Democrats are set to gather for their national convention in Chicago on Monday in hopes of continuing a wave of enthusiasm for their revamped presidential candidate, featuring Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz.
While Texans are not expected to have a large prime-time presence during the four-day Democratic National Convention, the Lone Star State is set to play a key role.
From local elections to the presidential race, Democrats across the country are campaigning on issues that are staples of Texas politics, including reproductive rights, gun control, diversity programs and LGBTQ issues.
Unlike last month’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Texas will play the role of bad guy when it comes to public policy issues.
“Unfortunately, under Republican leadership, Texas has become a kind of laboratory for the worst policy ideas, which have spread across the country,” said Lisa Turner, state director of the Lone Star Project, a Democratic research group.
“When you look at the Democratic National Convention and the Texans who are there and the message that’s being delivered, I believe it’s going to resonate with all Texans, because we’re living it,” Turner said.
The convention will be a pep rally for Democrats, even in Texas, which hasn’t won a statewide election since 1994 and a presidential election since 1976. Turner said the enthusiasm for Harris-Waltz is off the charts and could help rally Texans to support a lesser candidate.
“It’s a foreign energy, a ‘I can’t wait to get to the polls,’ kind of energy,” Turner said. “It’s a combination of an incredibly capable woman running for president and America’s father, the kindest man I’ve ever met, running for vice president at a time when we’re not seeing a lot of good politics.”
Rice University political scientist Mark Jones said he expects the focus on abortion-related issues will draw attention to Texas, which has a near-total ban on abortion. The mention of guns and health care could also be relevant in Texas, a state that has loosened gun laws in recent years and has the highest rate of uninsured residents in the nation.
“The Texas abortion bill is so far from Main Street, even for Texas, that it provides a perfect foil for Democrats to paint a picture of what life would be like if Republicans ran the country their way,” Jones said.
Jones said Texas Democrats were relieved that Harris was voting on behalf of President Joe Biden, spurring their energy at the convention.
“If you’re a Democrat in a light blue district or county, you can breathe a sigh of relief,” he said. “Harris is guaranteeing that your base will vote by a normal or slightly above normal margin, and if you’re a Democrat in those areas, that’s all you need.”
Jones said Texas Democrats in Republican-leaning districts may be nervous about the convention, Harris-Waltz’s policies on the energy industry and other issues that could antagonize Texans.
“It’s easier for your opponent to associate you with coastal progressives,” Jones said.
Texas delegates heading to Chicago say they are excited to see history in motion: Harris will be the first Black woman to become a major party’s presidential nominee.
“That’s what motivated me to be there in person,” said Rep. Retta Andrews Bowers, D-Rowlett. “Hearing first-hand and up close the first African-American woman to be nominated for president of the United States will be an emotional and historic moment that will fill us all with pride.”
High-profile abortions
Democrats have framed the fight for abortion rights as a winnable issue, often using the stories of Texas women who were denied medically necessary abortions to back up their case.
Lauren Miller of Dallas, who testified at a U.S. Senate hearing in June about having to leave her state to get an abortion, plans to travel to Chicago as a representative.
When one of the twins was diagnosed with a serious, potentially fatal abnormality that put the health of her healthy twin and Miller at risk, doctors in Texas were hesitant to even discuss her options, so Miller traveled to Colorado in October 2022 to have an abortion.
The other twins are happy, healthy 1-year-olds, Miller said.
In a recent interview with The Dallas Morning News, Miller praised Harris and Walz for their campaigns’ focus on abortion rights, noting that Harris is the first vice president to visit an abortion clinic and that Walz worked to protect abortion access as governor of Minnesota.
Miller said she and other Texas women can send a powerful message about the impact of their campaign on former President Donald Trump, who appointed three conservative Supreme Court justices and gave them the leeway they needed to overturn Roe v. Wade.
“What happened in Texas and every state that has anti-abortion laws will become a national issue if Donald Trump is elected,” Miller said. “Everybody across the country needs to know that if they know someone who could become pregnant, their life is at risk come November.”
Texas speakers could include Collin Allred of Dallas.
Harris’ acceptance speech is scheduled for Thursday night, while Walz’s is scheduled for Wednesday.
President Biden, former President Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are also scheduled to speak at the convention, but the party has not released a comprehensive list of speakers.
Texas Democrats are scheduled to play a variety of roles at the convention, with some speaking from the main stage, including Rep. Collin Allred (D-Dallas), who is challenging Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in November.
Democratic Rep. Veronica Escobar of El Paso is serving as national co-chair of the Harris-Waltz campaign, a role she took over from the Biden-Harris campaign. Reps. Mark Veasey of Fort Worth and Jasmine Crockett of Dallas are scheduled to attend and participate in various events throughout the week.
Allred has sought to distance his showdown with Cruz as much as possible from the presidential election and make it a referendum on the incumbent president. As Democrats debate Biden’s fate following his poor performance in the June debates, Allred said it was up to the president whether to continue his reelection bid.
Allred’s convention speech is likely to highlight her opposition to Cruz, who gave a speech at the Republican convention last month that focused on Biden’s immigration policies and made no mention of competing with Allred.
The representatives are excited
Given that the past six weeks have seen Biden’s underwhelming debate performances, an assassination attempt on Trump, the selection of Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance as Trump’s running mate and a lively and unified Republican convention in Milwaukee, it’s no wonder Democratic delegates are feeling shaken.
While Democrats debated whether to knock Biden off his top presidential ticket, Republicans ended their convention with momentum.
Dallas delegate Pashon Jackson said he felt momentary disappointment when Biden announced he would not seek reelection.
“I didn’t know what direction we were going in,” Jackson said, “but as soon as he endorsed Vice President Harris, it felt like the clouds lifted and went away and the vision began to emerge.”
Jackson is looking forward to attending the convention, the first in-person event since 2004, and plans to take part in meetings of the Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Women’s Caucus as well as other events.
She was a delegate to the 2020 virtual convention, but said connecting with other Democrats via video conference doesn’t create the same energy as meeting in person.
The Texas delegation will meet each day for its annual breakfast, with speakers including Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and former Alabama Sen. Doug Jones scheduled to speak.
The traditional roll call vote by state representatives will be ceremonial after they voted online to select Harris as their nominee earlier this month.
“The most important part of the work is done before we get there,” Jackson said.