pick for now; but in the future, the Challenger may become a good prospect after she gains more experience and knowledge...that's my 2 cents!

accountable -- does he favor quality people or is what he is doing ethically intolerable?

It is stuff I read in the paper or heard through the grapevine. One candidate says the chair encouraged him to primary against an Democrat in office. The chair turned around and said he never did that.


The Democratic Party has strict rules about endorsing candidates in the primary.

It is stuff I read in the paper or heard through the grapevine.

and competence

Where in TX do you live? What’s at stake. Texas Dems stand to make gains on the County, state legislative and Congressional levels. Whom do you want running GOTV then?

GOTV is done primarily through local candidates and other groups.
He is pretty good at having rallies and introducing all of candidates.
He's fairly charismatic and I think that motivates some people.


A state legislator complained that our chair didn't support him when they were battling Republicans in Austin because he was busy running for mayor. The county chair complained that above state rep was not a sustaining member of the local party. (He wasn't paying $10/month for sustaining membership)


He is working on the getting voting machines that also have paper ballots.

I would rather not say where I live.
Where I live it somewhat blue.

It's a difficult decision

but you are hearing a lot of people that think a new person is needed.

Personally, based on your pros and cons and knowing nothing else, I couldn't vote for the challenger who only became interested in politics recently, hasn't been an activist and only attended one meeting. It sounds like your current chair runs the organization well. I wouldn't jeopardize that with an unknown who hasn't proven themselves by knocking doors, attending meetings, etc. so that people can get to know them, their values and work ethic.

It will be a nastsy contest

The other one's are much easier.

The Congressional seat is not competitive unless this is a major wave election.

There are ten people on the ballot for Governor. I am torn between Lupe and Andrew White.

I did just donate to the challenger in the race for county chair.

I watched the Tom Green County Democratic Party's forum on FB Live. White was very energetic and sounded like a leader.

Like does your party have a history of getting involved in primaries (in mine, under the candidate's name on the ballot "X county Democrats/GOP" appears and the candidates fight for the coveted 'county line')
What is your current party chair's track record with winning elections?
What is your current party chair's track record on contesting elections (ie not allowing the GOP to run unopposed) and recruiting candidates?
How does your current party chair feel about the grassroots ground game of Democratic campaigns? Does he support them or does he just give the staff well wishes or refuse to sit down with them? Does he actively recruit volunteers for Democratic campaigns?


Regarding the last question. I'm one of those staffers. Some county chairs have been absolutely wonderful and were actually willing to work. Others provided us another field office or space to work out of (lawyer county chair let us use his law firm after hours). Lawyer county chair mentioned above would also provide us with 5-6 phonebankers when we came out there. Other county chairs won't even sit down for coffee with a campaign staffer. This is my be all end all.

I just recently became involved with the party. I got involved with Indivisible and from there started attending local party events.

I know a few of these answers, but some of these are new questions. I will try to find out as much as I can. Thank you!

I just don't get this stuff.

"She became interested in politics in the past few months. "

I wish someone with more experience would have stepped forward, but that isn't the case.
If he is so awful, why didn't someone with more experience step forward sooner?
We have lots of qualified people.

Election is in March - on the primary ballot along with our gubernatorial candidates etc.

Yet the only person to step up just got interested. Not a good position to be in. "Anybody but" is often a pad place to be.

Your local party is about to be headed up by someone who just got interested in politics. I'm going to venture that she has a solid business or organizing background.

She works as a paraprofessional

That’s a tough spot.

So that is a non-starter for me. My decision is made.

I don't fault people for being newly arrived on the scene. There are a bunch of people who are--and always have been--Democrats that are stepping up in the wake of the last couple three years. I find that really exciting, personally. New energy, new foot soldiers, and new ideas. That's a tremendous shot in the arm to the party. It's also terrifying to the old guard who is used to doing it this way because, "That's how we've always done it." Plus, to some people it represents a potential loss of power/control. Not gonna lie, IMO, the survival of the Dem party depends on our ability to embrace new ideas and new people. Freeze them out, and run the risk of going the way of the dinosaurs and the dodo bird.

That lack of experience can easily be overcome with an Executive Committee to provide advice, or a Vice Chair with experience, or a Central Committee that is involved and active. Candidate recruitment is a similar situation, and a new chair may be somebody that can help field some new faces in these local and county races--the farm team, in other words. Indivisible, Action For Better Tomorrow, BLM, Mom's Demand Action--any of the resistance organizations--they are allies and need to be offered a seat at the table.

I don't know the personalities at work, I don't know the local scene there. What I do know, however, is that I'd urge a concentrated effort to draw in and harness every one of the new faces we are seeing. FWIW, I've had this same conversation with our own local party chair.

Good luck!


Laura

We have 712 precincts and 341 precinct chairs. County population is 2 million.

Our party has been in trouble before, including embezzlement of $200,000 by the treasurer.
Don't want to go there again. Our Budget and Finance Committee is upfront and center at each meeting.

This chair has been around since 2013.

As someone who got involved with the party via Indivisible, I personally feel that I am accepted. There are about 30 new precinct chairs from Indivisible. The party has not put up challenges to them.

There is cronyism, but I don't feel excluded. I'm fairly easy-going and not much of a rabble-rouser.

Good luck to you all. I wish all the Dems "Good Hunting" in the upcoming elections!



Laura

Not acceptable for party chair.

Questions to ask yourself has the DEC grown and how active is your local party than go from there. Lack of experience on running a DEC with midterms coming up could be a setback for your area.
Good luck

Our party has grown from 50 precinct chairs to 341 in the past several years. (Our county has 712 precincts)
We have an active county and a large county.

If it was a small county than lack of experience could be easily compensated.

Then vote for the one you agree with.