On Monday, Second gentleman Doug Emhoff rallied in San Antonio, Texas, in a bid to reinvigorate the Texas Democratic Party ahead of the November elections.
Fielding optimism and enthusiasm, Emhoff addressed a crowded gymnasium, all the while curbing the anticipation of Texas flipping blue, erstwhile a staunch Republican state. “I am really excited about Texas, are you?” queried Emhoff as he called for sustained enthusiasm in the lead-up to the elections.
The Freedom to Vote Rally
The “Freedom to Vote Rally”, as it was known, launched a two-day Texas campaign visit for Emhoff which next stops in Austin and ends with a lavish Houston reception on Tuesday evening. Emhoff’s party for the rally included well-known figures amongst the Texas Democratic Party ranks and other political dignitaries. He was accompanied by San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa, U.S. Rep. Greg Casar of Austin, and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio, alongside his twin brother and former mayor of the city.
Cast of Speakers and Hopes for Texas
These speakers, both high-ranking and lesser-known, set to highlight the state’s role in the coming elections while maintaining that Texans have a fair shot at wresting the state from deep-rooted GOP control.
“Texas is in play,” Casar said. “And if you need proof of that, we’ve got second gentleman Douglas Emhoff here.” Nonetheless, while ascribing great importance to Texas, Emhoff refrained from predicting a Democratic triumph in the state. He instead suggested the possibility of U.S. Rep. Colin Allred of Dallas upsetting the position of Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.
Emhoff’s spirited and informal address was laden with topics of significance that have shaped Harris’s campaign. He chastised former GOP Presidential nominee Donald Trump for the rollback of a half-century of federally protected abortion rights, citing the conservative majority’s annulment of the landmark 1973 ruling, Roe v. Wade. The-right to abortion rulings were reversed following the appointment of the three justices by Trump who rendered a conservative majority that overturned the precedent set in 1972.
Incumbency and Elections
Emhoff also remembered the infamous Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, exhorting the crowd not to forget the skirmish. “We cannot forget that happened,” he said. The rally, ably orchestrated by the Texas Democratic Party, reverberated with a campaign catchphrase of Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz: “We are not going back.”
Castro, in a touching account, recounted his brush with cancer, illustrating the punitive cost of medical care and treatment. “There was this injection I have to get. And the price of that drug is $24,000 per injection.” he revealed.
Rousing Sendoff and Continuation of the Campaign Trail
The rally concluded with Emhoff continuing to bolster his spouse as a “joyful warrior” and gush about her confrontational stance in the recent debate with Trump. “”He couldn’t even look at her,” Emhoff said. “He could not even look at her one time; watch the tape. But she had no such problem with him.”
Whether Texas indeed comes up for grabs in November remains to be seen. However, the sentiment echoed by Hinojosa at the rally suggests that the competition remains fierce. “We are only 5 points down,” Hinojosa proclaimed amongst the cheering crowd.
Ahead of his arrival in San Antonio, Emhoff campaigned in Pennsylvania and will continue his crusade after leaving San Antonio by visiting Austin on Tuesday and then flying to Houston for another reception that evening.
