Ground Game Texas, a group that has pushed for progressive policies in cities across the state, is working to make it easier for McAllen residents to change local laws.
Karen Salazar, center, campaign manager for Ground Game Texas, and field organizers Elena Pacheco, left, and Jimena Rodriguez in a McAllen neighborhood on May 23, 2024. They were gathering signatures for a petition to amend the city charter to limit campaign contributions.— a weekly dispatch about the people, places and policies defining Texas, produced by Texas Tribune journalists living in communities across the state.
As the campaign manager for the group’s McAllen campaign, Salazar and her team of nine field organizers have been trying to collect enough signatures from voters for a petition that, if successful, would place a proposal to change the city charter — creating more opportunities for voters to change local policy — before voters in the November election.
Mike Hernandez signs a petition to amend the city charter to place a limit on campaign contributions in McAllen on May 23, 2024. Karen Salazar, campaign manager for Ground Game Texas, block walked with field organizers to get signatures for the petition.The additional votes they are seeking are meant to provide a cushion, Salazar said.
The challenge at these events, though, has been finding people who actually live in McAllen since the city –– the largest in Hidalgo County –– draws people to its restaurants, retail stores and entertainment from all over the Rio Grande Valley.As door-knocking that week in May demonstrated, finding registered voters at residences is difficult since the people who answer their doors are often not registered to vote.
Seeing her interest, Salazar introduced herself as she walked up the woman's driveway. She explained to the woman, 79-year-old Laura Garcia, why they were gathering signatures. Garcia agreed politicians received too much money, but she was skeptical Ground Game would succeed.She wished them luck without signing the petition and said she'd ask her son to take her to vote.
Ground Game has had some success in advancing progressive social policies through campaigns like the one in McAllen.In Hidalgo County, they successfully pushed for resolutions in the cities of Edinburg and Alton that raised the minimum wage for city employees to $15 an hour. About 81% said they were either strongly or likely in favor of limits on campaign contributions, while approximately 73% said they were either strongly or likely in favor of ballot initiative powers.City officials don’t see the need and strongly take issue with the insinuation that corruption exists in the city.
Villalobos argued political contributions were a free speech right under the First Amendment and said the city’s process for procuring vendors and contractors left little opportunity for officials to approve contracts in exchange for contributions. Aside from those perceived protections within the process, City Commissioner Victor “Seby” Haddad rejected the premise that the commissioners are more likely to listen to people or entities that contribute to their campaigns.
Velez especially highlighted the initiative and referendum powers as having the greatest potential to open up the political process for residents at the local level.
Elections Politics Mcallen South Texas Rio Grande Valley 2024 Elections Texas Legislature
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