Early February check-in

I played dress-up and went to the Johnson-Jackson Lee-Richards Gala at the Hilton Americas in Houston where workers organized and are now members of Local 23!

Taylor Rehmet’s victory as Democratic senate representative for the 9th district in northeast Texas is significant in ways that Dem leadership may not grasp and that Republicans are already repudiating. The Texas Tribune has a good overview here.

However, one thing the Tribune hasn’t looked at and what I’m speculating about is that Democratic leadership in the House may not quite grasp what this means. Rehmet had a tight, focused campaign and the focus was on Latinos and those voters who have felt betrayed by and then, subsequently, hurt by the Trump regime.

They played hardball and despite being outspent by several magnitudes, won a district that went for Trump bigly in 2024. What Schumer and Jeffries don’t seem to get, repeatedly, is that they’re not up to speed with the current discourse among voters in this country. Increasingly, we as a people, are beginning to recognize the threats we’re under and how precarious our well-being, individually and collectively, is.

At a gala dinner on Saturday, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar gave a live and very moving address to the assembled Harris County Democrats. She noted that she has looked to Texas leaders like Barbara Jordan for inspiration and praised U.S. District Judge Fred Biery‘a order for the release of five year old Liam Conejo Ramos from federal custody in the detention facility in Dilley, Texas. 

To be sure, Senator Klobuchar was extremely supportive of the efforts here in Texas to combat the Trump and Abbott regimes’ determination to subjugate citizens to a fascism The like of which we’ve not seen in this country or this state. Amid the other fine presenters and tributes (particularly to former Houston mayor and Congressional representative Sylvester Turner), something emcee Mike Doyle said rang out.

At the end of the evening, he noted that the Harris County Democratic Party is a coalition party. It is an amalgam of various types of Democrats, from more conservative centrists to more progressive leftists. What’s important is that they’ve come together repeatedly to fight off the governor’s stated mandate to turn the County “blood red” and preserve our courts and legislature in the face of ongoing attacks by Republicans.

I’m in the middle of working on a piece about ICE in Houston and keep stopping and starting because folks like the ones at 404 Media publish docs like their “ICE Zine”. It’s a great resource and I recommend reading more about it and downloading the pdf here. 

There’s more to come as we plan for more protests and get ready for the Texas state primary elections March 3. I suspect I’ll be busy this month.

Last but by no means least:

Congratulations to Christian Menefee for winning for winning the special election runoff for the state’s 18th Congressional District! It’s not my district but he won my support from the moment he announced his candidacy.

Photos (just a couple)

I’m emphatically not a guy who goes to fancy galas and haven’t worn a monkey suit in years. But my friend Kevin McGuire of the Democratic Socialists club nabbed a couple of tickets and invited me when the original ticket holders bailed. Truth to tell, it was a pretty great evening and hob-nobbing with candidates and incumbents is, of course, both fun and enlightening. Shout-out to Dr. Audrey Nath who is running for District C Houston City Council rep. It was also great to see and share the table with Robert Hallenbeck (Democratic Harris County Precinct 38 chair) and Piper Madland, from Bayou Blue Dems in Precinct 177. It’s always a kick to see folks you know all dressed up and decked out.

Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones presenting the Katy Jewett Memorial Training Fund.

Minnesota Senator Katy Klobuchar addressing attendees live from Minneapolis.