Transcript
Alexander Clark: Welcome back to Mission Texas, everyone. ah you don't really need an introduction from me for our guest um but i'm going to give them one anyways big fan of this guy made it to sherman in every one of his campaigns which means a whole lot to me See, you I've already got the Sherman reference out of the way.
Kate Rumsey: That's great.
Alexander Clark: um the founder of Powered by People. Better, O 'Rourke. Welcome.
Beto: Thanks for having me on it's good to be with you.
Alexander Clark: So we're going to jump to the end. We're really grateful for your time. We end every episode with. The last word. And... our whole show the whole premise of it was 2030 is coming at us.
Alexander Clark: Texas's population has been exploding. We're going to get four to maybe even five new congressional districts. And with that, a whole lot more electoral college power. And we were working on getting this podcast.
Alexander Clark: like the logistics of it, the infrastructure of it. We are doing all of our homework, you know putting the pieces together. And I'm already seeing reels and YouTube videos of you talking about this exact problem.
Alexander Clark: I was like, Beto's already singing our song. So he's he's the absolute perfect guess. Not only because he gets it. but because he's the person who has come closest. to getting the job done.
Alexander Clark: and getting the getting the state flipped after our long Curse. as a state. Um, red or blue longest statewide losing streak in the country So. That's a big windup. What I want to hear from you, and please take as much time as you want.
Alexander Clark: What is it going to take between now in 2030. For us to have. A Texas Democratic. Speaker? Texas Democrats in charge of the Texas Senate.
Alexander Clark: statewide elections, obviously, in play. What will have happened between now and then? infrastructure -wise, coalition building. You name it. What will that take? Imagine you have every Texas Democrat. in a giant arena with you and you were telling them You're giving your... marching orders to your loyal soldiers.
Alexander Clark: Go.
Beto: Yeah. ah most important thing is that we don't await help from outside of texas i think for a long time and understandably texas democrats because of everything that you just said because it is so apparent and obvious to us have believed that the DNC and donors from outside of Texas we'll see the value of this state that you could um win all seven of the so -called battleground states that we invested the entire farm in.
Beto: in 2024 and if you don't win texas you're not going to win the white house because by the same token that we're going to pick up all this population and these electoral college votes.
Beto: those so -called battleground states will lose population and electoral college votes. So Texas will no longer be a nice to have state. It'll be a must. have victory. if you want to be a national party and unfortunately the rest of the country has yet to awaken to this Maybe with the exception of Republicans. I actually think that they understand this. They see the writing on the wall.
Beto: That is why they're mid decade or midterm. uh Convention was held in Dallas just last week. It's why they gerrymandered five congressional districts in Texas. It it is why so much. Money, I think more than 50 million just from one conglomeration of PACs, maybe another 40 million coming in right now. They get it. They they get that they have to hold on to this state or they are screwed.
Beto: forever after. I don't think that our party gets this with the same urgency or clarity that they do. But luckily, the three of us and many of us who've been working in Texas for a very long time. understand this. So no cavalry is riding to our rescue. This one is on us.
Beto: First order is to win and win big in 2026. So on November 3rd, we must not only win these very tight congressional districts, we must also win the R plus five, R plus nine, R plus 12 districts, which are within our reach. right now, given the wave that is building, the quality of candidates that we have mounted, the fact that underneath these congressional candidates, you have. 150 Democrats running for 150 state House seats. We've got to win the Senate seat. James Tallarico has every chance to win this, even with all the money coming in.
Beto: And.
Beto: Though this seemed highly implausible a year ago, I think it is within the realm of possibility that we win. the governor's mansion as well. If we do all of that, I think that really lays the groundwork for majorities in the state legislature going into 2030. And really, to the excellent point you're making, that gives Democrats a seat at the table, which they have not had in decades, when we start redistricting this state in 2031 ahead of the 2032. presidential election. so all of that has to
Beto: come to to pass.
Beto: in order for us to be ready my hope is and it's just a hope right now that if we in texas do all of that work then the national party uh national donors national resources will begin to flow into texas commensurate with the opportunity that we have and and really kind of the reality of the electoral college map that will become apparent to everybody else in in 2032 in addition to candidates in addition to money in addition to great campaigns in addition to fielding a fighter on every single front, which Texas Democrats have done.
Beto: in this election cycle for the first time since 1972. In addition to all of that, we've also gotta be doing the work behind the scenes. in between big election years. So Powered by People, that's our organization. It's just one of many that's doing this work.
Beto: Our volunteers. are all over the state of Texas.
Beto: Right now, today, as you and I are speaking, meeting young future voters, getting them registered, and through our relational organizing program, staying in touch with them literally throughout the election, like this is the form of voter ID that you need. Here's where your nearest polling location. Hey, you're a student at the University of Texas at Arlington, 42 ,000 students and' there, and they just removed your polling site along with 91 others in Tarrant County. Where are you going to vote? Our Powered by People volunteer is going to send you a text message. and give you the nearest.
Beto: voting location that is off campus if there is a group of students who are leading a march to that polling place we will alert you to the time and place and encourage you to go and then the kicker is
Beto: We stay in touch with those voters every day during early voting until we can confirm that their ballot has been cast. And that nudging and that pushing and that engagement on a very personal, you know, in the flesh, like we we meet these people physically. We gain their consent not only to get registered, but to stay in touch with them.
Beto: all of this work produces an extraordinary level of turnout in 2024 when we ran this you know young people in texas not in our program were turning out at 39 those young people 18 to 29 years old who were in our program turned out at a rate of 79 so this is the work that works but we've got to be doing it year in
Beto: year out. regardless of the obstructions and obstacles and challenges that republicans in power place in our way. We do all of that. And I think Alex, we can realize the opportunity that you just laid out.
Kate Rumsey: Thank you. I mean, I'm so glad you mentioned UT Arlington. It was on my list of things to ask you about, especially all the work you're doing with Powered by People. I want to give a shout out to Amy Prudhomme, who we interviewed back in January, February, who was singing all of these things you know months ago. So thank you. for having her on our podcast uh but i wanted to ask you to go back in time a little bit better if that's okay
Kate Rumsey: This election season, many candidates have been talking about how we're under one party rule for 30 years, as Alex mentioned. And it's easy to feel some doom and gloom about that. And also with all the voter suppression tactics.
Kate Rumsey: But you're in a unique position that you ran for and have supported statewide races since at least 2017, if not. farther. So take us back. I mean, help us understand like in a time capsule. What was it like back then? And have we made headwinds from an organizing perspective? Not just this blue wave we want to feel, but also like what we all all are doing on the ground, including, I assume, your work with Powered by People.
Beto: This is a great question in part because we have this chance. to look at two trump midterms his first in 2018 and his second now in 2026 and and we see some very strong similarities a president who is deeply unpopular in 2018 it was kids in cages it was the so -called zero tolerance policy where they ripped babies from the arms of their mothers deported mom back to honduras put the kid in foster care in texas they they may never
Beto: reunite again the the level of cruelty and incompetence and chaos in that administration and people's opportunity to fight back by voting for democrats who are going to offer something far different far better for this country was what powered so much of not just my campaign but the campaigns being run by democrats across the state and though we got very close to ted cruz
Beto: Others got over the line, you know Colin Allred in North Texas, Lizzie Pennell Fletcher in Houston, two big congressional upsets against entrenched incumbent.
Beto: well -funded republicans you know to alex's earlier point we picked up 12 state house seats we had no business doing that one of those insurgent democrats was james talarico his first time on the ballot in a seat again that he wasn't supposed to win we won commissioners court majorities in places like harris county the the largest county in texas one of the largest in the country and you saw big wins including judicial races
Beto: Up and down. the ballot So that that shows you the potential. of a Trump midterm. Fast forward to 2026, he's even more unpopular.
Beto: Now, beyond the cruelty and the chaos and the incompetence, which is even worse today than it was arguably back then, he has us mired in another forever war in the Middle East.
Beto: that is sending prices for gas and diesel through the roof over $6 a gallon for diesel, which many Texans depend on just to get by and to get around. um prices for food, for groceries, for for everyday things that we depend on are through the roof while wages.
Beto: are still stuck because our minimum, which everything else is based on, is at $7 .25 an hour right now. We're the least insured state in the country, so you can't afford to see a doctor. We are siphoning public tax dollars from local schools to private schools through these vouchers i mean they are fucking this thing up worse than you know we even ah imagined in our worst.
Kate Rumsey: yes
Beto: nightmares. that they could. And then you add to that. this generational talent. in James Tallarico. He really is extraordinary. We've never seen a candidate, I think, who is So good at connecting with voters. So good at running a campaign. So good at building the resources and deploying them as effectively as possible. We have all those fighters on all those fronts below him. And then this. so
Beto: This is part of why I'm glad you asked this question. When we lost that race in 2018, The big question that you wanted us to be asking ourselves and which we did is. What could we have done differently? what What needed to happen for us to win?
Beto: Getting close, maybe that feels good to some. It did not feel good to me. Victory is all that matters.
Kate Rumsey: Bye -bye.
Beto: All all that we care about is winning power so that we can use it to make people's lives better. better and to stop the bad shit that is happening in this country right now. So what could we have done differently? And that's where Powered by People was born. we We knew that if there had been a program like this, running for two, three, four years before I had run that was engaging with registering and then this is very important personally staying in touch
Beto: with new and young voters across the state. I'd be speaking to you as a junior senator from the state of Texas right now. And so That's why we engaged with all of these volunteers that we built up in that Senate race and said, hey, if you want something more to do, and I know you do. um We will train you to become a volunteer deputy registrar. We'll train you in our program. We'll deploy you to these campuses, to clubs, to concerts, to churches, to other places where we can meet. register and stay in touch with and then turn out these voters so i think that combination of factors is what has me so optimistic and look i'm not a pollyanna
Beto: I know that Trump will still try to cancel vote by mail. I know that he'll still send plainclothes. federal immigration enforcement officers to polling locations throughout the state.
Beto: I know that they'll continue to try to close polling locations. that There will be other attempts to interfere with and steal this election. We're by no means out of the woods. And there's a lot of work for us to do between now and November 3rd and then for as long as it takes to certify this election.
Beto: but the conditions are really really good there are a lot of people out there working really really hard and if we can keep this up and meet every new threat as it comes immediately and and challenge it, overcome it, and pursue this victory, we are going to get there. so um you know i don't want to to tell anyone that this is going to happen it's just that it it could happen especially if we put the work in
Alexander Clark: Well, if you'll allow me just ah just a ah bit more to dig into nostalgia, I want to... I don't know if you would remember because you've met millions of people at this point and you traveled across the state, 254 counties.
Alexander Clark: which is exactly what you said you were going to do when we first met. i was on Air Force Reserve Duty. in San Antonio because I'm at Lackland Air Force Base. At the time.
Alexander Clark: we didn't actually know each other i didn't know you Um, You were a congressman of El Paso is really kind of the extent of it. Joaquin Castro was rumored to be considering getting in. And so I came out as the Pearl Brewery area.
Alexander Clark: and i asked you like what are you going to do that's different than everybody who's tried and failed before and you said i'm going to go everywhere i'm going to talk to everybody i'm not going to count anybody out I think that's been such an important mantra.
Alexander Clark: that you've carried through all of your campaigns, but the James Tallarico is as well. like if you're You would say at your events, if you're a Democrat, you're in the right spot. If you're a Republican, you came to the right place. If you're an independent, I'm so glad you're here. like Just continuing to bring people in.
Alexander Clark: So. I know we're bumping up against time here, but I just wanted to see if you had. One last thing you would tell party activists whose hearts are in the right place. and say things like turn texas blue and that's very motivating to them but Not. to like relate to anybody else.
Alexander Clark: What advice... practical advice would you give them? to make sure that we're we're moving in a direction that is focused on winning. And not just like. Team sport. red versus blue kind of thing.
Beto: Yeah. This is a good one. um I think about this all the time, again, because the only thing that matters at the end of the day is is winning. so sometimes Alex, I think that.
Beto: Democrats are more interested in being right. than they are in being in power. while republicans only care about being in power and they could care less about anything else that's the way it seems to me maybe that's unfair and maybe that only describes those who are in power today and not your rank and file.
Beto: Republicans. I think my my advice to myself and and to anyone else who is doing this work. is you know you you mentioned this earlier we cannot afford to write anybody off um we We cannot afford.
Beto: to take anyone for granted. And so I was just ah yesterday in the Rio Grande Valley at UTRGV Brownsville. um This is a part of the country that Democrats for decades took for granted. Essentially, the the calculus was if you're brown.
Beto: You're going to vote for us. So why would we waste the time, take two flights, which is what it takes from anywhere in Texas, like where I'm from in El Paso, to get to you, to listen to you, to earn your trust and your vote and decide that we're going to work together and win elections. And that absolutely bit us on the ass big time in 2020 and 2024 as we saw a wholesale change in those communities from from blue to red. I actually think it was a really good thing because it woke. democrats up that you got to go out there and every vote every voter
Beto: As someone that you've got to treat with dignity and respect. And I would say that also holds for Republicans or independents or folks who just. are not engaged with politics because they're too busy working or raising their kids or taking care of their folks or just they're dealing with life, right? um so What I have found and the joy that I get out of this work.
Beto: is is meeting with people. where they are much like that 254 county strategy and almost every visit was a town hall where there were two microphones and anyone could say anything that they wanted to and they did um When I travel the state now, it's it's basically the same.
Beto: theory of the case is that, you know, I'm very happy to talk to committed Democrats. I i love them. i'm I'm even happier sometimes to talk to people who are still trying to figure this out, who are like, I don't know who to vote for, haven't been paying attention. There's an election this year. um Tell me about it, Beto. Or folks who say very often it's young people.
Beto: And they say, you know what? I just don't think this thing works. I mean I've seen my parents vote. and and stuff just stays the same beto if this worked would a um A guy like Jeffrey Epstein.
Beto: and his associates like Donald Trump. be able to... traffic in women and girls in some cases rape them and never face any consequences or accountability or jail time or anything like ah they just don't believe in and i what i've learned to do is to stop judging and to listen and learn and be like you know what that's a very logical conclusion that you're making But I say, look, especially if you care about those victims.
Beto: If you want to change this, you've got to commit yourself to the work. And if there's a better way to do this other than voting, sign me up because voting is so freaking frustrating. It's slow. It doesn't always result in the change that we want to see. And sometimes our candidates win and they let us down. So look, if you have something better than voting and democracy, I'm all for it. But if you don't, I'm asking you to join me because of enough of us band together. We're going to change this thing. so I think that. Being in community.
Beto: um Never assuming anything about anyone. trying to connect in person and and really let these devices um you know sit on the shelf while while we are eyeball to eyeball face to face I think that's the most powerful thing in the world. And it's also for me personally.
Beto: the antidote to despair. if If I'm feeling down because of everything that's happening, if I feel like my agency is non -existent and somebody else has control over my life and the world.
Beto: i'm I'm depressed. But if I get out there and I'm doing the work and doing it with other volunteers and meeting total strangers and having interesting conversations, I'm so much happier. at the end of the day. So I always, you know, to myself, I say, Hey, action.
Beto: Action, action. It's the antidote to despair. It's the key to victory. It's the only way we're going to come through. So that's the way I tend to look at it. But I just wish anybody who's out there doing the work. well. And and again, I'm optimistic about what our work is going to achieve this year.
Kate Rumsey: Amazing. Thank you so much, Beto. I mean, we've been talking all throughout our podcast, which has been on for a year now. We're celebrating our anniversary in a week. about meeting people where they are and actually talking to voters and door knocking and doing that work. So thank you so much for reminding us of that. I want to thank you for being here. I want to thank our listeners also for being with us for almost a year, being here on ah the eve of our anniversary. We'll sign off by saying God bless Texas.
Beto: God bless Texas. Thank you all.
