"It's not enough to just vote."
In the wake of the 2016 election, we found ourselves, like many of you, wondering what we could have done differently.
Sure, we voted, but was that enough any more?
We began gathering, first for solace, then to write postcards to our elected officials, to attend Democratic events,
and to learn how to resist.
But to make real progress we knew more Democrats had to be engaged.
The suburbs were ripe with progressives who didn't always cast a ballot. We were going to change that.
Our group of eight sat around a dining room table and came up with a game plan.
Sure, we voted, but was that enough any more?
We began gathering, first for solace, then to write postcards to our elected officials, to attend Democratic events,
and to learn how to resist.
But to make real progress we knew more Democrats had to be engaged.
The suburbs were ripe with progressives who didn't always cast a ballot. We were going to change that.
Our group of eight sat around a dining room table and came up with a game plan.
The birth of #GSD
In January 2018, Blue Action Democrats began as a Democratic club in suburban Southwest Austin, with one goal -- to engage those, like us, who'd been complacent in our democracy.
From the beginning, Blue Action was all about getting sh*t done. It's our motto, our raison d'etre. We didn't want to waste another moment.
First, we started organizing 14 precincts in Southwest Austin. That meant knocking doors, recruiting volunteers and educating voters. We approached the midterm with the premise that if we could turn out Democratic voters at the same rate as a presidential year, we could flip seats in the US Congress and in the Texas State House.
So we started with the basics, teaching our friends and neighbors how to canvas, reminding them when and where to vote and educating them about what was on the ballot. We recruited more than 200 volunteers and knocked on 11,000 doors that year, People took notice. Fundraising numbers climbed above $35,000 in our first year.
From the beginning, Blue Action was all about getting sh*t done. It's our motto, our raison d'etre. We didn't want to waste another moment.
First, we started organizing 14 precincts in Southwest Austin. That meant knocking doors, recruiting volunteers and educating voters. We approached the midterm with the premise that if we could turn out Democratic voters at the same rate as a presidential year, we could flip seats in the US Congress and in the Texas State House.
So we started with the basics, teaching our friends and neighbors how to canvas, reminding them when and where to vote and educating them about what was on the ballot. We recruited more than 200 volunteers and knocked on 11,000 doors that year, People took notice. Fundraising numbers climbed above $35,000 in our first year.
2018 Results
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When the 2018 election results came in, there was good news and better news. The turnout in the 14 precincts we'd organized jumped from 42% in the last midterm to 68% in 2018. That was nearly 7% higher than the Travis County total, which was the highest turnout in the state.
Our suburban neighborhoods helped elect a new Democrat to Texas House District 47 from SW Austin. Rep Vikki Goodwin was one of 12 new Democrats elected to the state house in 2018. Without the tremendous support of our volunteers, the work of our block walkers and block captains, and the generosity of our donors, we wouldn't have achieved the amazing increase in turnout and voter engagement. |
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Gerrymandered congressional maps helped keep two Congressional districts, TX-21 and TX-25, under Republican control. TX-21 was lost by a narrow margin of 9,893 votes. In TX-25, the margin of victory by the Republican incumbent was cut in half. Both of these districts are in play for 2020.
The Opportunity in 2020
Besides coming within three points of capturing the first state-wide office since 1994, Senate Candidate Beto O'Rourke put 17 Texas House districts in play, by bringing in new voters across the state. In these 17 districts, incumbents held on to their seat by less than 10 points. These house districts now form a path to a Democratic majority in the Texas House in 2020. This election becomes even more critical when you consider than Congressional maps will be redrawn in 2021. A Democratic majority in the Texas House means fairer maps for all Texans.
Are you ready to join us? Locate a chapter near you or contact us to start your own.
The path to #FlipTexas likely runs right through your neighborhood.
The path to #FlipTexas likely runs right through your neighborhood.