Texas Democrat argues party doesn't need a full-on reset, just better messaging
DALLAS — State Representative Armando Walle, D-Houston, has had several days to ponder what went wrong for Democrats on Nov. 5.
And even after the blowout loss, not only in Texas but across the country, he doesn't think the party needs a control-alt-delete reset.
"Our policies are correct. Our policies are right. We just have a messaging issue that we need to correct," Rep. Walle told us on Inside Texas Politics. "I'm not going to lay blame on anybody. We have to collectively regroup and get back on it."
One trouble spot for Democrats during the election was the Latino vote in general, Latino males in particular.
According to exit polls from several sources, 46% of Latinos voted for President-elect Donald Trump, a record high for a Republican Presidential nominee. But when focusing on Latino men, that number jumped to 55%.
Both represent a significant step backward for the Democratic Party.
And that demographic made clear that the economy was their number one issue.
While Rep. Walle says he understands the economic anxiety experienced by many, he says Latinos aren't solely responsible for sending Trump back to the White House.
"We didn't deliver the Presidency to Donald Trump. There was some lacking of voter turnout in some areas. There were some folks that did turn towards the President-elect's message. Again, we have to do a better job of messaging to our Latino men," he said.
The Texas Democratic Party will get a new leader next year, after chair Gilberto Hinojosa resigned following the election. That person will be decided during the State Democratic Executive Committee meeting in March 2025.
Rep. Walle says he'll be looking for a leader who can bring together a broad spectrum of coalitions, not just in terms of race, but also where people live.
"We have to be a big tent. Look, rural communities, I think we have to make sure that rural communities know about our message, that we are the party of working people," explained the Democrat. "I'm going to listen to all of them. I want to listen to what they have to say, what their plan is to get us back to relevancy, to get us to where we can win statewide."
Texas lawmakers are already filing bills for the 89th Texas legislative session that will convene in January 2025.
Rep. Walle filed 19 bills.
One would expand insurance coverage for IVF treatments to all state employees, including teachers.
Another bill would raise the state's minimum wage from the current $7.25 an hour to $15 an hour.
"You shouldn't have to work two and three jobs to make ends meet in this state. We are the most prosperous, ninth largest economy in the world, the state of Texas. We have a budget surplus. It's unfathomable that we would allow hardworking people to live, to try to attempt to live on $7.25 an hour," he argued.
