Chase West For House District 132
Blue Battle 2024: Inside the Democratic races.
Note: There are 36 days left until election day and 21 days until early voting starts. If I haven’t covered the Dem House candidate in your district yet, don’t worry; I plan on writing about a dozen more races in the coming month (hopefully, we don’t run out of time 🤞🏻). So, stay tuned.
During the 2022 campaign season, I had the opportunity to meet Chase West, a candidate who immediately stood out for his passion and commitment to serving our community. Even though his campaign didn’t win that year, West’s determination to bring positive change to HD132 has only intensified. As he gears up for the 2024 election, it’s clear that Chase West remains a stellar candidate dedicated to addressing the pressing issues facing Harris County.
Who is Chase West?
Chase West is a dedicated Houston/Katy native with a deep passion for public service. His interest in politics ignited at just eight years old when he began participating in school debates and following current events closely. After graduating from Katy High School, Chase pursued diverse studies in Advertising, Music, and Audio Engineering. A musician and songwriter, he has worked to uplift others through his art while managing his own commercial recording studio.
Chase’s political journey began in earnest during the 2022 campaign season, where he made a name for himself as a candidate who genuinely listens to the concerns of his constituents. He is committed to advocating for quality education, affordable healthcare, and the protection of individual rights, believing firmly that every Texan deserves a voice in the legislative process. With a unique ability to empathize and connect with people across the political spectrum, Chase West is ready to fight for the values and needs of his district as he runs again for the Texas House in 2024.
Who is he running against?
Meet NewJersey nativee Mike Schofield:
The Republican incumbent is a confirmed bachelor living in the Katy area. Before working with former Governor Rick Perry in the 2000s, his past is mostly a mystery. Really, I did the sleuthing. However, since first being elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2014, Schofield has painted himself as a hardline Conservative.
A decade’s worth of votes? Let’s see what he did:
He co-sponsored the bill that prohibits Texas from contracting with a company that boycotts Israel.
On that note, he doesn’t have his friends list locked down on Facebook, and he’s friends with people who work for AIPAC.
He voted in favor of every bill in the Texas House that restricted women’s bodies. (There were lots of them.)
He voted in favor of the “Trigger” bill, which ultimately banned abortion access in Texas.
Schofield sponsored the bill to make it harder for unsheltered people to vote.
He’s voted in favor of every voter suppression bill over the last decade. (There’ve been lots of those, too.)
He voted to ban Republicans’ interpretation of Critical Race Theory.
He sponsored the bill allowing Republicans to overturn Harris County elections if they don’t like the results.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. We all know what bad government from Republicans has looked like in Texas for the last three decades, and Schofield has been around for one-third of it.
And here is Representative Schofield stating that people could “fake being disabled” to cheat while voting:
Mike Schofield has spent the last decade making Texans unsafer and poorer while stripping away our freedoms and liberties. Hopefully, this year, the people in HD132 will say, “A decade has been long enough.”
What about this district?
HD132 encompasses Katy, the outskirts of Harris County around Katy, Cinco Ranch, and a tiny sliver of Houston. This district is 56% non-Anglo.
Only 20% of the Republican-held House districts have a population distribution greater than 50% non-Anglo. The more diverse a district is, the more likely it is to lean blue. (Only 5% of Republican-held districts have a population distribution greater than 60% non-Anglo.)
Like nearly every other place in Texas, the greater Katy area is seeing a population boom. And like everywhere else in Texas, the population boom is diverse. This matters because we know that the majority of Black, Hispanic, and Asian voters in Texas vote blue.
When Republicans gerrymandered Texas in 2021, they gave HD132 a +12.7-point Republican advantage.
However, that’s a margin that could be overcome this year.
Typically, we don’t compare mid-term to presidential elections because they are two completely different animals. Democrats always underperform in midterms, especially Democrats in Texas. In 2022, Schofield did have a Democratic challenger. However, HD132 only had a 42% voter turnout.
This year, the Harris County Democratic Party has vowed to turn out 1.1 million voters. This is a lofty goal, and it will be proportioned around the county. If Democrats show up in numbers this year, this district could flip.
Even in the flippable seats, Republicans almost always outraise Democrats in Texas because they have millionaires and billionaires deep in their pockets. But in HD132, Chase West is keeping a nearly even pace with Mike Schofield on dollars in. That’s a pretty big deal.
Is a +12-point district an uphill battle for Democrats? Yes. Is a +12-point district impossible to flip? No. In this district and across Texas, it’ll all be about voter turnout. If Democrats show up, Democrats win.
As the election approaches, the stakes in HD132 have never been higher.
Chase West embodies the values and aspirations of a diverse and growing population eager for change. At the same time, Schofield’s decade-long track record raises serious concerns about safety, equity, and social justice.
This election is not just about one candidate or party; it’s about the vision for a future that prioritizes education, healthcare, and the rights of all Texans. With HD132’s increasing diversity, the potential for a blue wave is real, provided the electorate rises to the occasion. As we head toward the polls, it is essential to remember that every vote counts, and together, the community can redefine the political landscape of Texas for generations to come.
Vote early, vote often, just vote.
You can learn more about Chase West on his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
The Blue Battle 2024 is my series covering races in the Texas Legislature (in no particular order). This series will highlight Democratic candidates once or twice a week leading to the November election. If you missed the previous installments:
October 7: Last day to register to vote.
October 21: First day to early vote.
October 25: Last day to apply for a mail-in ballot.
November 1: Last day to early vote.
November 5: Election day!
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