Houston Chronicle by Benjamin Wermund Jan. 22, 2021
Rep. Filemón Vela of South Texas sounds warning as he steps into Democratic leadership role
U.S. Rep. Filemón Vela sees his new leadership role in the Democrats’ national campaign arm as being “the voice of caution, reason and taking the middle ground†as the party seeks to hold power through the 2022 midterms and beyond.
The Brownsville Democrat, who on Thursday was elected vice chair of the Democratic National Committee through 2025, said Democrats have a lot of work to do in Texas — especially in areas of South Texas, including his own district, where he says the party’s messaging on energy and guns cost it ground in November.
In the final weeks of the election, the Texas GOP raised alarms about Joe Biden’s plan to phase out fossil fuels in a state where 162,000 people were directly employed in oil drilling and related services.
“Clearly, the DNC has work to do in Texas,†Vela said in an interview with Hearst Newspapers. “You can’t just tell people like that — we’re going to take your jobs away — and think they’re going to vote for you. If we’re serious about climate change and job creation, we have to be able to tell those individuals and those families, you know what, we’ve got alternatives.â€
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https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/Texas-Rep-Filem-n-Vela-sounds-warning-as-he-15890781.php
