Inside This Issue:
- Uvalde: Will the Latest Mass School Shooting Motivate GOP Leaders to Support Any Gun Regulation?
- Celebrate Pride Month with Team HCDP
- Candidates Set for November Election
- TENT Executive Director Named One of TIME Magazine’s Most Influential People of 2022
- Local Activist Draws National Attention
- Call to Action: March for Our Lives on June 7
- Leadership Academy Applications Now Being Accepted
- The Power of the Texas Grid Remains in Question
- Volunteer Action Alert: Help Us Get Out the Vote for May 24
- Precinct Chair Corner
- Help Support HCDP Through Our Membership Program
- Thousands Turn Out in Houston for the We Demand Justice Rally
Uvalde: Will the Latest Mass School Shooting Motivate GOP Leaders to Support Any Gun Regulation?
While family and friends begin burying the victims of the Uvalde tragedy, calls are increasing for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to convene a special legislative session to address the issue of gun violence.
“As pressure from Texas Democrats continues to mount, Gov. Abbott (on Wednesday) requested lawmakers to form special legislative committees in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting, while stopping short of ordering a special session to pass gun control laws….
“During his governorship, Abbott has ordered four special sessions to address matters including abortion laws, COVID relief funding, a transgender sports ban, bail reform, and voting laws.
Celebrate Pride Month with Team HCDP
Happy Pride Month!!!
As we move into June, HCDP would like to celebrate all of our magnificent LGBTQIA+ Harris County community members and thank them for their ongoing strength, acceptance, and love. We’d also like to invite everyone to celebrate Pride Month with us.
On June 13, join us for a night of drinks, drag, and Democracy at a Democratic Drag Show: Get your tickets today!
On June 25 come out to the Houston Pride Parade! Look for the HCDP parade vehicle! We’ll be there celebrating with folks throughout the county! Houston Pride Festival & Parade
And for your wardrobe:
Ah, the T-shirt: An apparel staple with roots in rebellion thanks to Marlon Brando & James Dean. It can be high fashion or casual wear, disruptive or unassuming — depending on how you wear it. Ours is made from 100 percent cool cotton and sports a Pride-proud message that will make you smile.
Candidates Set for November Election
Harris County Dems have finalized their picks for the November election with Beto O'Rourke topping the list!
“We’ve got a fantastic slate of candidates, and the Harris County Democratic Party is going to mobilize voters in every corner of the county to elect them," says HCDP Chair Odus Evbagharu.
TENT Executive Director Named One of TIME Magazine’s Most Influential People of 2022
Congratulations to Emmett Schelling, Executive Director of Transgender Education Network of Texas, on being named to TIME magazine's TIME100 Most Influential People of 2022.
"Emmett is leading a scary and grueling fight for trans survival, and we are so lucky to have him."
Local Activist Draws National Attention
Indivisible Houston member and local Democratic activist Benjamin Hernandez made national news last Friday when he confronted Ted Cruz face-to-face at Uptown Sushi.
The scene occurred when Hernandez posed for what Cruz thought was just a picture but was actually a phone video. Hernandez questioned the senator about his inaction on gun reform and urged him to do something. Hernandez was eventually removed from the restaurant by Cruz's security team, once again displaying Cruz's failure to address the gun violence epidemic that he helped create.
Benjamin, we are so proud of your hard work and fierce activist spirit. Thank you for all you do!
Call to Action: March for Our Lives on June 7
 |
Plan to attend March for Our Lives 2022! Show up and demonstrate to our elected officials that we demand and deserve a nation free of gun violence. Location: Robb Elementary School |
Leadership Academy Applications Now Being Accepted
 |
HCDP invites you to join our annual Leadership Academy program! Come learn how to become an effective organizer in your community, build your political network, and cultivate your leadership to elevate yourself to the next step on your path in politics. The Leadership Academy will run from July 23 to Sept. 3. |
The Power of the Texas Grid Remains in Question
 |
We already know it can’t take the cold. How will our grid handle the heat? That’s the $195 billion question we are being forced to ask as the summer gets underway and temperatures in Harris County are reaching triple digits. Following the state-wide power outage in 2021 that cost Texans almost $200 billion in property damage and, worse, 702 lives, Gov. Greg Abbott has scrambled to convince Texans that the grid can stand up to the summer heat. But ERCOT already has asked Texans to conserve power — after six power plants went down right before a hot weekend — and demand for power continues to grow. Every temperature swing is anxiety-producing because Gov. Abbott has done next to nothing to fix the damn grid. |
Help Make a Difference: Volunteer with HCDP!
Weekly Phone Banks from June until September:
Join us in person every Wednesday at HCDP HQ from 6-8pm to call voters. Sign up here!
Join us virtually on Zoom every Thursday from 5-7pm to call voters. Sign up here!
HCDP Priority Precinct Canvasses:
We’ll be walking over 100 precincts in Harris County this year! These areas have the most Democratic voters BUT the lowest election turnout. We NEED to talk to these voters and motivate them to show up to the polls this November! We will be identifying Democratic supporters & reminding them to vote. This is how we 🌊 TURN TEXAS BLUE! 🌊
Priority Precinct in Klein: June 5 from 3-5pm. Sign up here!
Priority Precinct in Third Ward: June 26 from 3-5pm. Sign up here!
HD 150 Road Show: HCDP is coming to your area!
Join us and HD 150 Candidate, Ginny Brown Daniel, for an overview of the race ahead. To accomplish victory in 2022, we will bring back past volunteers, bring in new volunteers, and build capacity in the House Districts we need to defend and win countywide. We will be providing important training on building up engagement in your areas- and mobilizing the vote ahead of the November election! Immediately after training, we will be going out to canvass in the community!
We will host a HD 150 specific phone bank this upcoming Tuesday, as well as another canvass the following Saturday. Please join us and recruit more people to come take action!
Join the Roadshow June 18th from 11am-1pm
Virtually Phonebank for HD 150 June 21st from 5-7pm
Come canvass in HD 150 June 25th from 10am-12pm
Precinct Chair Corner
The Badge Order for delivery by the June 23 CEC is now closed.
If you want to know what the detailed election results were in your precinct, you can find that information at Election Reports — Election Division (harrisvotes.com).
Also... All Precinct Chairs will be sworn in for the 2022 - 2024 term at the Q2 CEC on June 23, 2022. We welcome 74 new Precinct Chairs! If you are a current precinct chair, look for emails for signup and registration. Only Current precinct chairs are able to vote.
Finally... Precinct Chairs interested in serving as election judges in November should email karem@harrisdemocrats.com.
Help Support HCDP Through Our Membership Program
Work by the Harris County Democratic Party is supported through our membership program.
- Friend of HCDP - $10 a month
- Ally of HCDP - $15 a month
- Activist of HCDP - $30 a month
- Advocate of HCDP - $60 a month
- Champion of HCDP - $125 a month
Sustaining members who donate a regular monthly or annual amount allow us to underwrite our day-to-day operations. This is how we pay our staff. This is how we support Democratic candidates. This is how we fund our voter outreach.
This is how we help elect more Democrats to office.
Thousands Turn Out in Houston for the We Demand Justice Rally
More than 6,000 protesters from around the nation gathered on May 27 at Discovery Green to protest the NRA Annual Meeting that was taking place in Houston just three days after the tragic mass shooting of 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas.
Despite the sweltering heat, the enormous crowd packed together so everyone could hear the long list of speakers — including survivors, parents, community members, and public officials like County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Beto O’Rourke — who demanded action from our elected officials.
Thank you so much to everyone who came out and helped make this such an impactful event. As the fight continues, our unity now is more important than ever.
Get involved today! We need you...
Team HCDP