The False Friendship: Republicans And The Threat To Democracy

The hidden dangers of playing nice with GOP extremists.

While the special election for Senate District 15 played out between Representative Jarvis Johnson and Molly Cook, I heard a sentiment from a few local activists in Harris County. They were #TeamMolly because they were still angry at Jarvis Johnson because of his inaction during the 2022 election.

The sentiment was, “In 2022, Jarvis Johnson ran unopposed, yet he was nowhere around when activists wanted his help campaigning for Republican-held seats in Harris County.”

I like Jarvis Johnson. I always thought he was great in the Legislature, but he pissed off some local activists, who wound up advocating and/or working to elect Molly Cook. They didn’t want to get behind Johnson because the feeling was that he only showed up for himself and not other Democrats.

This is likely why Molly Cook beat him in both of their elections.

Grassroots organizers and activists know when unopposed Democrats are not helping flip other seats. They don’t forget. And they talk about it to other organizers and activists.

A tale of bipartisanship.

In Tarrant County, Denise Wilkerson is running against fascist-aligned Tony Tinderholt. Several sitting Democrats in DFW have not endorsed her, even though Tinderholt is one of the worst people in the Legislature.

This led to a confrontation between a sitting Representative and grassroots organizers at the Texas Democratic Party Convention last month. I’m not naming names because I do not intend to throw anyone under the bus but to point out why things are the way they are and need to change.

Organizers were angry at the Representative for the lack of endorsement, especially considering that Tony Tinderholt is garbage.

The Representative told the organizers that he was willing to help Wilkerson behind the scenes and was even paying for some background help from his own pocket. However, he couldn’t publicly endorse her because if he did and Tinderholt won re-election, it would stifle any legislation he wanted to pass in the next session.

Tony Tinderholt hates Democrats (as well as people of color and the LGBTQ community); each session, he spends more time trying to figure out ways to harm his Democratic colleagues than he does working on legislation to help the people of Texas.

Yet, instead of helping the Democrat running against him with an endorsement, unopposed Democratic Representatives are keeping quiet about their support because if it is known, Republicans will block their legislation next year.

It sounds like a hostage situation.

Embracing the enemy.

Senator Joan Huffman passed the most racist legislation in this decade, as she was responsible for racial gerrymandering in Texas. Huffman deliberately cracked and packed communities of color to remove political power from as many non-white Texans as possible. She even admitted that her maps would have violated Section Five of the Voting Rights Act should Section Five remain intact (Republican SCOTUS overturned Section Five).

It would be a fair and accurate description if a person described Joan Huffman as a white supremacist since the maps she drew have led to white Republicans running our government despite being a minority in the state.

During the last Legislative session, I had the live Senate feed running, but the Senate was at ease, so Senators were walking around, and there was no sound in the video. Then, I noticed at the bottom of the screen that a Democrat from the House appeared and stood around conversing with Joan Huffman.

At the end of their conversation, the said Democrat leaned in and hugged Huffman.

Of course, I had screen record on at the time, and I quickly clipped their hug, posted it on Twitter, and called that Democrat out. “WTF! Joan Huffman is a white supremacist. She’s done more to harm people of color in this state than perhaps any other Republican in this decade (so far). Why the hell is XX embracing her like that?”

The Democrat, whom I am not throwing under the bus, responded, explaining how things behind the scenes are very different. They spend a lot of time working with their Republican peers one-on-one on non-partisan legislation.

The conundrum.

Texas Republicans are white supremacists, bigots, and fascists and prioritize the bulk majority of their time looking for ways to harm marginalized communities. However, many bills focus on various things that are good for the people of Texas: infrastructure, taxes, healthcare, etc. These are bills that typically have unanimous support.

Because Republicans have been in the majority, Democrats have been forced to “play nice” with them to get bills that are for the good of the people of Texas passed.

How do the officials in the Texas Legislature come to terms with working with people who prioritize harm and destruction to the people of Texas?

If they don’t work with them, the Republicans will not allow the Democrats’ legislation to pass. Indeed, it takes a lot of compartmentalization.

The good soldiers.

Again, this isn’t about throwing anyone under the bus, but if you didn’t see this interaction last session, it’s essential in understanding the dynamics of the Texas House.

Representative Ana-Maria Ramos initially took the video 💙.

It was when Republicans were trying to push through one of their versions of the “Show Me Your Papers” bill. They voted to limit the debate to that bill because they didn’t want to hear Democrats talk about how racist the bill was, which led to this confrontation.

Representative Armando Walle chewed out Republicans for being slimy and limiting the debate, even though they had the numbers to push it through. Walle mentioned that one of the Republicans was his friend, and he loved them.

Walle also said that he had been a good soldier for Dade Phelan despite its detriment. The far-right Republicans have repeatedly used this quote against Phelan in their quest to oust him as Speaker.

What are the schisms?

There are several.

1. On the first day of freshman orientation for all newly elected House members, it’s drilled into them. “At the end of the day, we’re all family. Sometimes bills will be contentious, but behind the scenes, we’re friends and look out for each other.”

2. Because Republicans don’t have a supermajority and can’t agree on a Speaker, a Republican Speaker can only win with Democratic votes. Democrats agree on a Speaker that will also give them chairmanships of committees. It’s a fairness thing. You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.

3. Democrats are expected not to campaign against Republicans, or Republicans will block their bills in the House.

These schisms are ultimately harming Democrats in Texas.

Republicans ACTUALLY expect Democrats not to campaign against them.

An interesting exchange happened yesterday between House Democratic Caucus President Trey Martinez Fischer, Mitch Little, and Tom Oliverson, who is vying to become the next House Speaker.

Martinez Fischer said, “Ending bipartisan committee chairs is a step away from our Democratic values.”

Mitch Little, who is the fascist extremist running for House District 65, and was Ken Paxton’s lawyer during the impeachment trial.

• Little’s Democratic opponent: Detrick Deburr For House District 65

Little said, “Our voters do not hold those values.” Not Texans, not the voters of his District, but their voters, meaning the Republican primary voters do not hold the values of bipartisanship and democracy.

Then Little spit out a bunch of lies and conspiracies, including:

• Democrats were for gender transitions of children.

• Democrats were for societal division.

• Democrats were for endless lawfare.

That’s when Representative Oliverson chimed in, “He may talk about bipartisanship, but make no mistake, he will campaign against as many of our House Republican colleagues as he can between now and November 5th. And that is not “bipartisanship.”

Then Oliverson linked a screenshot of a statement from Martinez Fisher from March congratulating the Democrats who won their primary elections as some proof that Martinez Fischer wasn’t bipartisan.

That’s when it dawned on me. Texas Republicans expect Democrats not to campaign against them at all. They expect Democrats to lie down and allow themselves to be steamrolled into fascism.

Too much is on the line.

Kevin Roberts, the CEO of the Heritage Foundation, said on July 4th, “We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.”

Before becoming the CEO of the Heritage Foundation and publishing Project 2025, Roberts was the CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF). Like the Heritage Foundation, TPPF poses as a far-right think tank, but it is funded by Tim Dunn and solely focuses on cultural issues that harm Texans.

Republicans in the Texas Legislature are deeply intertwined with TPPF and embrace the issues they want.

Project 2025 has already started in Texas. In fact, Texas has been the testing ground for much of the ideology listed in Project 2025. That includes:

• The abortion ban.

• The bans on gender-affirming care.

• The prohibition on art known as “Drag Shows.”

• Criminalizing houselessness (a.k.a. the reinstatement of vagrancy laws).

• Removing access to healthcare for low-income individuals.

• The war against workers’ rights.

All of that, and worse, is in Project 2025.

Even if Biden wins, Texans are still at risk for the unhinged and authoritarian ideals of Project 2025 through the State Legislature.

If Democrats don’t flip enough seats to block them in the 89th Legislative Session, Republicans will:

• Ban mifepristone.

• Ban birth control.

• Ban IVF.

• Ban travel for pregnant women.

• End diversity in government employment.

• Waste billions of more taxpayer dollars on political stunts.

• Pass bills to harm the LGBTQ community.

• Implement vouchers.

• Enact more voter oppression laws.

• End all LGBTQ and ethnic studies in Texas universities.

It can get worse, and it will get worse if every single Democrat in Texas isn’t fighting like hell to end Republican rule in Texas.

Running unopposed this year: Five Senate Democrats and 40 House Democrats.

The political landscape in Texas is teetering on the brink of monumental change, and the actions of unopposed Democrats could tip the scales. With the gravity of Project 2025 looming over us, every Democrat, whether running unopposed or in a contested seat, has a critical role to play in this fight.

Unopposed Democrats in Texas hold a unique position of power and influence. They are not mired in the day-to-day battles of a tough campaign and, therefore, have the resources and capacity to extend their support to colleagues in key races.

The grassroots activists and organizers have already shown their awareness and frustration with those who choose not to engage. This frustration can translate into a lack of support, which can be detrimental to the party’s broader goals.

The stakes could not be higher. If Democrats do not mobilize and support each other vigorously, the dystopian visions outlined in Project 2025 will become a chilling reality. Republicans are not merely political opponents; their policies and ideologies pose a direct threat to the values and lives of millions of Texans. The time for neutrality and behind-the-scenes support has passed. Visible, vocal, and strategic support is essential.

Unopposed Democrats must leverage their positions to:

• Actively campaign for those in contested races, lending their visibility and influence.

• Use their platforms to highlight the dangers of Republican policies and the necessity of Democratic victories.

• Engage in fundraising efforts to ensure that every Democratic candidate has the resources to compete effectively.

• Mobilize their volunteer bases to support campaigns in key districts.

The message is clear: Republicans are not our friends, and any semblance of bipartisanship in the face of their destructive agenda is a disservice to the people of Texas.

Elected Democrats have a responsibility not only to their constituents but to the entire state. This responsibility includes doing everything within their power to flip crucial seats and alter the trajectory set by the current Republican dominance.

The grassroots movement is watching and taking note. They know who is putting in the effort and who is coasting towards re-election. The future of Texas depends on a united front of Democrats, unwavering in their commitment to ending Republican rule and preventing the rise of Christian nationalism.

The fight is on, and every Democrat’s involvement could be the difference between victory and defeat. The time to act is now.

If your elected Democrat in the House or the Senate is unopposed this year, it’s time to call or email them and ask, “What are they doing to help more Democrats get elected in Texas?”

Tell them your concerns about Project 2025 and how important it is to flip seats in the Texas House. This may be the most important election of our lives, and we need all hands on deck.

• Aren’t sure who your elected officials are? Find out here.

• Aren’t sure if your elected official is unopposed? Find out here.

The road ahead is challenging, but with unity and determination, we can protect our values and ensure a brighter future for all Texans. It’s time for every Democrat to stand up, take action, and work together to turn the tide. The stakes are too high to do anything less.

• 123 days left until the November 5 election!

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