Texas Voters Poised to Gain a Greater Voice in Presidential Nominations
Senate Vote for Earlier Primary Election Benefits All Voters
Below is a statement from Texas Democratic Party Chair Boyd Richie regarding the Texas Senate's approval of HB 2017. Once signed into law by Governor Perry, this legislation would move the 2008 presidential primary election from March 4th to February 5th:
"With the Senate's approval of an earlier primary election date, Texas voters are now poised to have a real impact on the presidential nominating process of both political parties. Efforts to reschedule Texas' primary have received widespread bipartisan support in the State Senate and House, as well as the strong endorsement of both the Democratic and Republican Parties in Texas. I now call on Governor Perry to quickly sign this bill into law and allow Texas to take its place at the presidential nomination table.
As the second most populous state, Texas is home to a large number of delegates for each party's national convention. But with a number of other large states moving toward an earlier primary, both the Democratic and Republican nominees for President could potentially be decided before Texas voters have a chance to weigh in. An earlier primary will help ensure presidential candidates work to address the concerns of our state, energize Texas voters and boost election turnout.
Giving Texas voters a greater role in the national political process is not a partisan goal. I applaud the Senate for acting in the best interest of all Texans and voting in favor of an earlier primary, and I thank Senator Royce West for his diligent effort to advance this issue in the State Senate.
###
Action Center
With the TDP's new organizing tools, you can make your own TDP homepage, write letters to the editor, find an event near you, join a Democratic group, or create one of your own.
