Message from the Chair:

Jan Soifer, TCDP Chair

Good Democrat v. Tea Party Extremist for U.S. Senate!

August 20th, 2012

The Texas Republican primary battle stirred up lots of national press this summer and made Ted Cruz a media star. Now that the dust has started to settle, I hope voters and the media will tune into the fact that Texas Democrats have a U.S. Senate candidate, too, and comparisons to Cruz are startling.

Paul Sadler is smart, moderate, caring and loaded with common sense. Newspapers and TV stations are actually mentioning him now, so he is beginning to poke through the Republican haze. If Texas’ get-out-the-vote efforts are successful — and if Texas Democratic donors begin giving to our homegrown candidates instead of out-of-state candidates — Sadler could be the breakthrough we’ve been waiting for in statewide elections.

Republicans are counting on Cruz’s Cuban-American heritage to win over Texas’s growing Hispanic population. They’re in for a shock if they think Cruz can stir up Latino voters the way San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro does. Castro’s priorities, like Paul Sadler’s, align with an overwhelming majority of Hispanics. Cruz’s simply do not.

One of the brightest members of the Texas legislature in the ‘90s, Sadler is a strong supporter of public education, job creation, energy independence, protection of the environment and improved health care (including women’s services).

Cruz, on the other hand, is an extreme right-wing Republican, a Tea Party champion (even more than our extremist Governor) who is campaigning against President Obama and the federal government rather than for the people of Texas. He has denounced government programs that overwhelmingly help minorities and the poor and championed causes that harm and disenfranchise them.

Cuts to public education, cuts to ob creation and fare wage initiatives, needless Voter ID laws and the erection of a border wall between Texas and Mexico are just the tip of Cruz’s iceberg. His silver tongue will not hide Cruz’s right-wing agenda that offers nothing for the people of Texas.

What can you do to help all Democrats on the ballot in Travis County? Become a Sustaining Member of the TCDP, help us register people to vote, sign up to volunteer for phone banking and canvassing. There are many opportunities to contribute, including fun events like our DNC Watch Party on September 4^th at the Coordinated Campaign Headquarters (2406 Manor Road), where we’ll gather to see Mayor Castro deliver the keynote address in Charlotte, N.C. It’s going to be a proud moment for Texas Democrats.

And be sure to save the date for our Senator Ralph Yarborough Judicial Retirement Celebration. On September 18^th, we will gather at the Headliner’s Club to honor Judge Mike Lynch, who is retiring from the 167^th District Court. This fundraiser will help us elect Democrats to positions throughout Travis County, so please plan to come.

Sincerely,