Next week, Texas AFT members and the state federation staff will be heading to Dallas for the Texas Democratic Party (TDP) Convention. Over 70 Texas AFT members were selected as convention delegates and will vote and serve on a number of committees at the convention, and Director of Public Affairs Patty Quinzi will serve as the chair of the platform committee, which is tasked with drafting the Texas Democratic platform. Texas AFT will have a booth at the convention and will invite delegates from across the state to our caucus room for a presentation.
The convention will feature a number of distinguished speakers, including Texas AFT-endorsed candidates Beto O’Rourke, Mike Collier, Rep. Jessica González, Rep. Julie Johnson, Rep. Gina Hinojosa, Rep. Donna Howard, Sen. Roland Gutierrez, and many more. Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy will also speak at the convention. A full schedule of convention events is available on the TDP Convention website.
One of the most significant items that will be voted on at the convention is the position of TDP Chair. Texas AFT President Zeph Capo, state federation staff, and several AFT members who are convention delegates were given the opportunity to speak with the candidates for the position:
- Gilberto Hinojosa, who has served as TDP chair for the past 10 years
- Carroll Robinson, chair of the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats
- Kim Olson, a retired Air Force colonel and former congressional candidate.
Texas AFT has not endorsed any candidate for the position, though Texas AFT delegates will have the opportunity to discuss the election among themselves in a closed caucus meeting before voting.
Jen Ramos, a member of the State Democratic Executive Committee (SDEC) and a prominent activist based in Austin, recorded a training session for TDP delegates to inform them of what they should expect at the convention. If you’re attending the convention, we encourage you to watch the training.