Welcome to Organizer’s Corner — a (free) newsletter from your friends at Get Pod Local! Because we can help you stay inform — but then what?
Enter in your weekly Call To Actions (CTA!) from our Resident Precinct Chair, Joey Cade!
This newsletter is free, but if you’d like, please buy us some coffee! xoxo
During My Childhood…
America felt like a place of possibility. A country that believed in big ideas. A place that understood itself as unfinished — growing, changing, becoming more diverse, more just, more innovative. The “maverick” mindset was part of our lore about ourselves. We elected the extremely damaging Ronald Reagan espousing ideas like this. We believed that as mavericks, we led the world not because we were perfect, but because we were willing to try.
Read: Is Gen X Actually the Greatest Generation?
Somewhere Along The Way, We Stopped Dreaming Big.
We were told the country was too divided. That bold ideas were impossible. That the Constitution was untouchable. That structural change was naïve. And after decades of gridlock, corruption, and bad-faith politics, it’s easy to believe that story. Our government struggles to deliver even the most basic protections. We can’t pass gun safety laws supported by 90% of Americans. We allow children to be slaughtered in schools. Politics feels broken because, in many ways, it is.
But Here’s The Truth We’re Forgetting:
America used to do big things.
And Texas Democrats used to lead them.
As Kendall Scudder (TX Dem Party Chair) reminded us recently, Texas Democrats once dominated politics — and they delivered real results for working people. Civil rights. Labor protections. Public education. Infrastructure. Big, bold, values-driven governance. We didn’t win by playing small or apologizing for our values. We won because we organized, we believed, and we fought like hell.
And because we’ve done it before, we know we can do it again.
So let’s use the final weeks of 2025 to get our minds right for 2026.
The Midterms Are Coming.
And yes — we can flip the U.S. House and Senate to serve as a firewall against authoritarianism. Yes — we can flip seats in Texas, just like we did in 2018. But we only win if we stop shrinking our vision and start organizing for the country we actually want.
We Start With The Party Primaries:
The Primary Election in Texas is EVERYTHING.
The primary is where power is decided. If we put the right Democrats on the ballot in November, we can win Texas races. That means getting informed, getting involved, and making sure the strongest, most values-aligned candidates come out of the primary.1
Read: Who’s running in Texas’ most intriguing statewide primaries
Read: How to Stop Trump’s Plan to Steal the 2026 Elections
Over The Next Two Weeks, Before The New Year Ramps Up:
Hydrate. Stretch. Rest. Laugh.
Spend time with people who refill your cup.
Reboot your algorithms — we’re all stuck in echo chambers. Clear space for new voices.
Decide which sources you trust to keep you informed and taking action through 2026.
Start researching primary candidates and where they stand on the issues.
Dallas Democrats provided the links to both the County filings and the Texas filings.2
Pay attention to candidate forums and voter guides as they begin rolling out in January.
In Texas, the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas, our largest and oldest Dem LGBTQIA+ club in the state, do a phenomenal job of deeply exploring primary candidates with their forum events that take place the 1st and 2nd weekends in January; put Jan 3, 4, 10, and 11 on your calendar - you can watch the live streams, even if you can’t attend
And come to the zoom statewide candidate event I’m helping plan on Jan 13th
We need every single one of us to be part of engaging voters this year. We will each activate our friends, our families, our coworkers, our neighbors.
That’s how we win primaries.
That’s how we win midterms in November.
And Remember: The Primary Is When You Vote With Your Heart. ❤️
Vote for the candidate who most aligns with your values and can win in November.
And Fellow White Women — We Need To Talk.
Our privilege gives us blind spots. Full stop. If we want to win — and if we truly want justice — we have to choose to listen to those who have been carrying the heaviest load the longest.
Melanated women — especially Black women — have the clarity, experience, and courage to lead us out of this hell. Our job is not to second-guess them. It’s to back them up, fight for their leadership, and shut down racist nonsense whenever and everywhere we hear it.
You don’t have to vote for Rep. Jasmine Crockett. But you do have to defend the legitimacy of her candidacy. We all do. Or we are just holding up the racism and sexism to keep ourselves safe.
When someone says “a Black woman can’t win in Texas because Texas is racist,” we need to answer plainly: WE. ARE. TEXAS.
Texas is not a weather pattern. It’s not destiny. It’s not immutable.
It’s people. And we decide what Texas will become next.
If every woman and every Black voter in Texas shows up and votes for a Black woman, a Black Woman will be elected. That is unbeatable math. The only thing standing in the way is whether we organize like we believe it.
So no, you don’t have to vote for Jasmine.
But you do have to reject the lazy, racist defeatism that says her race is “unwinnable.”
You do have to defend the legitimacy of Black women’s leadership.
You do have to fight for a political culture where Black women - and all marginalized people - are respected, protected, and taken seriously as leaders — not treated as risks.
Because here’s the truth:
Black women have been saving democracy for years.
White women deciding to fully show up — consistently, loudly, and without hedging — is how we change the trajectory of this state.
So let’s dream big again.
You’ve got a couple of weeks before the primary season truly kicks off. Use them well. Rest. Refill. Get curious. Get grounded. Then roll into 2026 with your sleeves rolled up, boots laced, and ready to work.
We can flip seats.
We can block authoritarianism.
We can rebuild a government that actually serves the people.
But only if we choose to believe it’s possible — and then organize like hell to make it real.
Dream big, y’all.
Get inspired.
Get ready.
We’ve got a country to take back.
Hugs and high fives,
Joey
Organizer’s Corner is a Newsletter brought to you by our very own, Joey Cade. Lots of folks have ideas of what can help / what you should do — and while no one has all the answers, we (specifically Joey) do have some. Okay, a lot. Joey is not just a co-host of Get Pod Local …she’s also the Precinct Chair for Dallas’ Precinct 1052.
We’re Also On Youtube!
Other GPL Goodies
Get Pod Local The Podcast: Season 2 with Jalon and Joey
Joey and Jalon sit down with Politicians, Community Leaders, and movers and shakers making a difference. And almost every episode, the Dallas Mayor catches a stray. He deserves it. It’s fine. Episodes drop every Tuesday! Coming Soon!
GPL Presents: New Newsletter with Jalon Nichols
Every Friday, Jalon catches you up on what is going on out here, who is doing it, how does that impact your everyday life, and what everyone is saying about. We are based in Texas, so we have a lot of Texas news, but we cover the whole wide world. There is a LOT of stuff going on everyday, and no one can keep up with it all, but we attempt to….for you. (Clap for us).
GPL Presents: Organizers Corner w/ Joey Cade
Every Sunday night, Joey Cade, our Resident Precinct Chair, lays out our Call To Actions for the week. Because knowing what’s going on is one thing. But doing something about it is another. Let’s do both!
GPL Presents: Water Cooler with Jalon and Joey
Every morning, Jalon D’na and Joey Cade check in and talk about something we read or saw on slack. Videos drop every Thursday!
GPL Presents: Daily Briefs with Jalon Nichols
Everyday, Jalon reads you the headlines of the day — just to keep you in the know. Think NPR at the top of each hour, with a lot of shade some jokes.
As we know, with all the gerrymandering going on, these next elections are going to be insane and huge next year.
AND you already know we’ll also have you covered on this next year!