October, 27 2020, 12:00am EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Garrett Blad, Sunrise Movement, Press Lead, 574-298-7125, press@sunrisemovement.org
Abhi Rahman, Texas Democratic Party, Communication Director, (720) 299-0654, press@txdemocrats.org
Sunrise Movement Teams Up With Texas Democratic Party to Turn Out Young Voters and Flip Texas Blue
Joint GOTV events will feature presidential candidate Julián Castro and former progressive congressional candidate Jessica Cisneros.
WASHINGTON
Sunrise Movement, the youth-led organization pushing for a Green New Deal, announced a new partnership with Texas Democrats to increase voter turnout during the remaining week until election day. The groups will be hosting joint "Get Out The Vote" events on Wednesday, Oct 28th with Jessica Cisneros, former progressive candidate for Congress in Texas and Sunrise endorsee, and on Thursday, Oct 29th with former presidential candidate Julian Castro.
At the start of early voting, the Secretary of State reported a net of 1.3 million Texans have registered to vote since November 2018 and 1.9 million have registered since November 2016. With natural changes in the voting rolls, the Texas Democratic Party estimates nearly 3 million new voters have been added since 2016. Polling shows Joe Biden and Donald Trump neck and neck in Texas.
Texas is the fastest-growing state for wind and solar, and despite Trump's attacks on clean energy, Joe Biden's climate change plan polls consistently as a top agenda item, especially for undecided voters and young people. Biden's climate plan reflects the views of the majority of Americans, an overwhelming majority of whom support a transition to clean energy, including 65% of Republicans. Texas is also the third-youngest state in the nation, and so far young people have turned out in record numbers. Youth turnout could be the deciding factor in flipping Texas blue.
Evan Weber, Political Director for Sunrise Movement, issued the following statement:
"They say everything is bigger in Texas. This year, we mean historic youth turnout for Biden to flip Texas blue. Imagine waking up on November 4th knowing that the election is called for Biden, the House and Senate are in the hands of the Democrats, and we can start working on a massive, green economic recovery package for the American people? That is what is possible if we flip Texas blue. And young people will make it happen."
Sunrise Movement has already made 200,000 general election phone calls to voters in Texas for Mike Siegel (TX-10) and Julie Oliver (TX-25), both hoping to flip red districts by running on progressive platforms including a Green New Deal, and will be ramping up those efforts as a part of this push.
In addition, Sunrise Movement will be contacting low-propensity voters in Southern Texas including the Rio Grande Valley to encourage them to vote early for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and U.S. Senate candidate MJ Hegar, and then to get out the vote for them in the final period between Saturday and Tuesday.
Texas Democratic Party Deputy Executive Director Cliff Walker issued the following statement:
"We're creating a movement here in Texas. We're going to win statewide because of the investment put in by the Texas Democratic Party and our terrific allies like the Sunrise Movement. Youth turnout is powering Texas right now and we know that if this continues, we will flip the state. The Sunrise Movement is part of the present and future of the Texas Democratic Party and their issues are issues near and dear to Texas Democrats. We thank them for our partnership. Together, along with our other allies, we will flip Texas and get the next Democratic generation to continue to vote. Our time is now."
Sunrise Movement is a movement to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process.
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