Thanks for the Memories

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your many years of support. As many of you already know, after 17 years in the Texas Legislature, my campaign for re-election for a 10th term as your State Representative came up short by just 111 votes. The last minute influx of pro-charter school money into my opponent’s campaign through the front group Education Reform Now—run by Wall Street hedge fund managers—was the silver bullet that ended my tenure of staunch support for our public schools and quality education for our children.

Every Session I spent as your Representative we made great strides towards equality and justice for the people of District 90 and Texas. Now more than ever, it is important that we keep a watchful eye on the Texas Legislature. Education Reform Now has a specific agenda—to help private companies make profit by redirecting public education dollars to charter schools. With so many billions of dollars at stake here…what they put into elections in Texas is chump change.

Because of the over $35,000 Education Reform Now poured into the campaign against me, my opponent will receive significant pressure to vote to undermine our public schools by redirecting the money towards charters.

But I am not finished and I will be spending the coming months holding Romero, Education Reform Now and other special economic interests accountable.

Please help me do this by making a contribution to my severely depleted political account so I can bird-dog and raise the alarm about those who see this time as an opportunity to dismantle our public education system.

Beyond that, rest assured that I do not intend to "go quietly into the night". I have ten months left as a state representative and I intend to use every bit of it. Even after I leave office, I will continue to fight for public education, healthcare for all, civil rights and environmental justice as a public citizen.

It has been my distinct honor to serve in the Texas House, even when the Texas House wasn't always honorable. Thanks for the memories, you'll be hearing from me again soon. You can count on it.