AUSTIN, Texas – Today, Texas Democratic Party Leaders – Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa, Vice Chair Shay Wyrick-Cathey, Vice Chair for Finance Kendall Scudder, Secretary Lee Forbes, and Treasurer Odus Evbagharu – released the following statement on the results of the Texas 2022 midterm election statewide races:

“We won’t beat around the bush: at the statewide level, this was a tough cycle – not just here in Texas, but also in Georgia and Florida: two other big red-purple southern states with extremist, incumbent governors who also easily won re-election tonight.

“It’s exasperating to hear, but the most important thing we can do as Texas Democrats right now is to stay in the fight. Democrats will continue to make gains in cities and counties across the state, with competent and values-driven leaders getting elected to more and more positions that affect tens of millions of Texans’ everyday lives – all while building our Democratic base over time until we win at the statewide level.

“And tomorrow, that work must begin again. Because even though we weren’t able to cross the finish line tonight, it doesn’t mean we have the luxury of being dejected and discouraged.

“Women across this state are still subject to the most extreme abortion ban in the country. Gun laws in Texas haven’t changed one iota since the massacre at Uvalde – and our state is living in constant fear of the next mass shooting. Far too many hard-working families in Texas still don’t have access to basic healthcare, or quality education for their kids. Far too many families in this state are still being crushed by sky-high property taxes. The electric grid still hasn’t been fixed and we’re all worried about what might come when this winter – or next winter – rolls around. 

“Even the ability to vote is out of reach for far too many Texans – mostly Texans of color, Texans with disabilities, and young people – who have been purposefully kept out of the democratic process by extremist Republicans who figured the only way to staunch the political bleeding they’re experiencing in Texas politics is to disenfranchise wide swaths of the electorate from even being able to cast a ballot.

“In the coming legislative session, we can expect a renewed push toward extremism from Texas Republicans. Despite the blaring sirens that tonight’s results yield for them directly beneath the topline numbers, they have shown themselves as willing to stop at nothing to maintain their desperate grip on power in this state.

“As we head into the next election cycle, many Texas Republicans will undoubtedly have their eye on higher office – and that means their political stunts will become more extreme, more frequent, and will come at a higher cost to everyday Texans.

“We will do everything in our power in the coming years to blunt the blows of these inevitable Republican assaults, but the only way we can truly put an end to their reign of terror is to continue our efforts to build and organize and mobilize a base of support large enough to get them out of elected office. 

“Tonight, we thank our statewide candidates and their families for the months of grueling work they’ve done – the conversations they’ve shaped, the voters they’ve mobilized, the Texans they’ve inspired. We thank our volunteers and supporters for the dollars they’ve donated, the doors they’ve knocked, the phones they’ve called. We thank campaign staff, elected officials, and the everyday Texans who are happy to not have to see another political ad for the next few months.

“Tomorrow, we get back in this fight. 

“Because we’ve got a state to save. We refuse to throw in the towel and give up on a state as remarkable, freedom-loving, beautiful, diverse, industrious, and trailblazing as Texas.”

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