Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Ep. 10: Filing Day for Texas Dems & the Primary No One Expected (Julie Johnson)
60 Plays1 month ago
Kate and Alex sit down with Congresswoman Julie Johnson on Texas’s filing deadline day—the moment when the political map was shifting in real time. As Jasmine Crockett entered the Senate race, Colin Allred abandoned his Senate candidacy and jumped into TX-33, instantly becoming Julie's primary challenger.
Julie talks candidly about why women are not benchwarmers, why this race matters, and how Democrats win long-term by delivering—not performing.
In this episode, we cover:
- The political shakeup: Colin Allred’s last-minute switch from the Senate race to TX-33 and what it signals for Democrats statewide.
- Why Julie says she’s ready: Her record as a civil rights attorney, trailblazer, and the first LGBTQ+ member of Congress elected from Texas and the South.
- The importance of campaigning even in safe seats: Why she knocks doors, supports the full ticket, and expects others to do the same.
- Women in leadership: Why she rejects the idea that women are holding seats “for” men who left and want them back.
Follow Congresswoman Julie Johnson at juliejohnson.com and on social media @juliejohnsontexas.
Follow us @MissionTexasPodcast.
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to Mission Texas Podcast
00:00:00
Speaker
Howdy. This is Mission Texas. A political podcast about winning Texas by 2032 or else we may lose the White House for a generation. I'm one of your hosts, Alex Clark.
00:00:13
Speaker
And I am Kate Rumsey. Other podcasts may focus on the day-to-day the next election. But we are keeping the eyes of Texas on the bigger prize.
Julie Johnson on Her Congressional Run
00:00:23
Speaker
What happens after the next census?
00:00:27
Speaker
Today on Mission Texas, we're joined by Congresswoman Julie Johnson, civil rights attorney and Texas lawmaker, the first LGBT member of the the United States House to be elected from Texas. She's now running for Congress in the newly drawn Texas Congressional District 33.
00:00:41
Speaker
thirty three If been paying attention the news, you maybe heard about this mid-decade redistricting that's been going on. And so, Right now, we're at a moment when the Democratic Party is not only thinking about 2026, but we're thinking about the trajectory into 2030 and beyond because of all the new seats that are going to be coming our way.
Redistricting and Democratic Strategy in Texas
00:01:00
Speaker
um i want to just get right into it Congresswoman, just timestamp this episode for everybody. ah Colin Allred's decision to leave the Senate race to run in Texas 33 has reshaped the political landscape a little bit.
00:01:14
Speaker
um We also just, I literally just saw confirmation that Jasmine Crockett has also decided to enter the Senate primary that he has decided to leave.
00:01:25
Speaker
Probably not at all ah a coincidence. ah What does this moment tell us about how Texas Democrats are positioning themselves, not only for these midterms, but for the kinds of infrastructure we're building for the longterm?
Julie Johnson's Political Journey
00:01:41
Speaker
Well, you know, I think, There's a lot on the line, right? Texas Democrats, we need to win. And you know I am thrilled to be able to be on the ballot again, thrilled to be able to have won my election to Congress in such a resounding way.
00:01:57
Speaker
And I've had, you know life gives you blessings. you know Everybody says, oh but you know what the what has happened today that has been really great for me personally is just the overwhelming outpouring of support that I've had.
00:02:11
Speaker
It is transformational for me, you know, because it's easy in politics. You know, it's ah it's a rough and tumble sport. and you can't get into this business if you have thin skin by any stretch of the means.
00:02:24
Speaker
But today has been one of those days when so many people have reached out to me, expressing huge amounts of support for me in this race against my competitors.
00:02:35
Speaker
And I'm with Julie and just standing for what we're trying to achieve. And that feels really, really great because You know, at the end of the day, people are really struggling. Under this Trump world, we need people who can get results. I was able to deliver results for people and pass legislation when I was in the Texas legislature as a Democrat in a Republican-controlled environment. And I'm doing the same in Congress. I have bipartisan support. I've offered housing bills. I've offered health care bills. I've offered energy bills. I've offered things to address
00:03:06
Speaker
and in a bipartisan way so they can actually pass to be able to move the needle forward. Because we don't have the luxury of tim Texas Democrats of having false promises, of just performative politics, of just, oh, pie in the sky things. We have to actually be able to deliver. And we have to have people who have the temperament and the respect and the skills in the building to actually move the needle forward because people need results.
00:03:34
Speaker
We can't wait any further. Yeah, I think if people recall your primary, you had a lot of in 32, had a lot of people in that primary and there was no runoff. You won outright. Ten people, a ten way race.
Impact of Redistricting on Texas District 33
00:03:50
Speaker
It's crazy. Can you believe that? and And I know some of them. I should note that this is you you are my member of Congress. oh great Yeah. yeah um and And I believe for that same matter, Colin Allred was as well.
00:04:03
Speaker
Right. So this this is this is new territory, though. This and this is a new map. Texas 33 is not Texas 32. Right. right um But it's going to be strategically important to the overall picture. Right.
00:04:14
Speaker
Oh, absolutely. You know, what they did is they really consolidated this district all within Dallas County. You know, parts of 32 were in different counties. Parts of the old 33 were mostly in Tarrant County, part of Dallas County. And what they did is they can just consolidated it a lot. So I have a significant overlap with my existing district that I represent in this new district that also has a significant part of my state legislative seat.
00:04:39
Speaker
um in it as well. And then just a lot of constituencies that I've been a part of and communities. You know, I've been an activist in Dallas, raising money and campaigning for Democrats for 35 years. And so, you know, I've had long relationships with a lot of folks who've been in the trenches fighting for all of us to have a better way and for a long time. And now I'm in elective office. I've just kind of transferred that that passion in politics as my journey has continued from an activist to a donor to an organizer to a fundraiser to a candidate and now an elected member and just continuing to work my way through to just make it better. You know, life shouldn't be this hard for folks. And it's very frustrating to me that Republican policies seek to put people down so hard.
The Role of Competitive Primaries
00:05:26
Speaker
You have a long history of delivering for North Texans, and I should know because I ran free the seat that you vacated. It's a backstory for you, and it's kind of full circle for me because you ran because Colin Allred decided to vacate his seat to go run for the Senate, and now you're in a primary with him. And I know that you're this district and how it overlaps, but I'm wondering, we're podcast about flipping Texas and the whole state. Like, do you have any thoughts on how all these competitive primaries now here as Democrats might have an impact on what happens next fall, especially as we're concerned about like how expensive all of this is going Oh, sure. I mean, you have to have people who can win and who can hold the seats and contribute. You know, ah you know Kate, as you know, I'm a build the ballot up. I'm a support the whole ticket person.
00:06:16
Speaker
And you know I'm somebody that has always reached out. And if you've been on a ballot with me, I bring you up. we We work together. We represent the same people. And we have to collaborate as a ticket. And I have a strong, long history of doing that as opposed to Colin. He hasn't typically done that in his campaign style. And I think that's really important as we campaign.
00:06:39
Speaker
And as we move forward and but, you know, at the end of the day to just looking to flipping Texas, you know, women is the largest voting bloc in Texas Democratic primaries. I'm the first woman to hold this seat.
00:06:54
Speaker
And, you know, we have a similar event in another House seat where a man vacated to go run for the Senate in that state, lost, just like we have here. Now they're coming back as if the women were bench warmers for them and they they should be able to take back over. And that's not how this works. you know I think we need more women in office. We're historically underrepresented based on our population of the country.
00:07:20
Speaker
And I've had strong support. Emily Zuss has already come out endorsing me today. many other women's groups, so many people have said, i want to be represented by you. You have a fresh approach and an effective one. And so I'm just thrilled that, you know, the hard work that we've put in all these years is coming back around, just sort of like it did in our primary. When we won handily, I beat my next closest opponent by 31 points. We campaigned super hard, super aggressive, but also very authentically. And I think people resonate with that.
00:07:53
Speaker
Yeah, can I, and I want to just vouch for you and the efforts that you've put in in our area to door knock. I had people when I knocked on their doors say the last person who knocked on our door was Julie Johnson and she had our vote. So, and a lot of what we are talking about on this podcast is voter apathy ah across the state and making sure that we are turning out voters and working together. our areas. And i want to ask you you, know, how, what you think about that, like as far as your role as a member of Congress and turning out the vote, especially in the heart of a very blue part of Dallas.
00:08:24
Speaker
Well, it's fundamental.
Campaigning in Safe Seats
00:08:25
Speaker
You know, one of my pet peeves is where members have who have safe seats, ah both in the state legislature and in the federal elected office, don't campaign in the general. And they just keep their money in their bank account and they don't do anything to help the ticket. That certainly wasn't me. You know, our, our you know, by all measure, the 32 primary was the hard race. We were heavily favored in the general election, but, you know, we went all out.
00:08:52
Speaker
and campaign to turn the vote for our statewide slate. And I fully intend to do that again in this race. And I think that's one of the reasons why I'm getting so much support today because people recognize that I'm a team player. You know, I want the I want Democrats to succeed. And we're we are swimming upstream with Texas Republicans and we have to join together. and work hard together to do that. And, and I think also going to the people, you know, you're right, Kate, I knock a lot of doors and I'm not hesitant to go out and see people and meet people where they are It helps me be a better ah elected official. It helps me understand, um,
00:09:33
Speaker
their needs and their concerns when they have an opportunity one on one on their front porch to tell me, hey, this is really bothering me or I need help with this or whatever the case may be.
00:09:43
Speaker
learned from that and I become better from that. And then we go and address those things when I have a chance to address it head on in policy. and And so i think that that's, you know, it's just it's just very important that you have people who are willing to go do the hard work and willing to be connected but to the people and not just sit behind the TV box.
00:10:02
Speaker
Kate, I'm really glad you asked that because it dovetails perfectly into what I wanted to ask about next, which is, you know, after the for the listeners who might not have the full context or not as deeply political nerds as as the three of us.
00:10:15
Speaker
After the 2020 census and redistricting, the district became more democratic.
Focus on Key Issues in District 33
00:10:22
Speaker
it sounds like after this mid decade redistricting by forcing more of the district into Dallas County, that sounds to be a continuation of that trend.
00:10:30
Speaker
And in addition to not campaigning, what we see a lot of safe members do is kind of only cater to those who are already in the tent um based on the kind of issues they choose to elevate and focus on.
00:10:44
Speaker
um That's great for keeping your seat and winning a primary, but it's not going to help us move the ball forward as a team. um My question is, how do you see the difference between yourself and congress a former Congressman Allard in terms of the issues that you would be prioritizing?
00:11:02
Speaker
Well, um you know, Colin just announced today, so we have to see what he's going to focus on. um But for me, you know, affordability is critical. ah You know, we've heard from so many folks just they can't.
00:11:17
Speaker
Everything's too expensive. Their cart groceries is unattainable, you know. Snap is a big thing. We fought really hard to protect Snap. You know, i went and volunteered at a food pantry and donated personally because I was so overwhelmed at the need and just really what we need to do to shore Snap up and food security in this country.
00:11:38
Speaker
Education, you know, I've spent very much outspoken about that. I've been very outspoken about ICE and their reign of terror and their attack on due process and what's happening, just arresting people solely because of the color of their skin, regardless if there's any probable cause for the basis of this arrest. I've been very outspoken about that on my committee structure because we oversee that.
00:12:02
Speaker
So just working on issues, housing, you know, I have a bill that will create easier pathways to people to convert from being a renter to a homeowner. You know, just really trying to address the issues that we're hearing from our constituency head on and and turn that into results. Like I said, I think people get disillusioned with Democrats because we promise the same old things year after year after year, cycle after cycle after cycle, with very little results to obtain from it.
00:12:30
Speaker
And, you know, I think I'm one of the few Democrats that have been able to get results working across the aisle. I learned a lot in the Texas legislature about how to do that. You know, I have um like my prior authorization bill, which is going to reduce some of the burdens of accessing health care. I'm working with a Republican physician from Utah in order to get that done. That's how we're going to be able to pass stuff, not just for filing stuff that's never going to go anywhere because that doesn't make life better. That doesn't get the result achieved. So, um you know, my predecessor didn't ah file very much, didn't pass very much. You know, we've filed 14 bills so far in my not even completing my first term, my first year. And we expect to be able to get movement on a lot of those. And so, you know, we're here to provide results for folks because that's what people need. And that's what I'm laser focused on.
00:13:24
Speaker
Yeah, I'm glad to hear that because I think a big debate amongst Democrats is do we focus on how bad the Trump administration is versus what we can do as Democrats?
Addressing Voter Concerns and Countering Trump Policies
00:13:33
Speaker
And I hear people say the same, like, we can do both. Maybe we have to talk about how horrible what's going on with the Trump administration and is. but also speak to the issues of what's going on in people's pocketbooks. And so like some of our recent guests, it's about strengthening their paychecks, especially here in North Texas, where we have ah a diversity of people and backgrounds. um But I mean, you have a couple months now until early vote.
00:13:58
Speaker
ah What does the next few months look like for Julie Johnson? Well, it's 85 days to the primary. It's not very long. Who's counting? Who's counting? Right. Not that I have the countdown app or anything.
00:14:10
Speaker
um ah But, you know, we're going to do what we've always done in a primary like this. um Work super hard. ah Be kind of, you know, all hands on deck.
00:14:20
Speaker
Trying to reach, as as talk to as many voters as we can and to earn their vote and go win this race. Because what we need is to go win in November and we need a ticket of folks. So it's going to work hard to do that so that We can provide relief to families. you know Democrats need to be in charge and we need to flip the house back and work relentlessly on that. um And just because, as like I said, people are struggling and they can't afford to wait any longer for help. And and so I'm in office now and I'm going to do everything I can to help folks.
00:14:53
Speaker
As you know, Texas has ah basically semi-closed primaries. You have to decide when you walk in whether you're going to vote in the Republican primary or the Democratic primary, but there's really no test beyond that.
00:15:05
Speaker
um What kind of elevator pitch would you give to one of these rare, beautiful people who actually shows up and votes in a primary to encourage people who don't traditionally vote in primary to come and support you?
00:15:19
Speaker
What would you give? what way i guess what I'm really trying to ask is, what is the difference between the democratic message versus the message we want to to grow people who are not traditionally already part of the coalition? We don't put on the blue jersey and self-identify as Democrats. Sure. I would think it's that, first of all, your vote does matter.
00:15:40
Speaker
I hope if you've learned anything this past year, the election, that your vote does matter and politics can affect you. And, you know, and that I see and feel and hear your pain.
00:15:52
Speaker
You know, and that I want to fix it. I understand that, um you know, to go buy a roll of paper towels, a a pack, a six pack of paper towels, it's $30 now. You know, the cup of coffee you want has gone up by 25 percent that your family, you're working, you're really struggling. And sometimes you may have to make a choice between whether you eat or your kids eat.
00:16:13
Speaker
And that's not okay. And you need people who are going to get results to do it because promises don't matter. I have a track record of proven results and I have legislative things that I have actually filed already to help solve some of these problems. I hope you'll give me a chance to continue the work I've started to make life better for you and your family. At the end of the day, we have a core value, which is we want everybody to succeed.
00:16:37
Speaker
We want everybody to get the education and the training that they need to be able to get a good job, that we have a structural place where they get paid fairly and they can earn a fair wage for that job. And at the end of the day, they can move towards the American dream where they have two nickels more of the end of the month than what their bills were, you know, or that they have a little bit more money in their pocket at the end of the day so that they can continue to move towards that American dream and that their kids can have a better life than them. Right now, what we're seeing is the younger generation is facing daunting debt, daunting student loans, a job crisis, a job market, really struggling with where is AI going to go to replace the workforce. We have a lot of lot of challenges ahead on policymakers to make sure that our workforce isn't decimated through the AI revolution. And we have to really be on top of that, of how are we going to have a workforce that's prepared to earn a living and to earn a good wage during this revolutionary time that we're coming down on. And you know I have a ah bill I filed about export controls to make sure that ai you know we have to have some regulations in the AI space.
00:17:45
Speaker
um And so I just think there's there's so much there that we need to take care of. But at the end of the day the cover at the end of the day, to answer your question in a short way is the government needs to have policies that make it easier for your family to achieve the dream and to move forward with wages, access to the workforce, access to housing, and a wage that you can support your family on. if you're working If you're working full hard, you should be able to take care of yourself and your family on that.
00:18:13
Speaker
And that's what I'm fighting for. I wanted to ask what the reverse of that would be. So now you've given us the the broad the broad pitch. I really want to hear the inside baseball Democratic message. what is What is your one message to why you are the right candidate to help Texas Democrats specifically build a stronger future heading into 2030?
00:18:31
Speaker
I have the experience and the true proven track record to get the results that your family desperately needs. 100%. And this is going to this is about opportunity for everybody, right? Opportunity for economic opportunity, a dream that everyone can can have here in North Texas. um In the last few minutes of every one of our episodes, we give our ah our person who we're interviewing the last word, especially in terms of flipping the state. And then it's not just about the statewide races that we want to win, because you can't gerrymander statewide, but also in
00:19:04
Speaker
Flipping our congressional delegation, flipping our state house ledge, which you obviously know a lot about. um So what is your last word on how we're going to flip all these things here in Texas? what do you think we need? What can people do at home? And then before you leave, please let us know how we can support and follow you.
00:19:22
Speaker
Oh, sure.
Call to Action: Becoming Voting Ambassadors
00:19:23
Speaker
um Well, they need to get engaged. They need to recognize that their vote counts. so They need to be a voting ambassador to make sure that they, their family, their kids, everyone around them votes and votes for Democrats.
00:19:33
Speaker
Let's start start with that. You know, the ticket has to work together. We cannot be all swimming upstream on our own. We have to have people who are willing to collaborate, work together. That's the only way we're going to defeat Republicanism in Texas and actually win in order to better the lives of folks.
00:19:50
Speaker
But Texas is on a precipice. I think we're really at a cusp, we're at a perfect storm where America is seeing the disastrous effects of a Trump administration and complicit Republicans who have allowed his policies to really hurt people. And Democrats have some strong solutions to push back and to stop that if we're given the opportunity to affect those. So be present.
00:20:12
Speaker
I would welcome anyone's support and involvement and engagement with our campaign. You can always reach me at Julie Johnson, Texas, Julie Johnson for Texas. is all my campaign stuff. JulieJohnson.com is my website. We'd be happy to have you engage, volunteer, go knock doors, talk to voters. There's no nothing better than when you bring your personal passion to the discussion and you don't ever don't ever underestimate how much impact you can have when you're talking to a voter about why you're spending your Sunday afternoon, why it's that important to you. Come volunteer with us. And if you have a couple extra nickels, please support our campaign financially.
00:20:46
Speaker
Thank you. If you have just a few minutes, it looks like ah maybe a few minutes. um ah Can we do some lightning round? Yeah, sure. Okay. Yes. Only because I know it's a big topic of people in my age group ah for or against congressional stock ban, ah stock trading ban.
00:21:06
Speaker
I'm for the ban. I've already signed onto on to it. ah What's your favorite? This is a non congressional one. What's your favorite place in the North Texas area, especially in your new district, ah the place that you like to visit restaurant, coffee shop, park?
00:21:20
Speaker
You know, I always love Perigi. It's a great restaurant. It's delicious. It's right there on Oklon. And i also love Saloon as well. Abraham Saloon is a dear friend. They do great food. There's a there's a lot lots to choose from in the 33rd district.
00:21:34
Speaker
Favorite political TV show, movie or book? Oh boy, you know, I'm old school. I love the West Wing. I can't get old.
00:21:45
Speaker
You know, some of those, there's just and so inspirational. Are you more of a Josh or a Toby then on the West Wing?
00:21:57
Speaker
I'm CJ Craig all the way, man. Yeah. yeah one are these off okay I'm a Sam Seaborn. Come on. Well, I should have asked for CJ. I mean, i'm what am I doing here? I don't even, I should have asked that. um But that seems like that's the debate. um Well, Julie, thank you so much for being on. It's an incredible, very special day. You've made time for us, like you've made time for so many people in North Texas. So we just want to thank you so much. We're going to be following along and we'll sign off and say God bless Texas.
00:22:32
Speaker
You can follow us on all socials at Mission Texas Podcast. Email us at missiontexaspodcast at gmail.com. This episode is edited by Juan Jose Flores.
00:22:43
Speaker
Our music bumper is by Adam Pickerel, and our cover art is by Tino Sohn.