and votes during any election season.
When he was elected mayor of San Antonio, Cisneros was only 33 years old but had already served on the City Council since the age of 27. He was the youngest mayor and the first Hispanic mayor in San Antonio. With degrees from Texas A&M (BA and MA), Harvard University (MA) and George Washington University (PhD), Cisneros could have chosen a career in academics. Instead he chose public service and urban planning.
After leaving Washington, Cisneros became president of the Spanish-language TV network Univision and is currently chairman of CityView, an urban development and investment company based in San Antonio and Los Angeles. His wife Mary Alice serves on the San Antonio City Council.
During a brief break in his always-busy schedule, Cisneros shared some thoughts with us on the upcoming election and the historically low Hispanic turnout.
QUESTION: How are you feeling about Texas Democrats and the midterm elections now?
CISNEROS: This is a very important election across the country and in Texas. With the opportunity to have an enthused electorate select a Democratic governor in Bill White, we really have to energize the voting base from top to bottom.
Texas has suffered a great deal in recent years in terms of our accessibility to health insurance, children’s medical services and education at all levels. We need to return to a philosophy in which government plays a role in people’s lives, instead of setting up government as an enemy.
QUESTION: Are you out campaigning a lot these days?
CISNEROS: I’m going to be in Nueces County for Bill White this weekend, and I expect to campaign for various individuals, including Congressman Chet Edwards. I expect to be available for the party on and off through the fall, as my schedule allows. Continue Reading »
63 Days to Go Our Work Is Not Done
Fellow Democrats,
Another weekend produced another terrific event for Travis County Democrats. Our back-to-school blockwalk on Saturday was a big success!.
Congressman Lloyd Doggett, who has been fighting the good fight on behalf of public education in Texas, fired us up to start off the day with his message about the importance of fully funding our schools. Rick Perry and the Republicans, of course, have been diverting school funds and turning away federal dollars, but Doggett is working hard to turn this sorry situation around.
We also heard from our great elected officials, including State Representatives Mark Strama, Eddie Rodriguez, Donna Howard and Elliott Naishtat. And our two candidates for State Board of Education, Judy Jennings and Rebecca Bell-Metereau, gave a short class on their races. Both are in winnable races, but they need a strong turnout in November to beat Republicans who have been holding our public education hostage for too long.
After the morning speeches, volunteers fanned out, going door-to-door to urge voters to vote for Democrats who will take public education away from right-wing politicians and return it to the control of professional educators. It was a hot day with fiery enthusiasm, and I want to thank everyone who turned out for our back-to-school event.
I would also like to urge everyone to come by campaign headquarters tonight to phone-bank with some of our great Democratic candidates. This is important work, and it’s also fun, so I hope you will drop by.
Time is flying in this election cycle. November will be here before we know it, so I hope you have a great Labor Day weekend. I urge everyone to recommit their time and resources to working hard in the last stages of this important midterm election.
Sincerely,
Andy Brown
Travis County Democratic Party Chair
Sen. Yarborough Judicial Retirement Celebration Honors Judge Wilford Flowers
On September 14, the Travis County Democratic Party will host the Second Biennial Senator Yarborough Judicial Retirement Celebration, honoring seven of our distinguished retiring judges. This is the last in our series of mini-portraits of our honorees.
Judge Wilford Flowers grew up in segregated Port Arthur and has broken racial barriers in Austin for decades. In 1977 he became the first African-American assistant district attorney, and his election in 1990 to the 147th District Court made him Travis County’s first black district judge. For 20 years, he has presided with distinction over trials involving Austin’s most serious felonies, including murder and robbery.
