| Perspectives on Texas

This proposed draft announcement speech for a 2018 Democratic candidate for governor of Texas is the kind of speech and candidate Democrats need and are hoping and looking for in 2018. As FDR once said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Texas Democrats, let's not be afraid to fight for change and progress to move our state and nation forward. What do you think? Who will say it?

Good morning/afternoon/evening, my name is ________ and I am here today to ask my fellow Texans — all of you — to join me in a campaign for governor of our great state that is focused on making the present better for all Texans and winning the future for Texas families, ranchers, farmers, entrepreneurs, employers and all who get up everyday to go to work or who want a job but cannot find one or who need a second chance to do better.

Today, I am asking all Texans for your votes and support to move our state forward rather than backward.

I am running for governor to bring our state together —  to drain the swamp at the state Capitol and remove a career politician from the Governor's Mansion. I support calls from state Reps. Sarah Davis and Lyle Larson for ethics reform in state government.

For the last three years, Greg Abbott has been focused on dividing Texans and dragging our state backward while filling his campaign account with millions of dollars from right-wing extremists and selfish special interest groups and organizations, from polluters and big corporate interests.

As attorney general and governor, Greg Abbott has been more interested in winning and supporting the extreme right wing of the Republican Party than he has been in supporting mainstream Texans, our families and our public schools and colleges.

Greg Abbott is an extremist who has used tort reform to deny injured Texans access to the same legal rights he used to secure financial compensation when he was hit by a falling tree. Greg Abbott has never returned that money. That's called hypocrisy.

Greg Abbott, like Donald Trump, has got to go.

As governor of Texas, you have to be a champion for the underdogs — the Texans who need a helping hand up and who need protection from the power of the right-wing special interests groups at the state Capitol.

At the Alamo, Texans fought together as one people, for one state, and for one future.

As governor, I will bring Texans together to:

• fully fund our public schools,
• provide all day Pre-K to all the children in our state,
• expand Medicaid to help make Texas a more healthy state,
• modernize and reform our criminal justice system to eliminate the criminalization of poverty,
• protect the hard earned rights of women,
• support equal pay for equal work,
• increase the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next four years,
• reform the state's business tax system to provide businesses and homeowners property tax relief, fix our public school funding system and help attract more businesses, technology companies and entrepreneurs to Texas.

Hunger, poverty, homelessness and drug addiction and deaths are growing problems across our state. As governor, I will work with our cities and counties to address these issues. We will better utilize state resources to support our senior citizens and help build more entry level housing for working Texans and assisted living facilities for our seniors.

As governor, I will also work with our cities and counties to help improve and modernize their infrastructure, flood control projects, emergency preparedness and public transportation systems.

As governor, I will put Texas on the people's side.

Texas is a world-class state and as governor, we will have world-class health care for all Texans, world-class public schools and higher education institutions all across our state — rural, suburban and urban.

Texas is an international state from El Paso to the Valley, to I-69 and DFW Airport, to our ports and Bush Intercontinental and Hobby airports, to the international businesses with headquarters all across our state to the small businesses and entrepreneurs doing global business from our state.

Texas is a global economic powerhouse.

As governor, I will support trade agreements that help Texas farmers and ranchers, create more jobs in Texas and protect workers’ rights and our environment.

Together, I want us to make Texas the clean and renewable energy capital of the world. Achieving this goal will help create new jobs for Texans, reduce pollution all across our state and help improve the health of all Texans.

Texans have never feared the future. We have always worked hard and pulled together to make the present better for our families and children based on hope for a better future.

I believe in Texas and I believe in you-the people of this great state. With your vote and support, we can elect a new, and better governor — and I am that person.

Together, as one state and one people we will move forward to one future.

Again, I am ______, and to be the next governor of the great state of Texas, I need your prayers, your vote, and your financial support.

Thank you and as Bob Bullock always said, "God Bless Texas."