Sally Duval For House District 73
The Blue Battle 2024: Inside the Democratic races.
Yesterday, Sally Duval, the Democratic candidate for Texas House District 73, dropped the most fantastic ad in Texas for this campaign season, maybe even this decade. You HAVE TO watch this:
Yep, this Democratic candidate for the Texas Legislature was hitting a bong at the end of her ad. You don’t have to be a pothead to appreciate this. The legalization of cannabis is an issue of freedom and liberty. She made some excellent points in her ads, including:
Some forms of hemp (CBD) are legal in Texas. Some cannabis is not. Police have no way of testing that.
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick has expressed his wantings to ban all Delta-8, Delta-9, CBD, and THC products in Texas that are currently legal.
Legalization and regulation support farmers and increase tax revenue for education and healthcare.
Texas should have the freedom to consume these products if they want to.
It’s a strong ad that is garnishing Duval a lot of attention in an otherwise uphill race. Can Duval flip this seat? Is HD73 even in play? Let’s get into it.
Further reading:
Who is Sally Duval?
Sally Duval, the Democratic candidate for Texas House District 73, is not your typical politician. Born and raised in Texas, she’s lived by the core values she grew up with—hard work, independence, and integrity. A businesswoman by trade, she’s managed her family business, raised two grown children, and lived a life deeply rooted in Texas traditions. But it wasn’t until she watched the legislature fail to let Texans vote on crucial issues like reproductive freedom that she felt compelled to run for office.
Her story is one of resilience and a fierce drive to make Texas a better place. After spending time living abroad in France, Duval returned to Texas during personal loss—losing her father to COVID-19—only to find a state that had become increasingly hostile to women and minorities.
Duval’s campaign is all about common sense and fighting for regular Texans. She advocates for fully funding public schools, expanding Medicaid, and enshrining reproductive rights. In a district deliberately redrawn to dilute Democratic power, she’s facing an uphill battle, but her drive to flip the seat and bring meaningful change is gaining attention and support.
Who is she running against?
Depending on how long you’ve followed me, you may have already seen this video once or twice. It almost always comes up during conversations about Representative Carrie Isaac (R-HD73).
If you haven’t seen it and want to summarize Representative Isaac’s character, this clip masterfully paints the picture.
The above clip tells you so much about the Texas House, not just about Carrie Isaac’s ability to handle simple questions but the dynamic of the Republicans who stacked up behind her to help her through those painfully difficult eight minutes.
Now, don’t get me wrong. This embarrassing debate, which went viral when I posted it on Twitter, isn’t only who Isaac is. There’s so much more to her.
(Yes, she blocked me on Twitter. 🤦🏻♀️)
Jason Isaac was a far-right Texas House Republican for eight years until Representative Erin Zwiener defeated him in 2018. He then became a lobbyist. When Republicans redrew the maps in 2021, the Isaacs could run for office again. Since Jason Isaac was doing so well in his lobbying career, his wife, Carrie Isaac, stepped in for him.
She also has a thing for scarves. Here she is in Summer 2023, wearing a scarf when it was 110° outside.
Otherwise, Representative Isaac is, for the most part, a rank-and-file Republican.
She’s pro-voucher.
She signed the “Contract On Texas.”
She always votes on party lines.
What about this district?
House District 73 encompasses Comal County and a small part of Hays County.
It should be noted that Hays is a blue county, while Comal is a red county. New Braunfels is in Comal County. In 2020, in New Braunfels, we saw some of the worst Trumper behavior in Texas. The “New Braunfels Trump Train” terrorized their community for more than a year, finally setting their sights on the Biden/Harris bus in October 2020.
The incident got national attention and wound up with a lawsuit from Wendy Davis and other occupants of the bus suing the New Braunfels Trump Train under the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871. The trial for that suit just started this week.
Of course, not everyone in Comal County is associated with the Trump Train, but I want to give you an idea of the area and the outlandish actions of the Trumpers there.
When Republicans drew the district maps in 2021, they gave themselves a +36.7-point advantage.
As I said, Duval’s race is uphill. But I wouldn’t call it hopeless, as she has several things working in her favor.
The voucher issue is a big deal.
Isaac has been a less-than-stellar Representative.
In November, we should see Democrats over-perform.
This district is 69% Anglo and has higher education and income levels than most of Texas. Comal County has been one of the fastest-growing counties in America, and with that population growth, they’ve become more diverse.
Comal and Hays County have been moving left in the last several presidential elections.
What is it going to take for Duval to win this election?
For Sally Duval to win this election, she must harness the energy of voters disillusioned with the status quo, particularly around critical issues like cannabis reform, vouchers, healthcare, and reproductive rights. Duval’s stance on fully funding public schools could resonate strongly with parents and educators frustrated by the constant push for vouchers, especially in a district with a growing population of families that rely on public education.
Her experience in business also gives her credibility with moderate voters who may be concerned about economic issues. Duval’s focus on practical, common-sense solutions for healthcare, including expanding Medicaid, could appeal to the district’s middle-class residents struggling with the high cost of medical care.
But the race won’t just be about policy; it’ll also be about turnout. Duval needs to energize the growing base of Democratic voters in Hays County while making inroads with swing voters in Comal. If she can capitalize on discontent with Representative Isaac’s lackluster performance and mobilize a strong grassroots effort, this long-shot campaign might catch fire.
You can learn more about Sally Duval from her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Vote early, vote often, just vote.
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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Thank you for sharing Sally Duval! She will hopefully be our State Representative. Carrie Isaac is a joke. Her and Jason use their bed and breakfast property in Wimberley to "live in the district". Curious which one has the homestead.
Thanks again, Sally is the real deal!