After the primary: how we move to November

There will be a lot more to say about Tuesday’s primary, but we want to share a few of our initial reactions as we work through the results.

We’re proud of the all the Democratic candidates who stepped up to run and what they achieved, particularly Blue Horizon community members, board members, and returning Blue Horizon candidates who appeared on the ballot on Tuesday.

We are tired of Republican candidates cruising to victory unopposed. Blue Horizon has committed to provide that choice — by encouraging Democrats to run across the state, supporting them with training and connection and other resources, and even paying the filing fees for a number of them.

Millions of Texans are going to have a choice in November because of the work we’ve done, and the willingness of qualified Democrats across the state to say: “Yes, I’ll run.”

We congratulate all of the candidates who will be moving on to November as the Democratic Party’s nominee, and we look forward to continuing to support you. 

We also thank all of the candidates who ran in the Democratic primary. Whether you won or lost, you made democracy happen — you gave voters a choice.

And to those in runoff races, Blue Horizon remains available to you for high quality training, information, and peer support. You are not alone.

Tuesday made one thing clear: Democracy remains under attack.

Republicans meddled in our primary in Dallas and Williamson Counties by changing the rules at the last minute and confusing voters about where they could vote.

When judges rightfully extended voting hours to allow people to make their voice heard, Ken Paxton went to the Republican Supreme Court and got those votes tossed aside.

To what end? This wasn’t a general election in which such sabotage would help Republicans win. No, their purpose was to sow distrust among the Democratic coalition, weaken our Democratic nominees… and trial-run methods for suppressing votes in November.

Unfortunately, their strategy worked in many ways. Thousands of voters were forced into absurd lengths to vote, and many were ultimately disenfranchised. Those voters may lose trust in the democratic system as a whole and in how our party selects our candidates. The two counties targeted were the home counties of our Democratic Senate candidates, and that is too convenient to be accidental.

Dallas County has the second largest number of Black voters in the state, and it was a kick to the heart of the Black community to have their voices silenced. We understand that honoring the votes and voices of Black Texans is central to any path forward. We must take the time now to pause and to listen.

We have a lot of work to do between now and November to fight back against voter suppression and make sure every voter is equipped with the information, tools, and resources to make their voice heard at the ballot box, but that’s the important thing — it’s not over. And we will do the work.

Our coalition is under strain right now. For months, primary candidates and their supporters poured their time, energy, and passion into making their case to voters.

The Democratic coalition is made up of communities who are under attack right now—for the language they speak, for the color of their skin, for the reproductive care they require, for how they identify, and for whom they love.

We all innately understand the importance of a win in November. Our two Senate candidates provided inspiration and hope to different parts of our coalition in how to achieve a win this fall.

Some of us are celebrating this week, and some of us are hurting deeply.

It is not easy, and it will not ever be easy, to hold the pain and the fear that so many of our communities continue to experience, resulting from centuries of oppression through current-day attacks.  

Feelings are raw, and people should take the time to process, rest, and build resiliency. It’s okay to not feel okay right now.

It's also okay to celebrate our wins.

We have a lot of work to do inside our coalition to rebuild trust and understanding before we turn to the general election. We have been doing deep thinking, and lots of listening, on this at Blue Horizon, and we’ll be sharing more soon.

But today, let us remember. Republicans are also divided. And they are also scared, of us.

They wouldn’t be going to such great efforts to divide us and to stifle our voices if they didn’t see that Democrats have energy, history, and voters on our side.

The data is clear: voter turnout was high, particularly in the Democratic primary, and momentum is on our side as we head to November. We are excited about new voters turning out and others who may be returning to the Democratic tent.

We need to bring back all of these voters and energize even more in November.

As Cornyn and Paxton head into a divisive runoff battle, we must keep focused on supporting all of our Democratic candidates and doing everything we can to elect Democrats this fall.

At Blue Horizon, our job between now and November is to make sure that every Democratic candidate knows exactly where to go for resources, support, and community so that we all get the outcome we need in November.

And you better believe that we’ll be working to make that happen every day between now and then.

If you need support or if you have feedback for us, please let us know.

In love and reflection,

Stephanie Phillips & Claire Barnett

Co-Founders, Blue Horizon Texas