Countdown to Year-End – 1st Stop Texas for 2022 Midterms
These waning days of 2021 give us much to reflect upon. Knowing that now is the time to engage voters for the 2022 midterms, we are looking back on 2021 to see why different states have become priorities for us. Next year, we will be working to elect Democratic candidates in Texas, Ohio, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, and Florida by calling low-propensity Democrats to increase turnout, and by supporting voter access to the polls through our free-to-voters rides to the polls program. As 2021 comes to a close, I’d like to tell you a bit about each of these target states, why we are prioritizing these locations in the coming months, and why we are asking you to support our efforts. There is so much at stake nationwide, but success in these states can make a difference for all of us.
We are working in 6 states in 2022 to turn out voters for Democratic candidates to replace Republicans who have failed to serve democracy. Please donate today to support our voter outreach and free rides program.
The first of our priority states to vote in 2022 will be Texas – early voting begins February 14, just 8 weeks away. Texas is electing 38 congressional representatives, a full executive branch, both houses of the state government, and judges at a variety of levels of the judicial. This state government has been at the forefront of voter suppression, abortion restriction, and a host of anti-science legislation, spitting out heinous laws that serve as patterns for other states to follow. At the top of the list for us is a need to replace Gov. Greg Abbott. He was awarded the “worst Texan” Bum Steer Award by Texas Monthly magazine because his hard-right rhetoric and actions have nothing to do with governing, and have everything to do with courting “the 4 percent of Texans who decide Republican primary elections.”
He had the nerve to point his finger at renewable energy for causing statewide power outages and the failure of the state power grid during the February 2021 winter storm despite the fact that the state runs largely on oil and gas. After the massive disruption of power that caused the deaths of more than 200 Texans, he signed a law that allows utilities to simply opt-out of winterizing their operations for a small fee. Abbott’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic has also been a disaster, with frequent flip-flops on policies, a law to prevent local officials from instituting mask mandates, and mixed messaging on vaccination that encourages individuals to get vaxxed while banning businesses from requiring employee vaccinations. Abbott has benefited from a supporting cast including a GOP-controlled legislature and an anti-abortion & anti-voter Attorney General, Ken Paxton, who will stop at nothing to challenge any law that makes voting accessible and to implement any law that will prevent abortion access.
Of course, Texas also has folks like Mark Middleton running for a state house seat. If Middleton’s name is unfamiliar, he and his wife are indicted rioters from the January 6 insurrection who are proud of being in “the first group to storm the Capitol… to make America great again!” They are presently awaiting trial on assaulting two DC Police officers on January 6th.
Texans have better choices than this clown-car of GOP representatives, and we need Democratic voters mobilized to vote them out! Rideshare2Vote is supporting Beto O’Rourke’s run to replace Greg Abbott as governor, and will turn out the vote for Dems up and down the ballot to bring about change in the Lone Star State.
Please donate now to help us turn out the 2022 vote for Democratic candidates in Texas beginning February 14, with voting to follow in Ohio, Virginia, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina.
by Sarah Kovich
