AUSTIN (Nexstar) – State Rep. Celia Israel (D-Austin) was named last week to lead the Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee. It’s a political action committee designed to help Democrats win seats in the Texas House.
“We gained 12 seats last cycle and we want to protect those 12 seats,” Israel said during an interview for the State of Texas politics program. “And given the political energy that we’re all feeling, we want to capitalize and grow our numbers.”
There is a lot at stake in the 2020 election in the Texas House. The winners will play a major role in redistricting starting in 2021, when the state redraws voting boundaries.
“We’ve got 67 Democrats and we would like to get to 76 plus,” Israel said. “Then we can determine the makeup of the redistricting and the maps.”
Although her role is to help Democrats win in the Texas House, Israel says her vision goes beyond red versus blue.
“My passion is what are we going to do to encourage people to vote,” Israel said. “It doesn’t mean take out your opponent. It means promote good ideas. Promote good people who are willing to put their life on the shelf and run for office.”
“My goal is to get back to those times when you’re judged by the content of your bill, not by the letter that’s after your name,” Israel said. “And I feel strongly about that.”
