Beto sent this note to people who’d contributed to his presidential campaign. He’s kept in touch with them since he dropped out of the race. There’s nothing extra-special about his modest messages, yet they testify to his character and his clarity democracy can’t be a me-first thing. His notes hint he still has something more to give the American organizing tradition (if we let him)…
This weekend, Amy and I worked with 30 volunteers in our home in our first Powered by People event.
These amazing El Paso volunteers made hundreds of phone calls to voters in Fort Bend County to let them know about Dr. Eliz Markowitz and her campaign to represent House District 28 in the Texas legislature.
I loved the energy, the commitment and the passion from the volunteers. And I loved making phone calls alongside them. My favorite was to a young voter named Stephanie.
- “Hi, this is Beto O’Rourke calling on behalf of Dr. Eliz Markowitz.”
- “Shut up!”
- “No really, this is Beto. And we really need you to vote on the first day of early voting, January 21, for Dr. Markowitz.”
- “OK! I’m on it!”
I spoke with a man named Khaled who not only promised to vote for Eliz, he offered to put a group together to listen to her speak so that she could reach more voters in his circle of family and friends.
I talked with Bethany who was with her three children when I called. After she committed to vote for Eliz, I asked her if she would volunteer with us.
“I’ve never knocked on doors before, that sounds kind of intimidating,” she told me. I assured her that it’s as simple as introducing yourself to your neighbors and telling them about the importance of this election. She thought about it for a second and then said, “I’m in.”
It was a good day, the volunteers, the voters, the progress we made.
We will follow up yesterday’s effort with more phone banks, more block walks, and more direct voter engagement. It’s how we’ll help Dr. Markowitz win her race, and it’s how we’ll help other courageous candidates running across Texas.
I hope you’ll commit to joining us in this effort – Powered by People – in 2020. If we all pitch in, we can win the Texas state house, pick up more seats in Congress, defeat John Cornyn and ensure that the Democratic nominee against Trump can win Texas’ 38 electoral college votes.
We’ll do this by organizing and mobilizing everyday Texans to help their neighbors register to vote, commit to vote, and actually vote on Election Day.
It’s our best chance to do what this state and this country needs at this critical moment.
Happy New Year! I’m excited to work with you in 2020.