Transcript
Alexander Clark: Howdy and welcome. back to Mission, Texas. I'm Alex Clark, and we're going to talk about the people, the work and the long game of changing this state. Kate is traveling for work this weekend, so you got me flying solo.
Alexander Clark: She sends her best, and I know she's looking forward to this conversation. Joining me is Evan Hunt, the Democratic nominee for Congress in Texas's. third district challenging Republican comment. Keith.
Alexander Clark: Keith Self. Ugh. This guy. Evan is an Air Force veteran and a McKinney dad with kids in public school. um Just for context, everybody, early voting started yesterday. It is underway.
Alexander Clark: as this episode comes out. We're going to talk to Evan about what brought him from military service into politics, what he's hearing across the district, and what he thinks people should be expecting. from their representative.
Alexander Clark: We'll also get into a little bit of controversy, maybe get a little spicy. and the the work of building something that lasts beyond one election. Evan.
Alexander Clark: Welcome to Mission Texas.
Evan Hunt: Thank you so much for having me on Alex. Appreciate it.
Alexander Clark: Yeah, I'm so glad you're here. i We met at a VoteVets event. um
Evan Hunt: yeah
Alexander Clark: And we've also been on the the Venezuela. ah panel that we put together with the the Richardson area Dems.
Evan Hunt: That's right. That's right. I remember.
Alexander Clark: And... I just have to know. like how does How does Evan Hunt... find himself running for Congress. because it doesn't happen overnight. And there are lots of things I'm sure that happened before.
Alexander Clark: before you made the big announcement. i i love to talk about it in terms of origin story i'm a big marvel nerd
Evan Hunt: Oh, me too.
Alexander Clark: I want to know.
Evan Hunt: actually look Heroes. So there you go. That's it.
Alexander Clark: Yeah, perfect. Yeah.
Evan Hunt: hate me
Alexander Clark: I want to know what's your what's your spider bite? Was there an Uncle Ben who told you that with great power comes great responsibility? Like what what was your origin story?
Evan Hunt: yes
Alexander Clark: How did you get into politics?
Evan Hunt: I had a lot of... I had a lot of Uncle Ben's. I mean, I... I always... um You know, I grew up
Evan Hunt: sort of admiring government and public service. I mean, I remember the first time I heard that Martin Luther King speech, you know, the, I have a dream speech. chosen fifth grade and and school in New York City. and It really moved me. but I thought for a while I wanted to work in government. I went in. to University of Pennsylvania. pre -law, so I was a political science and history major.
Evan Hunt: Did my junior year abroad at London School of Economics. came home and I was really studying World War II and the sacrifice of the greatest generation. at the exact time that. September 11th hit.
Evan Hunt: And I had a lot of family and loved ones in New York City. I remember just being on the phone for hours waiting to hear back. I knew people who lost loved ones in the towers.
Evan Hunt: And that really affected me. Um, And I.
Evan Hunt: sort of felt called to do my part. And I marched down to the recruiter's office. I was a little young and dumb and and did not talk to my parents and and signed up. with Mass. Sergeant Rush in West Philadelphia.
Evan Hunt: uh for the air force
Alexander Clark: I'm sorry, anytime I hear West Philadelphia, I just hear it. I got to say, like, born and raised.
Evan Hunt: I know, West Philly, i exactly.
Alexander Clark: The playground is where I spend most of my day.
Evan Hunt: That was it. that was it
Alexander Clark: Okay. Sorry. A little Fresh Prince for you there.
Evan Hunt: good Yep. Yep.
Alexander Clark: but You're telling a very serious story. Tell me more about it. You said Master Sergeant Rush?
Evan Hunt: Yeah, well, yeah I thought I was going to do intelligence for four years. right I mean, I wasn't very...
Alexander Clark: Bye.
Evan Hunt: technical. I was kind of a liberal arts guy. and
Alexander Clark: I didn't tell.
Evan Hunt: ah Okay, there there you go.
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: But he he said, oh, we can get you flying jets. and Like I said, I was young and dumb and that sounded kind of fun. and I signed up to be a backseater. So I was a weapons systems officer.
Evan Hunt: Before I knew it, I Six, eight years had gone by. I was a backseater on B -1 bombers. I flew combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. um And. you know I kind of blinked. I had multiple deployments under my belt.
Evan Hunt: I had young kids. You know, the military life. um Sort of just struggling to get by. Moving every two, three years, deployments and in between, training.
Evan Hunt: training. you know trips in between and I always say the military is not an easy life, right? So I kind of...
Alexander Clark: You didn't join to get rich.
Evan Hunt: I did not join to get rich.
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: I did think, I mean, I remember thinking that if I made six figures, life would be good. Remember that? but Back like...
Alexander Clark: Yeah, yeah
Evan Hunt: 30 years ago, that was the pitch of you make six figures. That'd be great. And then you've got the stability of the government. Not true at all. Right. I mean, you it was.
Alexander Clark: And that's for officers to be clear. I know that.
Evan Hunt: Correct.
Alexander Clark: I was enlisted.
Evan Hunt: Bye.
Alexander Clark: Six figures was not really within.
Evan Hunt: aye Well, I wasn't figures until I was.
Alexander Clark: Grasp for me.
Evan Hunt: i guess a major lieutenant colonel and even then i by that point i i could barely afford. Um,
Alexander Clark: h
Evan Hunt: We were single income, could barely afford camp for the kids in the summertime.
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: Always worrying about money. and i so And I watched a lot of my friends who became doctors and lawyers, you know, they had to go through school, but. By the time you hit your 30s, you know, they're. some some people people going to business were making really good money and had these great stable lives living down the street from their parents. and Um,
Evan Hunt: I went into a mode of just... Really trying to trying to transition to a better life for my family. So I eventually switched from the... Military to the National Guard.
Evan Hunt: Full -time National Guard, then part -time National Guard, eventually. went into business, and that was actually after getting furloughed. So at that point.
Alexander Clark: o
Evan Hunt: I think this was 2000 13 was the furlough We got furloughed for... Three weeks to a month because Congress couldn't do its job.
Alexander Clark: Yeah, classic Congress.
Evan Hunt: And. And they. And I remember they they did not. guarantee they were ever going to pay us back. And at that point I was living kind of paycheck to paycheck. um And I said, I. I got, I got it. I got to transition to industry. So.
Evan Hunt: I went through a very sort of American. thing of just being all about how do i build my career and make some money some financial stability for my family Ended up...
Evan Hunt: Work in a small company, then Raytheon. and kind of cut my teeth in in the business development function of business. which was fun because I was still supporting the tech industry, defense industry.
Evan Hunt: still traveling around the world, working with. Uh... militaries and and government organizations and briefing government leaders and going to the Pentagon.
Evan Hunt: Um... But really just. I had given up on hopes of any sort of political career and I was very disillusioned with a government career. by By that point, I mean, then...
Evan Hunt: 2022 rolled around. That's when I retired from the military. So after 20 years, I retired as Lieutenant Colonel.
Alexander Clark: Congratulations. you know A lot of people have grand designs of doing their 20.
Evan Hunt: Thank you.
Alexander Clark: and uh
Evan Hunt: All right.
Alexander Clark: Not everybody makes it.
Evan Hunt: Yeah, yeah um I made it. I mean, it's ah it's a slog. It's a slog.
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: but but it was
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: It was rewarding. Um, And. I thought I was just going to go into the like the better life, but my... My kids were 17 and 19.
Evan Hunt: Um, I finally had a career where. I had a little disposable income. I was settled down a little and... and Trump got reelected. and uh Then I started getting more upset and more upset.
Evan Hunt: like you know Now I'm one of the old guys who actually has the time to pay attention to politics. and
Alexander Clark: so so suspicious
Evan Hunt: And I started getting upset and I... i started following keith self like who's my representative what's happening here at the at the more local level And then I saw what was happening because Keith's self is just a total.
Evan Hunt: sycophant. And. sort of takes every opportunity to divide our community as opposed to pull together. And so I was like, well, I got to get involved. I started going to local community events. I started going to Democratic Party events.
Evan Hunt: um and just before us.
Alexander Clark: I guess his last name is appropriate then, right? That's all.
Evan Hunt: It is appropriate.
Alexander Clark: It's all about himself.
Evan Hunt: Yes. Yeah, I mean, he's an interesting guy. I mean, I don't know. I mean, he served like in the military, like. Like us. You know, he was, I think, a 25 year lieutenant colonel in the Army.
Alexander Clark: Mm hmm.
Evan Hunt: Uh... But that just makes me angrier because he.
Alexander Clark: Should know better.
Evan Hunt: I think he knows better.
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: Yeah, i think I think he's sold out. So long story short, i after a couple of months of being involved locally. you know, the Democratic Party. desperately needed a rebrand.
Evan Hunt: i had the time for the first time in my life and people started encouraging me to run And I kind of felt like the universe was pointing at me. and
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: That was it we jumped into it a year and a half ago And here we are, we've built a movement. you know it's been a long road but uh First day of voting was yesterday. Lines were long.
Alexander Clark: Mm hmm.
Evan Hunt: Feels like the arc of the moral universe could bend sharply toward justice, and i' am I'm ready for it.
Alexander Clark: Yeah. Well, here here in Dallas County, where I live, Cardell Coleman and Yasmin Simon, ah the chair and vice chair of the Dallas County Democratic Party, deserve a lot of praise because.
Alexander Clark: I don't know if you noticed this. but not only did we exceed the turnout for 2022 and 2018. We exceeded the turnout for our presidential year. We exceeded 2024. Turned out yesterday
Evan Hunt: We had.
Alexander Clark: That's amazing.
Evan Hunt: We had the same thing in Collin County. We had 34 ,000 people show up in Collin County.
Alexander Clark: Nice.
Alexander Clark: Beautiful.
Evan Hunt: And...
Alexander Clark: I love it.
Evan Hunt: To your point. That does not happen without. Party. community organization.
Alexander Clark: hu
Evan Hunt: ah Part of the reason I think Democrats have lost for so long is because the Democratic Party, just at the local level, at the state level. has kind of has kind of been a mess i mean i haven't been here for all of it but i hear stories but i think in the last couple years people have really tried really hard to build off the momentum that
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: Beto laid the groundwork for. and
Alexander Clark: Mm hmm.
Evan Hunt: um get organized and Build a big tent. And it's it's... I see it. It's paying off. It took a while, but we're... We've got real movement.
Alexander Clark: Yeah. uh Let's get into that and in just a minute. ah You said earlier that the the party needed a rebrand. and I will say I think it still does. If you look at the polling for the Democratic Party as ah as a whole, not necessarily the Texas Democratic Party, but.
Alexander Clark: Democrats in general have a severe branding problem. It's just that Republicans are. more unpopular at the moment.
Evan Hunt: Yeah.
Alexander Clark: It's not that people really like us.
Evan Hunt: That's right.
Alexander Clark: And that fact where we're like. We're experiencing the highest percentage of Americans identifying and as independent. Like ever. Like it's a high watermark. Like. Over 40 % of Americans are independents.
Alexander Clark: But. Before we move on to all that, I wanted to go back to your story because something you said resonated with me. um if There is. True for myself as well. I mean, I spent.
Alexander Clark: two years as a End. Two full years teaching. ah taught like a handful of months. before law school started but Um, Between teaching and air forcing. And then clerking for a federal judge. I spent nine years. um you know, in the public sector. um And.
Alexander Clark: And then I joined this big law firm, downtown Dallas. and you know, made up for lost time, right?
Evan Hunt: Yeah.
Alexander Clark: And i socked I socked away so much money so aggressively.
Evan Hunt: Yeah.
Alexander Clark: um so that I could now launch my own law firm. but that that kind of pivot from like okay like i really want to be in public service but it just isn't affording my family.
Alexander Clark: the life I want to provide. And I think that that is a real. um tension. between people who want to do this work and they feel like they can't. I think it's especially acute in Texas because.
Alexander Clark: you know for A lot of people who are not as well established as you are who can't just jump into a congressional race. A lot of people will get started at the local level or you maybe they'll run for state representative. And these jobs pay.
Alexander Clark: next to nothing. Right. Like. God forbid someone with a normal job. you know yeah the teacher or you know hourly worker wants to go be a representative in the texas legislature because They make $7 ,200 a year.
Evan Hunt: Yeah. money.
Alexander Clark: Can you afford to do it if you win?
Evan Hunt: I've been listening. This is reflective of a larger problem.
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: Right. um it it's sort of. acute when it comes to public service because you're talking about people who want to give back to their communities.
Alexander Clark: Yes. Yeah.
Evan Hunt: And yet. And in many times, they're very educated, like teachers, right? and and or people that want to run for office. but they can't afford to.
Alexander Clark: Mm -hmm.
Evan Hunt: And. What do we have? We have the middle class shrinking. We have the billionaire class booming. We have corporations. and shareholders doing better than they ever have before, but wages haven't increased at all.
Evan Hunt: in like decades. And and we've had we have inflation, so... You know, if you were a post office worker making the equivalent of $70 ,000 30, 40 years ago, you could raise a single family.
Evan Hunt: single family on a single income. um You could rely on a pension. you could live a good life, especially in a rural community. And.
Evan Hunt: Now? You know, you need. roughly $200 ,000 of purchasing power to live that same life.
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: And the wages haven't changed. Our post office workers are still getting paid. $70 ,000. That is a real problem. So we go from single income to dual income and you get. I see this as a society, like everybody gets more reliant on.
Evan Hunt: I don't know. do Do you know somebody that's rich? Like are you lucky enough? to know somebody that might give you a lucky break.
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: doesn't It doesn't matter how hard you work. It's about your connections. and That, to me, is a failure of governance. that's um that That is something that we have to fix, right?
Alexander Clark: Well, you look, you you talked about.
Evan Hunt: we
Alexander Clark: you know. not going to law school because of 9 11 and joining the military instead um And people assume that if you are a lawyer. you must make. just tremendous and amounts of money. and That's...
Alexander Clark: True, maybe as a relative matter. If you look. Out wide. But what people really don't understand is that it's very bimodal. especially in the first few years.
Alexander Clark: where you're either making like a really significant amount of money. because you're in what's called Big law, capital B, capital L, and these big firms. or you're not. And if you're a big law.
Alexander Clark: I just looked this up. Starting salary now is $235 ,000 a year. That is just like ah a crazy number for most people get their heads around like That is a first year associate.
Evan Hunt: Absolutely.
Alexander Clark: Someone who just graduated from law school. And then you could get another $20 ,000 bonus. Right?
Evan Hunt: Yep.
Alexander Clark: And then. both of those things just continue to climb and climb and climb a second year 245 third 274 320. By the time you're a fifth year. Or in the sixth year, you're making... 300, $400 ,000.
Alexander Clark: um Just in salary. And then. A sixth year bonus is six figures. Right? Um, But that's not true for every lawyer, especially if you're a lawyer who's trying to do good work.
Evan Hunt: Yep.
Alexander Clark: Stuart Campbell, who who leads the Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center. He's not making anywhere close to that. And he is doing just tremendous work. for the the people and of Dallas who. are facing eviction.
Alexander Clark: And so I think that there is a ah real struggle.
Evan Hunt: Yeah.
Alexander Clark: across. um professions that people don't really. I think appreciate. And so what my point ah ah of all this. It's just to say that like.
Alexander Clark: Some people... i think have too limited of a view of what the working class is. And my definition of the working class is. If you have to work. to live. if you have to like Earn income from your labor?
Alexander Clark: You are working class.
Evan Hunt: Thank you. Yes. This is what I say to everybody. I say when I talk about working class. I say everybody in this room is working class. Because you're living off your...
Evan Hunt: You're living off an income income that you work for. Um, you're not living off of your investments. You're not living off your wealth. And. the problem in America today.
Evan Hunt: is you know all the way up until $600 ,000, you actually pay a fair amount in taxes. But... As soon as you kind of make your first million and you'll have people like Mark Cuban talk about this or.
Evan Hunt: um Scott Galloway, they'll say, as soon as you make your first million, you move into light speed.
Alexander Clark: Mm -hmm
Evan Hunt: Because now you can pay an army of accountants and lawyers. to navigate this overly complex system we have. to move your money around. and live off your investments, borrow against your investments.
Alexander Clark: Yep.
Evan Hunt: and escape the tax code with all these tax breaks we've All these. not tax breaks, tax loopholes that we've steadily opened over 30 or 40 years. And the the latest example, this is the big, beautiful bill.
Alexander Clark: I think Ezra Klein used the phrase like earning an income is for suckers.
Evan Hunt: So.
Alexander Clark: Like... You just live off of your assets, right?
Evan Hunt: Yeah. I mean, it's big enough money. If you make enough money, 100%. um So I always say this isn't really about. This isn't about taxing the rich at all, not for Texas Democrats. This this is just about.
Evan Hunt: closing loopholes so that you don't have people who own Lamborghinis and yachts paying less in taxes than firefighters and school teachers.
Alexander Clark: Right.
Evan Hunt: and
Alexander Clark: No one who's living off of not working.
Evan Hunt: e
Alexander Clark: Should. pay less in taxes as a rate than someone who works for a living.
Evan Hunt: 100%. And we need a baseline of like good school systems, good health care. um well -funded police and fire departments of well -funded border and enable the middle class to grow
Evan Hunt: I think we have a bunch of representatives right now that are serving special interests and big money. And that means they've made. government a vehicle for profit seeking behavior.
Evan Hunt: Right.
Alexander Clark: The grift.
Evan Hunt: A vehicle for the 1%.
Alexander Clark: The grift is strong right now.
Evan Hunt: Yes. Yep.
Alexander Clark: Well, look, I mean.
Evan Hunt: Instead of having people that are serving 99%.
Alexander Clark: Yeah. And you said like. What bothers you most is that. Congressman Self should know better. Because. We learn so much about. The... Team. you know whether it's a community like yours or the state of Texas or the United States of America. like What are some lessons you learned in the military?
Alexander Clark: Which, by the way, best branch, right? Air Force?
Evan Hunt: Air Force.
Alexander Clark: Yeah. Air Force.
Evan Hunt: Yeah.
Alexander Clark: Okay. Fly, fight, win.
Evan Hunt: Yep.
Alexander Clark: That I feel like you you carry with you because my view on this, and maybe I'm biased, is that anyone who has served in the military. has developed a certain cultural mindset.
Alexander Clark: but also like very transferable skills. that make them good leaders in whatever environment they go to.
Evan Hunt: Correct. Yeah, I mean... What is the ah what is the military? sort of teach you right they they first of all you gotta you gotta Um,
Evan Hunt: Show up bright -eyed and bushy -tailed. On time. And... um
Alexander Clark: If you're early, you're on time.
Evan Hunt: Excellent.
Alexander Clark: And if you're on time, you're late.
Evan Hunt: Exactly. Excellence in everything you do. so So leave things better than you found them. uh you know in in in aircraft maintenance especially you live by the one touch rule like if you touch it then make sure you leave it better than you found it.
Evan Hunt: Um, and there's this service just instilled in you, right? It's about service. It's not about money. it's like you're not there no people People don't sign up for the military to make money. They sign up to to give back.
Evan Hunt: Um, And you you serve with people from every creed and every color and every corner of the nation. Like when I commanded a, you know. I've commanded a couple squadrons. so hundreds and hundreds of airmen from all different backgrounds, all different types. And you see everybody comes together for this for this mission.
Evan Hunt: um and is held to the same standard. which is which is Really great. um You see how much management and leadership matters? like your You know, the commander.
Evan Hunt: The guy at the very, very top always rolls downhill. You got a great commander. You got a great unit. It's always the way.
Alexander Clark: Sets the tone.
Evan Hunt: Yep. And for me in the in the in the bomber community. You know, I remember you you're trained for one way missions. So there's this interesting.
Evan Hunt: acceptance that happens. that like, hey, you might get honored. with being told you have to fly a one -way mission. right Not enough gas. to get home and and you're going to punch out over our enemy territory.
Evan Hunt: And. That is, it's amazing how people just accept it because they're so proud to serve. that That is the... That is a military I experienced.
Evan Hunt: especially flying combat missions. the military I experienced. we went out of our way to avoid civilian casualties. We, we... we put ourselves at great risk to avoid civilian casualties. and and we We tried very hard to follow international law, and there was a real sense that there would be repercussions. for war crimes.
Evan Hunt: And I worry that a lot of that greatness within the military is is being lost, right? that That respect for different backgrounds, yet a common mission. that respect for leaders that set the right example, the respect for international law.
Evan Hunt: and and the the responsibility that comes with great power. To your point. Yeah.
Alexander Clark: Bringing it back to Uncle Ben. I like it. Um,
Evan Hunt: Yep.
Alexander Clark: Okay, so... You both have. you and your opponent both have these these backgrounds but he is decided to i guess ignore the lessons of of service and has instead been all about him self. Um,
Alexander Clark: How do you see... um your vision of the job. Like, what what would your approach to the office? look like that is different than the way he's done it.
Evan Hunt: Yeah. um So first of all, I think. We should all expect a bare minimum from leaders. and You learn this in the military, but from business, from... ah you know, it doesn't matter, to leaders in your church or in your family.
Evan Hunt: leaders should at least be trying to set the right example. Right. And. should also be trying to pull people together. and people and their team together.
Evan Hunt: um And... Lastly, leaders are there to serve, right? It's servant leadership. So...
Evan Hunt: I think that a congressperson. especially at the federal level, has a huge platform. that can be used, not just... You know, I always say congresspeople aren't activists, they're advocates. They can be used to advocate for.
Evan Hunt: all sorts of things, but especially for using your taxpayer dollars in support. of your community. And not using that advocacy platform. to serve special interests or party bosses or big money.
Evan Hunt: especially when it takes dividing your community to do it. And that's what Keith Self has done. So. Peace. Um, you know, supports this notion that we're a christian nation he's founded this anti -sharia caucus um I'd like to replace the Anti -Sharia Caucus with the Separation of Church and State Caucus.
Alexander Clark: ah
Evan Hunt: that's That's what I think. I think we've got extremism. Certainly there's extremism in... in Islam, but there's extremism. in every religion, every political faction.
Alexander Clark: yeah
Evan Hunt: And we we see the breaking down of that separation of church and state in Texas that keeps us all safe. where We have the Ten Commandments hanging in public schools now. They're trying to change the curriculum. Um,
Evan Hunt: And so I think we need a real focus on. protecting the First Amendment. So Keith says he's... He's a conservative. He's not conservative at all if he's not paying attention to freedom of religion, which is foundation.
Evan Hunt: the foundational to America. And.
Alexander Clark: And hey, it's it's good for the church. Right. I don't want.
Evan Hunt: Absolutely.
Alexander Clark: as As a Christian very involved in my home church, I do not want. the government. getting involved in that. Because inevitably, when they become too intertwined.
Evan Hunt: Absolutely.
Alexander Clark: government and government power and that their interests and incentives. start to poison and Cheapen! The church.
Evan Hunt: Correct. Yeah, our founding fathers. New? That you know what you let your government do to others can one day be done to you or people you love And so the government's supposed to fear us, not the other way around.
Evan Hunt: But Keith... ignores all that and kind of drives these divisions. he This Sharia caucus does nothing more really than just um encourage a bunch of prejudice toward Muslims and Muslims in our community are pretty.
Evan Hunt: are are all law -abiding, God -fearing. good members of our community that you know, that are loved by the police and the fire department and by churches that are down the road. So this is just really unfair.
Evan Hunt: And and worse, Keith Self went around all these communities and and collected money from them. you know, they fundraise and
Alexander Clark: Of course.
Evan Hunt: in their houses, in their mosques for him. But at a broader level. Peace.
Evan Hunt: hasn't brought any money home to our district. So here he is. He's going on his like third. government retirement. Because he was in the military, then he was a county judge, county administrator, and then now now he's been in Congress. So if he gets elected again, it'll be his third government retirement. so he's like a a bureaucrat. He's never worked in in business in his life.
Evan Hunt: But he won't bring any money home. to our district and We are one of the fastest growing districts in the entire country. So we're... We've invited in all these massive corporations with big tax breaks.
Evan Hunt: We've got traffic, congestion, a weak grid, weak water. you know It's Atlanta -leaning telephone poles when you drive east between here and Mount Pleasant.
Evan Hunt: And. He hasn't the so thought to bring home money to keep our schools open, to keep our. healthcare centers open to support our cops. support our school marshal program. He just doesn't believe in earmarks.
Evan Hunt: So we're paying all this money. in taxes and they're going someplace else. um So to me, it's kind of a dereliction of duty. it's it's
Evan Hunt: I don't know. he He thinks his job is to further the Trump agenda.
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: which is the opposite of what the Founding Fathers intended. you know they
Alexander Clark: Well, you've already started on this, but for people who are listening elsewhere in Texas. or even even outside of the you know God's country. the Lone Star State. um Give us a tour of the district under the new map. right like you you've already started to reference some of the the area um What connects? the communities in this new map or is it really just kind of far -flung places and
Evan Hunt: I mean...
Alexander Clark: This is part of the the five seed. that they're trying to take in the the mid -decade redistricting.
Evan Hunt: Yes. So the the district was originally. originally drawn around Collin County. which is where Ken Paxton got his. Paxson's created their career.
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: So you're talking about a ah county that is. Regarded as deeply red. you know over over four
Alexander Clark: Yeah. just north of dallas county right this is
Evan Hunt: Mr. North of Dallas, flying DFW to fly about. Drive about 45 minutes north of Dallas and you hit
Alexander Clark: Suburbia.
Evan Hunt: Suburbia. Um, East Plano, McKinney, Allen, Wiley, Sachse, Murphy. Lucas, Anna. princeton LaVon. all the way out to Greenville, Sulphur Springs, and Mount Pleasant.
Evan Hunt: So they...
Alexander Clark: Well, my mom lives in Anna. My wife's parents live in Greenville.
Evan Hunt: Okay.
Alexander Clark: so
Evan Hunt: Yes. You're talking here.
Alexander Clark: They'll be looking forward to voting for you. If they haven't already.
Evan Hunt: that yeah That's fantastic. I mean, please. You're talking about an area that... is is exploding due to the growth in Dallas. as as a really nice suburban. town of commuters to Dallas.
Alexander Clark: hu
Evan Hunt: There's a lot of industry up here like Toyota and and Raytheon and L3. So defense industry, tech industry. And what you're seeing is.
Evan Hunt: But steadily. It's steadily more expensive to live in the more established areas like East Plano and McKinney. And there's a lot of traffic now, Alan, and that growth.
Alexander Clark: Prisco.
Evan Hunt: Frisco that growth is stretching east. So I really think Princeton, it hit Princeton. which is now the fastest growing town in the country.
Alexander Clark: wow
Evan Hunt: which is... which is just kind of a stop on the way to Greenville.
Alexander Clark: Yep. yep No, i've I've made that drive many times.
Evan Hunt: Agreed. Yep. Greenville is is the next big, I think. um Uh, expansion I think it's going to be just like McKinney. It's going to grow into a big town. And then Sulphur Springs will be next.
Evan Hunt: So...
Alexander Clark: Can I tell you a little anecdote about Greenville, Texas?
Evan Hunt: Please, yeah
Alexander Clark: So my father -in -law, Dan Perkins. He's a great guy. um kind of won the lottery with in -laws in general. but ah Dan was a four -term councilman. in greenville texas you know two terms and then two terms later on He ran for mayor, but they added him as a Democrat, and that was the end of that.
Alexander Clark: But... whenever I graduated from basic training at Lackland Air Force Base. in San Antonio Um, They had us fill out a form like if anybody we were related to and was going to come to the ceremony was like a public official of any kind.
Alexander Clark: Sounds like an end, you know. Dan's a city councilman. I'll put that down. And he is like the biggest. history buff like like watches all the medal of honor shows and like war movies and all that kind of stuff.
Alexander Clark: And I'll tell you. The Air Force made him feel... like royalty they had like a special like parking spot for him when he got there. And they announced him along with the generals in attendance. And he was just like.
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: Just...
Alexander Clark: But yeah.
Evan Hunt: That's all.
Alexander Clark: on On Instagram, he's Greenville Dan. and he he is He is Mr.
Evan Hunt: Greenville Man.
Alexander Clark: Greenville. He loves that place. And I've come to love it too.
Evan Hunt: I... Greenville's... yeah Greenville's been historically very... read for a long time, but I think it's ripe for a flip as well. I mean, I think. just Just a couple decades ago, there was still a sign hanging.
Evan Hunt: in Greenville that said blackest land, whitest people.
Alexander Clark: Yeah, I wasn't going to bring that up, but yeah, it's ah it's not ah not a great.
Evan Hunt: Yeah.
Alexander Clark: History piece. And where I'm from from, I'm from Sherman. Kate says I have to...
Evan Hunt: All right.
Alexander Clark: Kate says I have to mention Sherman every episode. Um, because it's tradition now.
Evan Hunt: Yeah.
Alexander Clark: ah also has some some bad history and in the city as well on on racial issues.
Evan Hunt: But you got great people out there. hes
Evan Hunt: It does. I mean... Yeah, I mean, we have a problem in North Texas with... white supremacism and neo -Nazism and...
Alexander Clark: yeah
Evan Hunt: and Ah. Anyway, that that's a whole other topic, but really.
Alexander Clark: they're They're few, but they're loud.
Evan Hunt: They're a few, but they're loud. Um, But no, historically, this district was supposed to be really built around Collin County. Which is too big to be its own district now because it's over 1 .2 million people.
Alexander Clark: Yeah, it's got so many people now. So what is it now?
Evan Hunt: So they cut out fri they they knew they were going to lose it, so they cut out Frisco at the end of last year?
Alexander Clark: Mmm.
Evan Hunt: They just trimmed it. and they And they added the five counties to the east.
Alexander Clark: Okay.
Evan Hunt: All right. 80 % of the vote is in Collin County still.
Alexander Clark: Okay.
Evan Hunt: 10 % of the vote is in Hunt County, mostly around Greenville.
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: And then 10 % is in the other five counties combined. So it looks red on a map. but there aren't a lot of people.
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: And. It's interesting because it it really does disenfranchise the rural communities out to the east.
Alexander Clark: Yeah, the rocks and trees and creatures. To to to borrow from Pocahontas.
Evan Hunt: Yeah. Yeah, exactly.
Alexander Clark: They don't vote. They might have ah a life, a spirit, and a name, but they don't get a vote.
Evan Hunt: They don't.
Evan Hunt: Yes. yes 100%.
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: You don't get a vote.
Alexander Clark: Is that a good reference for you?
Evan Hunt: It is, actually. It is.
Alexander Clark: Okay.
Evan Hunt: You have younger kids? How old are your kids now?
Alexander Clark: yeah Yeah, I've got a four -year -old and a two -year -old.
Evan Hunt: out Oh, I didn't think.
Alexander Clark: They're but in the same preschool right now.
Evan Hunt: You owe 100%.
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: Um, You're in the thick of it. but You know, the the folks I thought people out east would care. about drastically different things than people in Collin County. That's not really true. I mean, most people are concerned about the same things right now. They're concerned about healthcare, care public schools.
Evan Hunt: They want immigration reform. They want strong borders, but they want to treat people with dignity and respect. they don't want ICE agents in their streets. They don't want for -profit detention centers. People won. big tech regulation.
Evan Hunt: data centers, flock cameras. AI regulation. AI is going to come take our jobs when we're all pointing our fingers at the immigrants. AI is going to take 10 to 30 percent of the jobs. And then everybody also kind of wants real anti -corruption reform. They know we've got corruption in both parties, corruption in our government.
Evan Hunt: And things like anti -gerrymandering reform, because gerrymandering isn't good for anybody. term limits, bans on stock trading for anybody involved in lawmaking. These are things that 99 % of Americans agree on.
Evan Hunt: To your point about people being upset with government. I think Congress's approval rating is like less than 10%. So.
Alexander Clark: Members and blood relatives at this point, right?
Evan Hunt: A hundred percent.
Alexander Clark: but
Evan Hunt: So. The reason why is they're not working for people.
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: they're not working for people you got a bunch of people like keith self who The majority of constituents don't feel like Keith is accessible. They don't feel like he listens. They don't feel like he's willing to stand and be.
Evan Hunt: made accountable. They don't feel like he's really speaking to them on their issues. And he's just, I don't know, pushing some. agenda or some messaging that... isn't really good for our community.
Alexander Clark: Well, I'm sure from his point of view he doesn't feel like he has to. Right. Like the the district was drawn in a way that was supposed to protect him. And so long as he wins his primary. Who cares what anybody thinks?
Evan Hunt: He actually said that in an interview.
Alexander Clark: Oh yeah?
Evan Hunt: with news nation i went on news nation state fair in the morning and uh Marky, the interviewer, asked me, you know, if I had a message for Keith Self because she was going to interview him. And an hour later, he comes on and she plays my clip of me saying.
Evan Hunt: I just want to know why Keith won't debate me. I've been calling him out for a debate for a year. I think Republicans feel entitled to their seats. And. Keith was so not used to being cornered like that.
Alexander Clark: Mm -hmm.
Evan Hunt: that he kind of just responded. He said, well, I mean, nobody's nobody's asked us to debate. we're We're surprised too. No legitimate organization has asked us.
Evan Hunt: Which was a lie. because he's been asked many times to come to candidate forums.
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: I've asked him. And Marky Preston, she said, yeah, but why wouldn't you? Wouldn't you want to do that for your constituents? And he said, well. ah This is my seat. This is my...
Alexander Clark: It's not my constituency, it's my seat.
Evan Hunt: Yes.
Alexander Clark: self again, right?
Evan Hunt: Yep. So that clip is all over media.
Alexander Clark: Ah.
Evan Hunt: It went a little viral.
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: And it just showed, I mean, these got. He said, normally my race is in the primary. Um,
Alexander Clark: At least that's very honest.
Evan Hunt: And he really is. Very honest. I think he may be disappointed. I think we have an opportunity to really. shock ah Shock Texas, shock the nation. night It all feels very...
Evan Hunt: Close. Anything's possible right now.
Alexander Clark: Well, I'll tell you a little story. ah My political coming of age was the 2008 election. I was a senior in high school. And. after the big Obama -Clinton primary.
Alexander Clark: It was over. I started working. um as an intern for academic credit in my first semester of college. ah for a guy named Glenn Melanson. who is running for Congress against.
Alexander Clark: At the time, Ralph Hall was like. He went on to become, I think the oldest member of Congress. or longest serving, or maybe both.
Evan Hunt: Oh, yeah. That sounds familiar, actually.
Alexander Clark: And he had he had formerly been a Democrat and switched parties to become a Republican because it was safer and easier or whatever. and um When I was a sophomore, I went on a Jan term where you should have the month of. like a full semester's worth of work into the month of January.
Alexander Clark: And we were in D .C. And Ralph Hall's office was kind enough to give us all like a really nice tour and everything. And at the end, as is customary, they say, are are there any questions?
Alexander Clark: And I was just still burned up about the whole thing. and I was like. Why didn't Ralph Hall debate Glenn Malas?
Evan Hunt: Exactly.
Alexander Clark: And ah basically, my professors had to pull me aside and be like.
Evan Hunt: Right.
Alexander Clark: You know the answer to that. Because I didn't have to. He didn't have to.
Evan Hunt: Yeah, I look, I find I find a lot of that. There's a lot of that dialogue right now. There's a lot of.
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: um Oh, well, he doesn't have to. I find there's a lot like I'm I recognize I'm relatively idealistic. Like I want.
Evan Hunt: what the founding fathers intended, which is healthy dialogue and debate. And I recognize that people don't have to debate, but that's a... That's a pretty big big problem if they're not willing to bait.
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: I just watched James Tallarico come here. to one of the reddest counties.
Alexander Clark: Mm -hmm.
Evan Hunt: Right. on one day notice. Thousands of people showed up. I got to give the opening speech, which was pretty cool.
Alexander Clark: That is very cool.
Evan Hunt: He stood on a stage in front of thousands of people. And just... gave his vision and he got nothing but cheers. Now you have Keith Self. whose whole job it is.
Evan Hunt: to represent this district. Right. That's his whole job. He's apparently elected by the electorate. here.
Alexander Clark: Mm hmm.
Evan Hunt: And he can't hold. a town hall without getting booed off the stage he'll hold like a little coffee talk in a rural in part of the rural pockets Because he knows. that he's unpopular.
Evan Hunt: So if our democracy is working the way it's supposed to. then you wouldn't think these people would be able to hold onto power. But I'm not sure our democracy is working the way it's supposed to. You know, we've let big money and special interest.
Evan Hunt: sort of consume it and People aren't wrong when they say he doesn't have to. He may be able to win, especially when the public's apathetic. He may be able to win just because he's got more money and because he's got. big party support and a Trump endorsement.
Evan Hunt: Um...
Alexander Clark: Yeah, the little R next to his name was probably enough to do it.
Evan Hunt: A little R -Nexter's name on a normal normal day would be enough to do it.
Alexander Clark: Um, Most of the time. Yeah.
Evan Hunt: Yep.
Alexander Clark: So, I mean, OK, you get to Congress. You shocked the political establishment. and the The press is all excited. Congressman Hunt.
Evan Hunt: Heh.
Alexander Clark: comes to comes to Washington.
Evan Hunt: Yeah, Lord willing.
Alexander Clark: Um, What's the... What's the agenda? I mean, you you looked you rattled off the things you've been listening to people in the district and the things they care about, but... You have, you know.
Alexander Clark: Realistically. Only so long. before You basically got to start running. for reelection because these are two -year terms.
Evan Hunt: 100%.
Alexander Clark: So you got to make the most out of the time you got. in those real working days. So how do you take so many things that you want to do and then really... drill down on an agenda and and focus and a priority.
Alexander Clark: What what? How do you think you would approach that as as a congressman?
Evan Hunt: So there's there's two parts to that. The first is. You have to keep campaigning. So you know the best way to see how somebody is going to represent is how they campaign.
Alexander Clark: Mm hmm.
Evan Hunt: And we've been out in front of everybody all the time. We do virtual town halls. I've had a coffee with every single person who asked for it. Um, We just.
Alexander Clark: I won't ask you for it. Because I know you got things to do.
Evan Hunt: Yeah, let's go. No, that's right.
Alexander Clark: And I'm not in your district, but I'll ask maybe after the election, we'll get coffee.
Evan Hunt: hey Yeah, that'd be great. That'd be great. So I always say if I can do that and I still have a full -time job. Keith Self should be able to do that with his. taxpayer -funded salary and his
Alexander Clark: mm -hmm
Evan Hunt: giant staff. but most people will tell you they feel blown off by keith or
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: He only so help offers to help them with the with ah with their passports. so The second thing is I have trouble believing. Anything's going to get. much much better Without. some of these anti -corruption reforms in place like i'm deeply concerned about our democratic republic
Alexander Clark: Mm hmm.
Evan Hunt: So I want the first thing I want to do and. and James Tallarico said he would do it as well. So I'll have a partner in the Senate. is is file a bill for comprehensive anti gerrymandering reform nationwide.
Alexander Clark: yeah
Evan Hunt: and And that'll stop our.
Alexander Clark: It's about incentives, right?
Evan Hunt: Yeah, stop our communities from getting cut up. That is ultimately what is best for. for democracy is once every 10 years with the census. We redraw the lines through a bipartisan commission and they they try not to carve up communities based off color or creed.
Evan Hunt: or try not to cut up your counties. like I'm really excited about trying to push that through.
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: term limits are another one like i feel like if democrats are lucky enough to win back power. it's really going to be about two things. You're going to have this moment in time.
Evan Hunt: to stop the Trump agenda. like to really get him under control because Everybody recognizes affordability. at this point starts with saying no to donald trump on things like The war in Iran.
Evan Hunt: And. reckless tariff policy. But the second is to drive through some of these badly overdue, extremely popular anti -corruption reforms like term limits.
Evan Hunt: So I support term limits in the House and the Senate for 12 -year terms. Bans on individual stock trading for anybody involved in Congress. a code of ethics for the Supreme Court.
Evan Hunt: That's where I'm. Really excited. That's where I'm really focused. I mean, I do think there there's going to need to be some accountability. I think there will probably, you know, there'll be push for some impeachments. but i don't i'm not interested in for show like i want i want lasting reform that Um...
Evan Hunt: goes beyond party.
Alexander Clark: I love that answer because. For me. None of the other things can get done. Until we fix. The Rot. at the At the root of it.
Evan Hunt: Exactly.
Alexander Clark: Right. Like. At the end of the day... like I don't really care if our politicians are like great people. are like their personalities are the right you know are their hearts in the right place so much as I care that they are responding to the right incentives. right? Like if Keith self Knew this was a 51. 49 district.
Alexander Clark: Maybe he wouldn't be so lazy. Or maybe he would.
Evan Hunt: Yeah.
Alexander Clark: ah show up more. Or maybe he would do things. to be more popular. Right.
Evan Hunt: Yeah. I mean, i feel I find that people are so... disappointed in the system. That they'll kind of say what you just said. Like, I don't even care. I don't even care who these people are. Like, they want them to be like robots.
Evan Hunt: that are just going to vote the way they want them to vote. But I try to remind them, I mean, it's like. Just like in the military the the personalities matter. This is it
Alexander Clark: It does matter. You're right.
Evan Hunt: This is... this is a people business like you got to be service -minded and
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: Mum Donnie's probably a good example of this. Like, yeah, he was a member of the DSA, even though I don't really think he's DSA at all. But he is ah all about pothole politics. He is about being service -minded.
Alexander Clark: Mm hmm.
Evan Hunt: putting government to work for people and connecting with people, making people feel seen and heard and setting the right example. Um... That is what I.
Evan Hunt: You know That is the type of leadership we need more of. And. Yeah, not everybody not everybody can do it, right? you need people that are that are I think service minded and are are willing to listen, willing to change their minds, willing to keep showing up and explain. Like I want to if I vote on something, I want to come back and explain why I voted on it.
Alexander Clark: love that
Evan Hunt: I think that that type of dialogue is what we need.
Alexander Clark: So. you've got a good message you're out there you're pounding the pavement you're taking all these coffees Early voting is underway. You're here like everything you've been working towards it's happening Right now. As we're speaking, people are voting for you.
Alexander Clark: As I say this now. How are you feeling? And what are you seeing that gives you like a grounded sense of where things are at? Or is it kind of just like crystal ball right now?
Evan Hunt: Ah. I feel filled with anxiety. Thanks.
Alexander Clark: Sure.
Evan Hunt: And I have a little bit of hope. You know, um
Alexander Clark: Thrilling and terrifying, right?
Evan Hunt: They're thrilling and terrifying. Um, not Not unlike a combat mission, actually.
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: Bye. Like, what do we have? we We're sending out texts. two to 400 ,000 people at a time. So this goes beyond polling, like polling is.
Evan Hunt: Not all that helpful right now, especially when you've got these. big polling firms doing these much more accurate polls that I could probably ever do. But we've. We know our our voters. we We send out these texts.
Evan Hunt: And we just ask like. don't forget to vote will you support me i do a little introduction video If you send a but a text to... 400 ,000 voters, you you might get 4000 people to respond.
Evan Hunt: So it's like a 1 % response. But 60 % of them are favorable.
Alexander Clark: okay
Evan Hunt: And that data supports our block walking data. So 60 % of the doors. Over 30 ,000 doors now that we've we've walked as a campaign 60 % of the doors are favorable.
Evan Hunt: That kind of matches. The national polls. and the the trend with Trump's popularity. And you know I'll be right under Tallarico, the trend with Tallarico's popularity. so
Evan Hunt: And I think all this turnout is a good sign. Like we have explosive turnout like you do. I have trouble believing. that Ken Paxton.
Alexander Clark: yeah
Evan Hunt: is driving that type of excitement.
Alexander Clark: yeah
Evan Hunt: you know, or that Donald Trump is. So he, which he did two years ago, but I don't think that's what's driving the excitement now. so I think... I'm in a...
Evan Hunt: R plus 14, 14%. on average, more red than blue district. In fact, self -won by 24 points two years ago.
Alexander Clark: yeah
Evan Hunt: against the the previous nominee, but that was a Trump wave and and the previous no Democratic nominee was...
Alexander Clark: Is the 14 based off of like presidential year or?
Evan Hunt: It's based off of... um I think it's an aggregate of like the last 10 years, you know?
Alexander Clark: Okay. go Gotcha.
Evan Hunt: Um, So...
Alexander Clark: And it's a new district, so I mean, they have to kind of do. math stuff.
Evan Hunt: Yeah, exactly.
Alexander Clark: Yeah. yeah
Evan Hunt: In 2010, the... The nominee, Laurie Bird, 2018. The nominee, Lori Birch. only lost by 10%. And she... um was outspent 10 to 1.
Alexander Clark: Well, if we have a swing like we did in the Taylor -Ramette district.
Evan Hunt: what
Evan Hunt: That's exactly right.
Alexander Clark: We're sending you to Congress.
Evan Hunt: That's exactly right. I think i think a a big swing is possible and a big swing is what we need. And. Frankly, I want to win by a lot because I don't trust these people. I feel like if it's close, they're going to say that it's.
Alexander Clark: Oh yeah.
Evan Hunt: fraudulent and they're gonna
Alexander Clark: Ken Paxton is very legit litigious. Yeah.
Evan Hunt: Correct.
Alexander Clark: and he'll he'll He'll sue on behalf of some other state.
Evan Hunt: Correct.
Evan Hunt: You will.
Alexander Clark: to overturn the 2020 election, of course you'll sue. here in Texas.
Evan Hunt: yeah Yes, you will
Alexander Clark: So we can expect that to happen.
Evan Hunt: We can. So i'm look, I'm. I'm very excited. I just want to...
Alexander Clark: Kendall Scudder was actually just talking to us about that for our like one year anniversary as a podcast is like, look. People are gonna be thrilled. There's gonna be all these winners. and he's going to have to immediately go to work to raise.
Alexander Clark: Probably a million. dollars or more just to like deal with all the litigation that he expects will come
Evan Hunt: 100%. um and i i mean think I do think they're prep prepping, but yeah, strap in exactly.
Alexander Clark: So strap in everybody.
Evan Hunt: I mean. We're in a strange time. Every single person in Collin County. There are 37 seats. on the ballot. Every single one of them is within 15 points.
Evan Hunt: So if you have a 20 -point swing... We could win every seat in Collin County.
Alexander Clark: be a beautiful thing.
Evan Hunt: It would be a beautiful thing. and You know, it's not normally about. party it shouldn't i wouldn't normally say like oh blue verse red but in this case we We need it because all the all the folks we know to be in the Republican Party right now.
Evan Hunt: You can't even utter a word in defiance to Donald Trump.
Alexander Clark: Yeah.
Evan Hunt: It's just... Sad. It's sad.
Alexander Clark: Well...
Evan Hunt: stupid affairs.
Alexander Clark: you You painting a mental picture of a... A bright blue. Collin County, man. that That would be some good news.
Evan Hunt: Yes.
Alexander Clark: And speaking of good news, this is my favorite segment we started in the new year. um I think Republicans are really good. naturally it happened been for a long time and being like evangelical, like getting their word out and not really.
Alexander Clark: worrying about whether it bothers anybody.
Evan Hunt: Yeah.
Alexander Clark: um And Democrats, we got some catching up to do. And so one of the ways we do that is Bye. like anything in the military, right? you You practice, practice, practice, you train, train, train, you got to get the reps in. And so here on the podcast.
Alexander Clark: We ask our guests. What is something personally, professionally just... Honestly, something random maybe you heard about. It is just so good. You got to share it.
Evan Hunt: So. um personally is what I've seen with my kids.
Alexander Clark: Hmm.
Evan Hunt: So... My daughter's 17. She's a junior or she's turning 17. She's junior in high school. My son is 19. He's... a sophomore college in Texas.
Evan Hunt: And. When I started running, They were both super apathetic. Like. You know, think about it. Their whole life, they they grew up with... Trump basically. as as the this the leader of ah of the nation for a lot of it.
Alexander Clark: They would have been 7 -9 in 2016.
Evan Hunt: and then biden Exactly. And Biden was the other. example. And so you can imagine for the youth, it's been. Kind of.
Alexander Clark: Bleak.
Evan Hunt: weird Bleak. And. um
Evan Hunt: So when I first started running they both gave me like side -eye looks and Okay, dad, like, you know. But over the last year and a half, and and sort of being being part of it, being in the periphery.
Evan Hunt: I've seen this change in them. where My daughter came home the other day and she said you know dad I talk to a lot of people, but... I think you might have McKinney. I think you might win McKinney.
Evan Hunt: Because if you drive around McKinney, it's... signs everywhere. Right. and My son. calls me and he's always excited when he sees a social media clip and he called me today and he said dad I have a my favorite teacher.
Evan Hunt: From. from high school called my government teacher and asked if you would go meet him and take a picture with him because he's so excited about for you And all his friends are talking about politics.
Evan Hunt: We've made our careers. so We're trying to create a better future for the kids. We're trying to create opportunities for them to to live that American dream.
Evan Hunt: that that we... managed to carve out. and and we're trying to sort of i I believe it's a battle for our nation's soul. Set the right example of of America being a place where you can Say what you want to say, love who you want to love, worship how you want to worship and be who you want to be. Be proud of our immigrant heritage. Recognize that.
Evan Hunt: If you look at American history, what always made America great wasn't pushing people down and pushing people out. It was always. the fact that America lifted people up and welcomed people in. And I've seen this glimmer of hope in my kids.
Evan Hunt: this sort of like renewed faith that maybe our founders were onto something and maybe we can. get good people into power for the right reasons that are running grassroots campaigns and we can actually fix this thing the right way.
Evan Hunt: And... I really want to carry. carry through on that promise for them. That's what I want. Because you know, America loves winners at the end of the day.
Alexander Clark: That's right.
Evan Hunt: Yeah.
Alexander Clark: That's that's really good. Good news is gonna make mine seem um not as uh well thought out but i'll just tell you but when when this episode comes out um I will be packing up and going down to, I say should say going up to.
Alexander Clark: Um, Beavers Bend State Park in Oklahoma. ah This is something that... uh my wife's Whole extended family has been doing. for decades.
Alexander Clark: back when beaver's been and and like the surrounding communities like hochetown and all that or like tiny little places.
Evan Hunt: Yeah. That was fun.
Alexander Clark: like Even in the um the amount of time that I've been going since I started dating my wife to now, like I've seen just explosion. up in that area. And I think the word is out because like.
Alexander Clark: Dallas and North Texas in general is. Just... I sometimes think there are more Texans in Hodgetown than there are Oklahomans sometimes.
Evan Hunt: Yeah. Yes.
Alexander Clark: Um, But it's it's a great experience. and For me, it's just always a reminder of the marker of time. Like I told you, my kids are four and two and like, I'll look at the. on this day last year kind of pictures and see how they've grown over the one year. time two years time three It is just remarkable. I mean.
Alexander Clark: The first year I went to Boober's Bend. There was a kid who asked me to draw a SpongeBob on a rock for him.
Evan Hunt: Hmm.
Alexander Clark: That kid is like driving and voting.
Evan Hunt: Exactly. Exactly.
Alexander Clark: And it happens faster than you think. I mean, you pointing out like. From the time that Trump came down that stupid golden escalator To now. like is the gap.
Alexander Clark: between. your elementary age kids. to these young adults really
Evan Hunt: That's right.
Alexander Clark: And so a lot can be done. to poison our politics in 10 years?
Evan Hunt: Yes.
Alexander Clark: but we can control what happens in the next 10. We can set a new tone. And so that gives me a lot of hope. I mean... you You really touched me. just now in your in your good news. as maybe one of the better good news segments i've ever had so thank you for that So the last thing we do.
Evan Hunt: Thanks Alex.
Alexander Clark: Every episode is the the last word. Okay. Um, This is more of the tactical. operational your marching orders for what we need to do between now and 2030. Because the whole premise of our podcast is in 2030, because of all of our just rapid population growth.
Alexander Clark: we're going to get something like four to five new congressional seats. And with that comes obviously more congressional power, but it also gives us more electoral college power. And we cannot be caught flat footed when that happens. So we, we gotta be.
Alexander Clark: you know, the levers of power. for the redistricting but we also have to have the the ground game for 2032. Because. In 2032, a Democratic candidate for the White House could win the blue wall of Wisconsin. Michigan and Pennsylvania and still lose.
Alexander Clark: so
Evan Hunt: That's right.
Alexander Clark: Imagine you have every... body who actually wears the blue jersey. right not just people who vote for us but like people who are like our activists You have a unique audience.
Alexander Clark: people who want to help. the Texas Democratic Party. Give them their marching orders. What do we need to do between now and then?
Evan Hunt: okay so When I started running I met with some consultants. who told me the way to win, you need money to win. So start calling donors. you know on the West Coast and the East Coast.
Evan Hunt: all day every day. from now until the end
Evan Hunt: And my marching orders would be whatever you do. Don't listen to consultants. Listen to your constituents. And. Go out and meet people. wherever they want. To me,
Evan Hunt: wherever you are invited. This is about... showing up for people. You know, if we show up for people especially when it's hard, especially when they need you, especially when they're feeling targeted. If you're willing to go into their homes and...
Evan Hunt: and Show that you care and... Take pictures with them and post it on your social no matter who they are then I think those people will show up for us when it counts.
Evan Hunt: at the ballot box. And... Candidates have to do their part. Like we have to win over hearts and minds. If I was in charge of the... Democratic Party.
Evan Hunt: um I would not do what is done today, which is they they target like the top 40, 50 races and they dump all the money into those races. I would. um I would really look at.
Evan Hunt: candidate quality and incumbent quality. look ah Look at who's got real grassroots movements. and make sure that they get some level of support. Because. My race is a low dollar race. We'll probably spend eight, $900 ,000.
Evan Hunt: um over the course of this race. And so, you know, if I got if i had been given a $200 ,000 infusion. That would have been life changing. but That is not what happens right now.
Evan Hunt: So... I think there's so much that needs to change in the Democratic Party and at the national level. And frankly, as a Texas Democrat, there's not a lot of. overlap or crossover or support. so it Doesn't really matter. But if Texas Democrats prove we can win here.
Evan Hunt: then we will have the power to rebrand the National Party. and And I will be very outspoken. that the way to win as Democrats? as as a party that is supposed to be about regular people.
Evan Hunt: is to build a big tent. Focus on 99 % issues, issues that matter to the 99%. um and show up for people and win the way, frankly, Obama won.
Evan Hunt: the way Beto ran his campaign, the way James Tallarico's run his campaign, which is... win over hearts and minds, show up everywhere.
Evan Hunt: and And the money will come. when you're doing what's right. not the other way around. Um...
Evan Hunt: And yeah, I guess Republicans can win just by courting big donors. or special interests, but that's not the way Democrats are going to win. It's not the way Democrats should win because we're here to work for the people.
Alexander Clark: Well, amen to that. Evan, thank you for joining us. joining me. and taking the time to answer these questions. You can find Evan's campaign at electevanhunt .com.
Alexander Clark: We'll put that link in the show notes. As I said. Early voting is running now. It's going through October 30th. Election day is Tuesday, November 3rd. For voting information, go to VoteTexas .gov in your county elections office. Check your registration, your ballot.
Alexander Clark: and your polling location before you head out. Make a plan. Thank you for listening to Mission Texas. Follow us at Mission Texas Podcast on Instagram, Mission Texas. podcast .com. You can share this episode, leave us a review.
Alexander Clark: If you'd like to support the show. You can find us on Patreon .com slash Mission Texas. podcast. We'll see you next time. God bless Texas.
Evan Hunt: Thank you Alex. Thank you.
