Texas Democrats Reelect Hinojosa as Leader but Are Left With No Platform

Texas Democrats Reelect Hinojosa as Leader but Are Left With No Platform
Texas Democratic Party chairman Gilberto Hinojosa speaks at a rally at the state Capitol on June 20, 2021, in Austin, Texas. Sergio Flores/Getty Images
Darlene McCormick Sanchez
Updated:
0:00

Texas Democrats spent much of their final 2022 convention day electing a chairman, but they failed to adopt a party platform, prompting criticism from both sides of the political aisle.

The Democrats, who broadcasted the convention on their website, adjourned in the afternoon of July 16 when it became clear that a quorum couldn’t be reached after many people left following the vote for chairman.

Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa won reelection against Kim Olson, a former statewide and congressional candidate, and Carroll Robinson, chairman of the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats.

Democrats took to the party’s Twitter and Facebook feeds to voice their consternation with the chairmanship election and lack of a platform.

“This is what happens when people don’t commit to doing the work. They show up, vote for party officers, and leave. By the time resolutions committee finished, there wasn’t a quorum on the floor,” one Democratic supporter wrote on Twitter.

Hinojosa’s bid for another term as chairman was met with opposition from two candidates for the leadership spot he has held since 2012.

Some Democrats expressed disappointment in the party’s statewide performance during the 2020 election and called for new leadership. Ultimately, Hinojosa received enough votes for reelection after Robinson withdrew.

Ike Hajinazarian, deputy communication director for the Texas Democratic Party, didn’t respond to a request from The Epoch Times for comment regarding details on when the platform will be announced and how it will be developed.

During the party’s convention, Democrats attacked Texas Republicans on abortion, gun ownership, and election security. The convention also doubled as a fundraiser for Democrats running in the state, including Beto O'Rourke, who’s trying to unseat incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican.

After the Republican state convention in June, Hinojosa rebuked them for rejecting Joe Biden as a legitimately elected president, saying Republicans “live in a parallel universe full of conspiracy-fueled hate.”

Texas Republicans engaged in tit-for-tat rebuttal on July 18, accusing the Democrats of extremism.

In a statement, Texas Republican Chairman Matt Rinaldi labeled local Democrats as a fringe party “who can’t even run a meeting, let alone a state.”

“The Texas Democrat platform will now be written behind closed doors by party bosses,” Rinaldi said. “The Republican Party of Texas is proud to be a grassroots-led party with a platform drafted by the more than 5,000 delegates in attendance at our convention, which is still the largest political gathering in the country.”

Rinaldi was re-elected as Texas Republican chairman in June at the Republican Convention, where he ran unopposed.

Darlene McCormick Sanchez
Darlene McCormick Sanchez
Reporter
Darlene McCormick Sanchez is an Epoch Times reporter who covers border security and immigration, election integrity, and Texas politics. Ms. McCormick Sanchez has 20 years of experience in media and has worked for outlets including Waco Tribune Herald, Tampa Tribune, and Waterbury Republican-American.
Related Topics