Latest news with #VikkiGoodwin
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Top Texas Democrats ponder the state's future at forum amid questions about what's next for their party
SAN ANTONIO — Hundreds of people packed into a music hall Friday night to ask three big Texas Democrats questions about concerns ranging from local housing struggles to the effects of President Donald Trump's immigration and economic policies rippling through the state's second-most populous city. The town hall was the latest stop in a listening tour for former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, the El Pasoan whose political future was called into question after losing three statewide elections in four years following a meteoric rise during which he almost unseated U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Houston, in 2018. On Friday night, O'Rourke was joined by state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio — whose names have each been floated for potential statewide contests. The elected officials introduced themselves with speeches that mixed biographical details with assurances that Texas Democrats fight for all Texans, regardless of who they have voted for in the past, and that there is hope on the horizon. 'We're going to vote our way out of this in 2026,' Castro told the crowd at Stable Hall. 'We have seen tougher people than Donald Trump and we have prevailed. We will prevail again.' Seated in front with the trio was state Rep. Vikki Goodwin, an Austin Democrat who has announced a bid for lieutenant governor, and former Democratic San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg. Both, as well as a local county commissioner, joined the platform at the front of the room for the portion of the night when the elected officials took questions from the audience. In his remarks, O'Rourke pitched legalizing undocumented persons who arrived in the country as children, often called dreamers, and their parents; expanding health care for all; and better lives for educators. 'What if we had a Democratic Party that actually fought for these things?' O'Rourke asked. The three Democrats held the town hall amid reports that it was unclear whether they would each campaign for different statewide seats or compete against each other in a primary for one post. The Dallas Morning News this week reported that they had met — along with former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, who unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate last year — to hash out a possible lineup. But all are 'steadfastly' interested in running for Senate, per the report. As of Friday, none had officially entered any race. On Friday night, they downplayed the suggestion they were rivals, saying their priority is changing the politics of Texas. The strategy of presenting to voters a team of candidates with high name recognition is not entirely new. Texas Democrats tried it in 2002 when a slate of candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and U.S. Senate failed to secure any victory. While midterm elections typically bode poorly for the party of the sitting president, that year's midterms handed Democrats wide losses in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, during which Republican President George W. Bush benefited from a strong approval rating that flowed down the ballot. In Texas, Republicans won the state House for the first time since Reconstruction. Trump, and Republicans, may not have the same upper hand this time. A statewide poll released this week found approval of Trump's performance in net-negative terrain among Texans, although Republicans in the state remain largely loyal to Trump, according to the poll from the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin. Democrats seeking a statewide win in Texas will still face a steep uphill battle. No Democrat has won statewide office since 1994. And last year's presidential election complicated narratives about voters, especially the state's growing Latino population that the Democratic party had long banked on for clawing back power from Republicans' tight grip. Trump earned 55% of the Latino voting bloc in Texas after years of Republicans losing it by double digits. Along the U.S.-Mexico border, Trump won 14 of 18 counties — including Starr County, which is 97% Latino and had not been carried by a Republican for 128 years. Rafael Lopez, a 76-year-old Vietnam War veteran, thinks the Democratic party needs to better engage those voters, especially the younger ones. At the rally Friday, he noted his own involvement in politics: He had not protested his whole life until a few weeks ago when he joined a demonstration against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Since then, he has also gotten involved with the party at the local level, he said. 'When you get to my age, you start to notice things and you notice that things are not going right,' Lopez said. 'We have to lean on the young people.' Few Texas Democrats have animated voters of all ages like two of the people who shared the stage Friday night: O'Rourke and Talarico, a seminarian and former public school teacher whose speeches against socially conservative proposals like book bans have often gone viral on social media. Alee Briggs, a 28-year-old from San Antonio who volunteered on O'Rourke's 2018 Senate campaign, is one of many viewers of Talarico's TikTok videos — and wanted to see him in person. Meanwhile, her friend, Brittany Watson, who attended after an invitation from Briggs, said she was first introduced to Talarico on Friday. She was 'really super impressed.' 'Someone like that to me really embodies what we should be about as a society and the people who should be running the country,' Watson said. Briggs echoed the sentiment: 'He's really refreshing in the rise of Christian extremism. He's using his religion for good and inclusivity. … If he wanted to run for the Senate seat or anything like that, I would definitely support him.' As the guests who secured seats inside the venue began asking questions, a line of people stood outside hoping to get in. Among them was Debora Noble, a 65-year-old from New Braunfels who said she did not identify with any political party. She was drawn to the event because she said she has been following O'Rourke since he was on the El Paso City Council in the 2000s and wanted to hear what he had to say. In particular, Noble said she was worried about cuts to veterans' benefits. The U.S. Army vet of 30 years pointed to a veteran's recent death by suicide in the parking lot of a San Antonio veteran's hospital. 'It's become very difficult for the veterans to get care,' Noble said. 'I just vote for whoever I think is gonna do better for me and my family.' In front of Noble in line stood Robin Pritchard of Austin. The 21-year-old has witnessed those needs for mental health resources following federal cuts as a volunteer with a crisis hotline. 'It's been constant, constant calls, constant texts — like hundreds of people in a queue where there used to be maybe 50,' Pritchard said. Inside the venue, the crowd roared at the suggestion of toppling statewide Republicans and booed at the mention of the Trump administration's actions, like masked immigration officers without badges arresting undocumented people across the country. After the rally, O'Rourke, Talarico and Castro stepped outside to take photos. Near the front of the growing line were those who were unable to get into the event, including Pritchard and Noble. Disclosure: University of Texas at Austin has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. Big news: 20 more speakers join the TribFest lineup! New additions include Margaret Spellings, former U.S. secretary of education and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center; Michael Curry, former presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church; Beto O'Rourke, former U.S. Representative, D-El Paso; Joe Lonsdale, entrepreneur, founder and managing partner at 8VC; and Katie Phang, journalist and trial lawyer. Get tickets. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
CBS News
15-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Democratic Texas Rep. Vikki Goodwin enters race for Lt. Governor, says "It's time for change"
State Representative Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin, is taking on Lt. Governor Dan Patrick next year as he seeks a fourth term in office. In an interview for Eye On Politics, Goodwin explained why she's running. "I think the time is right. We need a change. I disagree with Dan Patrick on so many of the policies that he has, but also on the corruption that we see of him taking millions of dollars before he was the head judge in an impeachment trial, the way that he rules the Senate with an iron fist, really doesn't encourage any debate over there." Goodwin, who was first elected in 2018, will have to give up her legislative seat in southwest Austin to run for Lt. Governor. "I have to give up my seat in order to run, but it's very frustrating as a Democrat in the minority party when we get crumbs, during legislative sessions." Goodwin told CBS News Texas that her main platforms include public education. She opposed SB 2, the school choice law that will give students tax dollars to attend private schools. "This session we saw $1 billion going into private schools. And I anticipate with the current leadership, that will continue to grow over the years. I'm not in favor of sending our public tax dollars to unaccountable private schools. That's number one." Other issues she says are her top priorities include housing affordability, water and health care. "Housing affordability. I would say that all our leaders have talked about that as a big issue, but what we saw come out of session, in my opinion, doesn't do enough to address that issue. Water and energy, and infrastructure is a big deal. Again, water was prioritized this session. We talked about a lot of things: New water, leaky pipes, but not really a whole lot about conservation. I think there's a lot that we need to do around health care. Whether it's women having the ability to make their own personal private health care decisions or whether it is in rural areas, people just having access to good primary care." Patrick's campaign announced in January that it has $33.5 million cash on hand. President Trump has also endorsed the Lt. Governor for reelection next year. When asked how she can beat Patrick, Representative Goodwin said, "I think it's all about relationships, building relationships with people around things they care about. I've spent the last year traveling the state and looking at the issues all around the state. I'm not interested in the divisive issues. Let's put those aside and let's solve the problems that really make a difference in your life." Watch the full interview with Rep. Goodwin below:
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Austin Democratic state Rep. Vikki Goodwin launches bid for lieutenant governor
Austin Democratic state Rep. Vikki Goodwin is running for Texas lieutenant governor. The four-term representative on Tuesday announced her bid to unseat three-term Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has also launched his campaign for re-election in 2026. Goodwin has criticized Republican leadership in the state and has vowed "to fight for the things Texans care about most: strong public schools, access to abundant and clean water & power, housing affordability, and comprehensive health care for every Texan," according to a news release announcing her candidacy. 'As a lifelong Texan, a mom, a business owner, and a public servant, I've seen firsthand the challenges families across our state face,' Goodwin said in her statement. 'And sadly, our current leadership is busy tearing down our agencies and institutions, instead of building trust within our communities — both physical and demographic. I'm running for Lieutenant Governor because I believe in building a Texas that works for all of us — not just the well-connected few.' Goodwin, a 58-year-old real estate broker, comes into the race with a massive strategic and fiscal disadvantage. Patrick's coffers hold more than $33 million, while Goodwin has about $150,000, according to the latest campaign finance reports. Texas Democrats last won a statewide office in 1994, and Patrick beat his Democratic opponent by more than 10 percentage points in 2022. On the heels of Goodwin's announcement, her chief of staff and the Travis County Democratic Party chair, Pooja Sethi, announced she would run for the incumbent's seat in the state House. "Rep. Goodwin has been a tireless advocate for our district, & I'm ready to build on that work with the same grit, presence, & relentless drive to deliver for our community," Sethi wrote in a social media post Tuesday morning. Staff writer Bayliss Wagner contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Rep. Vikki Goodwin launches campaign for Texas lieutenant governor
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Should election judges be allowed to carry guns at voting sites? Texas House says yes.
Election judges and voting clerks who have a license to carry a handgun would be allowed to perform their election day duties while being armed under legislation the Texas House passed Thursday on a party-line vote. Republican state Rep. Carrie Isaac's House Bill 1128 — which would exempt election judges and early voting clerks serving as election judges during early voting from a firearm ban at polling places — touched off a debate between the bill's author and Democratic Rep. Vikki Goodwin of Austin when the legislation first came to the floor Wednesday over whether the presence of guns at voting sites would make elections safer. "Why do you want guns at polling places?" Goodwin asked. Isaac responded that threats and violence directed toward election workers have increased in recent years, which puts the security of elections at risk. "It's becoming harder and harder to recruit and retain workers because of rising threats," she said. "These are not isolated incidents." More: Memes, meanness, lies: How rhetorical flourish can still impact the Texas Legislature Isaac mentioned threats against former Tarrant County Elections Administrator Heider Garcia after the 2020 election to bolster her contention that poll workers can become targets of violent individuals. In written testimony to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in 2022, Garcia said the threats came after election deniers began casting doubts on the legitimacy of the outcome of the presidential race in which Democrat Joe Biden ousted Republican Donald Trump from the White House. Tarrant County became a lightning rod, he said, because it had long been a GOP stronghold but Biden narrowly outpolled Trump in the final vote count. Garcia told the committee that threats directed at him included disturbing social media posts, such as calls to "hunt him down" and "let his lifeless body hang in public until maggots drip out his mouth." But Goodwin questioned how allowing poll workers to carry handguns during elections would address or eliminate such threats. "Do you think it's possible that voters will be more intimidated by gun-toting poll workers?" she asked. More: 'School choice becomes the law of the land,' says a triumphant Gov. Abbott in signing SB 2 Isaac brushed aside the question, saying that only election judges who are licensed to carry handguns would be allowed to bring firearms to the polls. And the guns would likely be concealed and unnoticeable to voters, she added. "We are more safe when people are carrying firearms," Isaac said. According to the Texas Penal Code, only on- or off-duty law enforcement officers may bring firearms to a polling place. Texas is one of only 12 states and Washington, D.C., that prohibit firearms at polling sites, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. HB 1128, which the House passed on an 85-57 vote, now goes to the Senate, which will have less than a month to decide whether to bring up the bill for a vote before the 2025 legislative session ends June 2. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas House OKs bill allowing election judges to carry guns at polls
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Live updates: Education savings accounts on the Texas House floor
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — On Wednesday, the Texas House is expected to take up a years-long anticipated vote on Senate Bill 2 — which would establish education savings accounts (ESAs) — and House Bill 2 — the public school finance bill. READ MORE: Texas leaders share unfiltered thoughts on future of education An ESA program would allow families to use tax dollars to help pay for private education, while the public school finance bill would increase current funding to Texas's public schools by $7.7 billion. Before the meeting, some lawmakers started calling to turn SB 2 into a referendum — allowing Texas voters to have the final say on their ballots in November. 'The Governor keeps saying this is what Texans want,' Rep. Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin, posted on X. 'But that's not what we're hearing. We should be putting this to a vote of all Texans.' Gov. Greg Abbott, who declared ESA legislation an emergency item for two consecutive sessions, said the voters already decided. 'This is just another desperate distraction from out-of-touch Texas Democrats,' Abbott's Press Secretary Andrew Mahaleris said in a statement. 'School choice was on the ballot last November, and Texans elected a school choice majority in the Texas Legislature. When it comes to education, parents matter, and families deserve the ability to choose the best education opportunities for their children.' As the day develops, we'll keep you updated right here on the latest from the Texas House floor. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
