Here’s how the Texas Democratic Party works. And this year it’s firing on all cylinders.

In June, state party delegates elected Pat Hicks and Carolyn Salter as the Democratic voices for Texas House District 5. They get together with other “SDEC members” from across the state to report what’s important to real Texans, not oligarchs from the donor class.

They also help recruit and train candidates for office at ALL levels — from school board to city council to state House and Senate. If you have an interest in running for office and you live in Henderson, Kaufman, Wood, Upshur, Van Zandt or northeast Dallas County, your first stop is to contact Pat Hicks or Carolyn Salter. They want to help you put together a successful campaign, no matter which race you want to run for.

Kendall Scudder is the Texas Democratic Party chairman. He knows what it takes to win in a state as big as Texas. Scudder is an East Texas native, growing up in Bowie County. He graduated from Sulphur Springs High School. Growing up with two moms, he first became involved in politics in the early 2000s, knocking on doors against a campaign to label LGBTQ+ people as unfit to be parents. He went to Sam Houston State University in Huntsville. He was involved with the Texas College Democrats and earned a degree in political science. He later obtained a master's degree in political management from George Washington University. He is the first party chairman in more than a generation who’s recruited a Democratic candidate for every major seat on the ballot in 2026. He and his wife and child live in Dallas.

ABOUT CAROLYN: She attended Steven F. Austin State University and earned an MD from UT Southwestern Medical School at Dallas in 1981. She served as the mayor of Palestine, Texas from 2005 to 2009. She has worked as a physician, board-certified anesthesiologist, and chief operation officer of Sycamore Medical Clinic. She has served as secretary-treasurer for Historic Palestine, Inc.

ABOUT PAT: Pat grew up in Sherman, TX, attended Stephen F. Austin University and lives in Dallas with his family. He’s been a Democratic party activist for a generation, but especially since his wife and daughter work in public schools. Professionally, he runs his own remodeling supply business.