Why aren’t more Democrats running for local office?

I understand that many of the partisan local races are going unchallenged by Democrats this

year. Recruiting candidates and raising funds are two of the most important duties allocated to

the County Chairs by the Texas Democratic Party (State Party).

I have volunteered for the MCDP in many capacities since 2008. I am Precinct 76 Chair, I

recently resigned as Treasurer of MCDP (Nov. 2023), I’ve helped organize fundraisers, I’ve been

the Chair of the County Convention twice, I’ve done voter outreach for both the Party and for

local, and state, and national candidates.

AT A RALLY IN HOUSTON

It often takes years of cultivation of candidates and years of running for office before a

candidate gets elected for the first time. It can be especially discouraging when you try to reach

out for guidance, and you don’t always get what you need. I know there are Democrats in our

county and beyond who want to run for office and create a better Texas for all of us. Our

current candidates for TX HD16 and US Congressional District 8 have each run for office

multiple times. And their voter recognition goes up each time.

I believe that MCDP can do a better job recruiting candidates than we have in the past. In my

opinion, recruiting candidates for 2026 begins NOW. Adding information to our newsletters and

our website should be the beginning of candidate recruitment. By attending community events

I have begun to build relationships with civic-minded people not currently involved with MCDP.

That is how I have identified fellow liberals and left-leaning moderates. A few of them have

expressed interest in running for office or volunteering with MCDP. It’s frustrating for me when

I pass their information along only to contact them later and find out that the people to whom I

referred them had not been in contact.

That needs to change today.

Are you willing to run for office in the future?

Partisan or non-partisan, it doesn’t matter. I’m willing to lend whatever help that I can.

Feel free to contact me at NatalieForMCDPTX@gmail.com or call or text 936-666-2307 and leave a message.