By Carroll G. Robinson
As early as 2022, I told Democratic leaders in Austin (and across the State) that in 2024 we would need to exceed six million Democratic votes to win Texas, and that is exactly what we needed but did not achieve.
That advice is all documented for the record in my Chairman’s letters in the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats Newsletter during the time I served as Chairman from 2020 to 2023. My advice is also documented and detailed in the written materials I distributed when I ran for Chair of the Texas Democratic Party (TDP), in 2022.
NATIONAL
- Democrats need a message that is broader than just a single silver bullet issue.
- We need to really understand, appreciate, and respect the hopes and dreams of the overwhelming majority of Americans.
- We need to repeatedly tell voters what we are going to do for them with a positive policy agenda and message.
- Our message has to focus on solutions to the core bedrock concerns of a broad base of the public and voters.
- Democrats need to reintegrate men back into the mainstream of our public policy and messaging initiatives from the beginning.
- Outreach to men can’t keep being an afterthought and a last-minute adjustment and addendum.
- Finally, stop listening to the rich talking heads on MSNBC. They are far too out of touch with working and middle-class America. Go out across the country and listen and engage with everyday Americans.
TEXAS
- Democrats must start reaching out to Black, Hispanic, and Asian voters year-round and invest in rural voter outreach and engagement.
- It’s time for statewide Democratic candidates to stop charging grassroots Democrats for yard signs and bumper stickers. The candidates need to understand that they need the early visibility and early support far more than they need the few dollars they would generate selling signs and bumper stickers.
- TDP needs to hold a 2025 Statewide Training Conference for precinct chairs, county party chairs, presidents of Democratic Clubs, and State Democratic Executive Committee (SDEC) members to discuss what happened and start preparing for the 2026 General Election.
- Yes, we have to look back, but we must also start preparing for the 2026 General Election right now.
- In 2026, we will need at least 6.5 million Democratic votes to win Texas. Every elected official in TDP needs to know the breakdown of the 6.5 million votes from the 9000+ voting precincts up.
- We need incumbents to run all-out General Election campaigns, in their districts.
HARRIS COUNTY
- The Harris County Democratic Party needs to better promote and defend Democratic judges among the base and independent voters who don’t vote in primary elections.
- There was no real response to the Stop Houston Murders PAC advertisements. That can’t ever happen again.
- Messaging matters and Democrats need to better speak to the issues that matter most to the most voters.
- Democratic incumbents need to run active campaigns, in their districts.
- Democratic precinct chairs and elected officials need to be expressly told how many Democratic votes are needed in their precincts and districts to win county and statewide races.
SUMMARY
Finally, we don’t need another deep dive. We all know what went wrong—bad messaging, poor outreach and not enough early strategic planning and implementation.
Everyone planning to run on the 2026 statewide ticket needs to get together now and get going with their 2026 campaign. There is no need to wait until after the 2025 Legislative session. That would be yet another mistake.
This election is now over. We have to move forward with lessons learned.
This article was written by Carroll G. Robinson, president of the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats. On Twitter (X), he can be found @CarrollGRobins1, and on IG @carrollgrobinson.