A few weeks ago, we were pleased to introduce four new members of Blue Horizon Action Fund’s board of directors. Having already shared our sit-down with new member Representative Vikki Goodwin, we wanted to introduce you to Eric Holguin.
Many of you already know Eric, and we were honored that he joined us and our candidates earlier this month to share his thoughts on how candidates can most effectively reach Hispanic voters. Since so many people have already seen Eric in action, we wanted to share our top six facts about him:
Eric is the Texas State Director of UnidosUS. UnidosUS is the largest Hispanic advocacy group in the United States, so he was something of a natural choice to lead one of our Campaign Nuts & Bolts webinars.
Eric has a track record of getting messages across effectively. Our favorite example is his work on the PACT Act, which expanded benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits — a big issue here in the state with the most veterans. Over the course of almost four years, he successfully worked with federal and Texas legislators to get the PACT Act and related state legislation passed and signed into law.
Eric thinks creatively about how to build awareness of and support for issues. For the PACT Act, that meant partnering with Jon Stewart — yes, that Jon Stewart — to bring additional national attention to the issue:
Eric knows what it’s like to be a Democratic candidate running for state office in Texas, particularly in a historically uncontested Republican district. Incumbent Todd Hunter ran for reelection to Texas House District 32 unopposed in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018. Eric stepped up in 2020 to give voters in District 32 a choice on Election Day — and, you know, giving voters a meaningful choice is kind of our thing.
Eric has led the way for future candidates. Although Todd Hunter ran opposed in 2020, Dr. Cathy McAuliffe stepped up to challenge Hunter in House District 32 this year. And with your support, our sister organization — Blue Horizon Texas PAC — provided her with a filing fee grant to help her get on the ballot. Cathy was one of the participants in Eric’s recent webinar, which she thought (sorry to embarrass you, Eric!) provided very concrete and doable tips for her campaign.
It’s not just that Eric has a background in public service; his whole family does. With a father who was a public school teacher, a mother who was a nurse, and two veteran brothers who are now Texas State Troopers, it’s not a surprise that Eric turned to public service — or that he fought so hard to protect our veterans. Serving the public is basically the family M.O.
We could keep piling on Eric’s praises, but I think you get the point: We’re grateful to have his voice on our board.
We can’t wait to tell you more about new members Nicolette Ardiente and Michelle Butler, who join Eric Holguin, Representative Vikki Goodwin, Bruce Carpenter, and Steven Kling on the Blue Horizon Action Fund board!
If you’re excited as we are about the amazing possibilities that having these experienced leaders supporting our efforts will provide, and about what we’ve been able to achieve so far, please donate today to keep those efforts going!
Thanks for everything you do to help us continue our work.
With gratitude,
Claire Barnett + Stephanie Phillips
Co-Founders | Blue Horizon Action Fund
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