ICYMI: Texas Democrats Take Center Stage at 2024 Democratic National Convention

AUSTIN, Texas - Last week, over 15 Texas Democrats shared the spotlight at the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC), underscoring Texas' undeniable momentum toward becoming a key battleground state in the American political landscape.

Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa issued the following statement:

"Our presence and leadership are a testament to the strength and dedication of Texans who are ready to make a lasting impact on our nation's future. Texas Democrats in the national spotlight sent a strong message to the nation: From abortion bans, reckless firearm laws to inhumane border practices - 0ur state is the laboratory for policies outlined in Project 2025, and we're not going back. As we continue to build a coalition that reflects the diversity and energy of our great state, it's clear that Texas is no longer just a Republican stronghold. We are on the frontlines of a movement that will shape the future of our country, and we're committed to fighting for the values that unite us all."

What Texans are reading:

Dallas Morning News:Colin Allred criticizes opponent Ted Cruz as a 'me guy' in DNC address

• U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, told the Democratic National Convention that his opponent in November, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, and former President Donald Trump can be described with a phrase he once heard bandied about NFL locker rooms: "Me guys."

• "You know the type: talk a big game, only care about themselves, but you don't want to be stuck with them at a barbecue," Allred said Thursday night. "The truth is, America has never been about 'me.' As President Obama said, the single most powerful word in our democracy is the word 'we.'"

POLITICO: Texas puts abortion front and center as it casts votes for Kamala Harris

Texas Tribune: Harris shrinks Trump's lead in Texas, Allred within striking distance of Cruz, poll finds

• Vice President Kamala Harris trails former President Donald Trump by 5 percentage points in Texas, shaving off nearly half the Republican nominee's one-time advantage over President Joe Biden from earlier this year, according to a new poll released Thursday.

• The latest survey also recorded a 2-point lead for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz over his Democratic challenger, U.S. Rep. Colin Allred - virtually unchanged from the June poll. In the new survey, 46.6% of likely voters said they intend to vote for the Republican senator, compared to 44.5% for Allred.

Texas Public Radio: Texans talk abortion rights, guns, border and immigration at Democratic National Convention

• "We will protect and restore reproductive freedom, we will secure the border, we'll protect Medicare and social security," [Congressmen Colin Allred] said. "We'll turn the page and write a new chapter for this country, elect Kamala Harris to be the next president of this country, and beat Ted Cruz."

• "Her entire career - as an elected district attorney, attorney general and senator - she's always worked for one client: the people," [Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett] said of Harris. "Meanwhile, he's a 78-year-old lifelong predator, fraudster and cheat known for inciting violent mobs."

• "The border is my beloved home, the place where my children grew up. Forget what you hear on the news. I am from there," [Congresswoman Veronica Escobar] said. "When it comes to the border, hear me when I say, 'You know nothing Donald Trump.'"

• "When Donald Trump comes down to Texas, stands next to officers in uniform just like mine, he's not there to help us. Don't think that not for a second. He is a self-serving man,"[Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar] said. "Just like when he killed the border bill. He just made our jobs harder."

Texas Tribune: Texas women at DNC tell of necessary health care denied because of state abortion laws

• "Today, because I found a way to access abortion care, I am pregnant again," Cox announced from the floor of the Democratic National Convention, receiving some of the loudest applause of the evening. "And my baby is due in January, just in time to see Kamala Harris sworn in as president."

• "Every time I share our story, my heart breaks," Amanda Zurawski said. "For the baby girl we wanted desperately. For the doctors and nurses who couldn't help me deliver her safely. For Josh, who feared he would lose me, too. But I was lucky. I lived."

Dallas Morning News: Uvalde mother takes national stage at DNC to speak on gun violence

• "She wears a St. Mary's sweatshirt and a smile that lights up the room," she said, her voice wavering. "Thirty minutes later, a gunman murders her, 18 classmates and two teachers. We are taken to a room where police tell us she isn't coming home."

• "Not one more! Not one more!" the crowd chanted.

WFAA: 'The energy is just phenomenal' | Royce West says Dems 'weren't as excited about the prospects of being able to win' before Harris nomination

• "The energy is just phenomenal. I mean people are pumped up like I've never seen before - since probably Obama when Obama ran in 2008," West said.

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