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NO VANITY PROJECTS:
MCCONAUGHEY WON'T RUN FOR GOVERNOR
| Beto Image: SAUL LOEB/AFP/GETTY; McConaughey Image: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images | |
For months, Texas actor Matthew McConaughey has teased a run for Governor. He's been talking about this since early this year, which intrigued many in the political class as well as Texas voters. With an incumbent as widely unpopular outside of his base as Greg Abbott is, a popular and widely-known celebrity like McConaughey is bound to get a lot of attention. Because he never hinted whether he'd run as a Republican or a Democratic candidate, many people who profess to be tired of polarized, partisan politics were interested in someone who's never been in the dirty and bruising world of politics. He even led Abbott in several polls placing him in a head-to-head with Abbott.
But in a Twitter video posted on November 28, McConaughey declared that while he was honored to be considered for "political leadership," that is "a path that I’m choosing not to take at this moment.”
McConaughey as a candidate for Governor never really made a lot of sense. He's never been involved in Texas or national politics to any extent; in recent interviews, he did not show that he understood or was even aware of some recent issues, including COVID vaccination mandates and the election suppression bill passed by the State Legislature earlier this year and signed by Abbott. It's not even clear that he's consistently voted over the years.
Overall, McConaughey's exit is a positive for Democratic plans to oust the deeply unpopular Abbott. Describing himself as "aggressively centrist," he would likely take more votes from a Democratic candidate such as Beto than from Abbott's far-right base. Celebrity-turned-politicians aren't always vanity projects; Ronald Reagan, of course, went from B-list actor to California Governor before becoming President, and Arnold Schwarzenegger also was elected California Governor - the last Republican to do so. But we are glad that Mr. McConaughey decided to remain where he's at - a popular, award-winning actor, rather than muddling the very important race for Governor of Texas.
Read More: Matthew McConaughey says he won’t run for Texas governor (Texas Tribune)
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OUR TOP VDRS & GETTING INVOLVED |  | |
The Voter Registration team would like to recognize our top Voter Deputy Registrars (VDR). These 6 dedicated VDRs have been hustling and the number of voters they registered in Collin County from January to November 2021 shows it:
- Brant Beland, registered 108
- Jeffrey Bradshaw, registered 97
- Suzanne Miller, registered 54
- Victoria Harris, registered 50
- Sharon Stark, registered 46
- Iroghama Omere, registered 35
Take the challenge! Let us know how many voters you register and win a prize! A good way to keep track of your numbers is to save your green receipts and count them.
Sign up for Voter Registration Events in Allen, Frisco, and Plano through January.
Have you heard of the Apartment Project? You can adopt an apartment complex and work with their manager to register voters in various ways, from leaving literature in the office, setting up a table at the complex periodically, knocking on apartment doors, or leaving literature at doors. Voters in apartments are often a little harder to reach, so the Apartment Project is a critical effort to register likely Democratic voters. Your help is needed. Will you adopt an apartment complex? You don't have to be a VDR to sign up. To help manage this project, city captains or co-captains are needed for the following cities/areas:
- Allen and Parker area
- Anna Melissa Princeton Farmersville area
- Dallas (Collin County)
- McKinney Fairview area
- Plano (need co-captains)
- Prosper/Celina area
- Richardson (Collin County)
- Wylie/Murphy/Sachse area
If you are interested and able to be involved in this project, please contact Jeremy Matthews.
VDR training and certification are scheduled by the Collin County Elections Department, which will be offering a large-group, in-person VDR training lab on Saturday, December 11, 2021, at 9 a.m. The Department also offers Virtual Training Labs.
You can contact the Elections office at (972) 547-1900 or by email at voterregistration@collincountytx.gov if you have any questions regarding the Election Department’s VDR training.
Yours in the fight!
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A HUDDLE WITH HANSEN
LAST CHANCE TO PURCHASE “A HUDDLE WITH HANSEN” SPONSORSHIPS AND TICKETS!
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The Collin County Democratic Party's first VIP event will be at The Star in Frisco Sunday, December 5, from 4 to 7 p.m. where we will hold "A Huddle With Hansen," a legendary evening of food, fun, and drinks at City Works, featuring DFW sports journalism legend Dale Hansen. Come swap stories with Dale and bid on our sports-themed silent auction.
There are three ways to attend this event:
Become a Monthly Active Donor at the Activist, Advocate, or Champion levels and receive complimentary tickets to all of our VIP events.
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Activist: $60/month
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Advocate: $120/month
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Champion: $240/month
We are also selling sponsorships for additional event benefits and have opened up sales for individual tickets! Space is limited, so get your ticket now!
If you would like to increase your existing active monthly donation to receive your complimentary ticket, email executivedirector@collindemocrats.org.
When: Sunday, December 5, 4 - 7 p.m.
Where: City Works at The Star, 3680 The Star Blvd #1300, Frisco
| THANK YOU to our sponsors for "A Huddle With Hansen!" | Power Play Sponsors: ($600): | |
Andrea Heston - Precinct 206 Chair and activist with a long record of volunteering with the CCDP. | |
Steven Lavine - Candidate Development Team Co-lead and former candidate, Plano City Council | |
Carol Donovan - Former Dallas County Democratic Party Chair and author of upcoming book on Vivian Castleberry | |
Extra Point Sponsor ($150): | |
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Sree Yadevalli: Precinct Chair Development Team Leader and Precinct 34 Chair
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SILENT AUCTION ITEMS
Here are some of the items that we'll have at the Silent Auction!
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Mavs Tickets!
Dallas Mavericks vs. Orlando Magic
1/15/22 (Saturday) @8:30pm
2 Tickets - Section 103 / Row R / Seats 15 & 16 (on the aisle across from Sec 104) ($220 value)
1 Parking - Blue / Lot E
Tickets & Parking transferred electronically to the buyer’s email address.
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Signed Johnny Manziel Jersey! Signed and authenticated Johnny Football Jersey from his time at Texas A&M.
Manziel broke numerous NCAA Division I FBS and SEC records at TAMU, which included becoming the first freshman and fifth player in NCAA history to pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a season. He won the Heisman Trophy as a freshman and the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award. Manziel let TAMU to a 41–13 victory over Oklahoma in the 2012 Cotton Bowl.
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CCDP PHONE BANKING - COME AND JOIN US! | |
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Collin Democrats - we are already working on winning seats in 2022. We've got a lot of work to do with the new district lines that have been drawn. Now is the time to take action — and Talk the Talk!
Phone Bank with us! Our phone bank campaign has call parties where we smile and dial together every Tuesday and Sunday via Zoom. Training is provided — so new dialers are WELCOME! We will be dialing volunteers to fill out our volunteer slots, then talking to our recently registered voters. Calls will be made from home with training, coaching, games, and encouragement provided on the Zoom call. Sign up below!
Tuesdays, 10 a.m. - Noon
Sundays, 1 - 3 p.m.
Would you like to be a phone bank co-captain?
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LOOKING FOR THE IDEAL GIFT
FOR THE DEM ON YOUR SHOPPING LIST?
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TRUE BLUE TEXANS: Show your True Blue colors as we launch into the 2022 election cycle!
Our brand new webstore is ready for your order!
Sport the CCDP logo and slogan on your hat, shirts, coffee mugs, yard signs, and stickers. All profits support the Coordinated Campaign for 2022 as we register and reach out to more Democrats to expand our base.
We are proud Democrats! Show your pride!
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This holiday season, the CCDP is asking Collin County Democrats to donate food items to Minnie's Food Pantry.
From single parents trying to feed their children to full-time workers who have been laid off, the face of hunger is changing daily. However, Minnie's Food Pantry remains a source of not only food but hope for all those they serve. They treat clients with dignity and respect as they receive healthy meals, fresh meats, and fresh produce to prepare meals at their homes for their families. Learn more about Minnie's here.
Please rally around Minnie's Food Pantry and support those in need this holiday season. Democrats care about our community!
To make it easy to donate, Minnie's has a wish list on Amazon.
If you order items from Amazon, they will be delivered to our drive coordinator, who will deliver them to Minnie's. If you prefer to donate items directly, please drop them off at either of these two locations (private homes):
3720 Stockport Dr, Plano
2101 Whitney Ln, McKinney
The food drive runs through Saturday, December 18th. Please drop off items by 6 p.m. on the 18th!
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State Board of Education: If you think this board is non-partisan and has the best interests of our children in mind, think again! When debating the not-insignificant topic of health, the board approved one set of health materials for middle and high schools but only after the publisher agreed to remove content on gender fluidity and prioritize abstinence over contraception. It’s possible certain board members were swayed by a vast majority of the 50-plus public speakers furious that their precious darlings might learn in school about topics like gender identity, abortion, masturbation, and sexual arousal (once again, Democrats did not show up). It’s not like teens won’t learn about these topics at all; they’ll just get information from their peers and the internet. What could go wrong?...
(Read More)
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Collin College Board of Trustees: It keeps getting worse for Collin College. Another employee is suing the college, this time for retaliation and discrimination on the basis of race and disability. Keith Otto claims his supervisor created a hostile work environment leading to his wrongful termination. Racial disparities do seem to be a problem for the college as an Asian female administrator accused a provost of race-based discrimination and a black female professor resigned earlier this year, alleging years of racial harassment. All this is in addition to the two lawsuits filed earlier in the year by professors alleging free speech violations. If they keep this up, they may run out of qualified professors and employees. Then how will they adhere to their Students First policy?
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Plano ISD Board of Trustees: It sounds like the board will be forming a citizen’s committee to re-establish its governance priorities. Each board member will likely be submitting a few names for the committee, so if you or anyone you know wants to serve on that committee, now would be the time to reach out to trustees.
| LWAN: If you enjoy reading these columns, please join LWAN (men welcome). I can’t write these columns without a lot of help! If we want true change, we must know what’s going on. That means monitoring every city council and school board in Collin County. This is something anyone can do and it’s interesting work. Please contact me and let me know if you’re interested. | |
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KELLY KARTHIK MEET & GREET
CANDIDATE FOR FRISCO ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES
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Come out and meet candidate for Frisco ISD Board of Trustees Kelly Karthik!
Kelly is:
- A Leader in the Frisco ISD Community
- An Advocate for Our Children and Families
- A Defender of Unity and Fairness
- Champion of Local and County Governments Collaborating to Solve Problems
When: Sunday, December 5, 2 p.m.
Where: Karmic Grounds on Main, 7227 Main St, Suite 600, Frisco
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MCKINNEY PARADE OF LIGHTS | |
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We're inviting ALL local Democrats and their families to walk with us in the McKinney Parade of Lights. This well-attended event is the perfect opportunity to show Collin County that we're community partners and we're proud to be Democrats!
Many thanks to an amazing decorating team (Stacey, Leah, Jeff, MJ, Vanessa, Celso, Cindy, Craig, Karen). Look for the big BLUE (of course!) truck with a big evergreen tree, and get ready to smile, wave, and dance to a great soundtrack. Bring your kiddos! The MORE … the merrier!
Please RSVP below so we have some idea of how many marchers we'll have!
#SantaAndDemocratsDeliver
When: Saturday, December 11, 6 p.m.
Where: Historic Downtown McKinney, Parking Lot Near Tennessee & Lamar Streets, McKinney
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LT. GOV. CANDIDATE MATTHEW DOWD TO VISIT
COLLIN COUNTY
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We’re looking forward to meeting our local candidates AND hearing from Matthew Dowd, candidate for Lt. Gov. Hear firsthand from Mr. Dowd why he believes he’s the best candidate to beat current Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick ... and get ready to ask your questions!
ALL Collin County Democrats are welcome to attend this event sponsored by our local Democratic Clubs.
Special Thanks to McKinney Dems for taking the lead on organizing this county-wide event!
When: Tuesday, December 14, 7 - 8:30 p.m.
Where: Tupp's Brewery, 721 Anderson St., McKinney
| | FOR MADC MEMBERS OR PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS: Prior to the Speaker Event, at 6:30 pm, McKinney Area Democratic Club paid members will meet to approve the slate of candidates for the 2022 Board of Directors. If you’d like to be considered for a spot on the Board, we WILL be accepting nominations from the floor. Please come meet next year’s Club leadership. If you haven’t yet joined for 2022 but you’d like to be able to vote, please click the button below to join or renew: | |
RO OMERE’S CAMPAIGN LAUNCH CELEBRATION | |
Join Ro Omere as she kicks off her campaign for Texas Congressional District 4! All Collin County Residents are invited to attend her Campaign Launch Celebration on Dec. 16. Meet Ro and other candidates running for office in Collin County.
Please RSVP below.
When: Thursday, December 16, 6 p.m.
Where: Common Desk, 5830 Granite Pkwy. STE. 100, Plano
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MICHIGAN GOVERNOR GRETCHEN WHITMER
TO VISIT NORTH TEXAS
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Annie's List is hosting Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer on December 10 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas and we couldn't be more thrilled to welcome her to the Lone Star State.
Annie's List recruits, trains, and elects progressive women to the Texas Legislature. We are the most effective organization in Texas politics. With all the dangerous legislation enacted this year, one thing is certain --- we would not be in this position if more progressive women were elected to office. We invite you to help Annie's List raise the resources to protect incumbents during this next upcoming election cycle (only 1 year away!) and train more women to run for office.
Sponsorships begin at $1,250 for a half table of 4. Individual tickets are $250 and virtual tickets at $100. You can review all sponsorship opportunities and our Event Committee on the event page.
We hope you can participate! Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions. We're looking forward to welcoming Governor Whitmer — a Governor from whom ours could learn many things! — to Texas.
When: Friday, December 10, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Where: The Hilton Anatole, 2201 N Stemmons Fwy, Dallas
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The CCDP office at 1915 Central Expy #150 in Plano will reopen in December on a limited basis – more details to come!
In the meantime, our office staff are working from home and available by telephone at 972-578-1483 or the web at collindemocrats.org.
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Collin County Democratic Party (CCDP) | 972-578-1483 | www.collindemocrats.org © 2021
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