There’s been a lot of talk about the Texas democrat, but who is he? Well his name is Beto O’Rourke and he is running for Texas Senate against Ted Cruz and six other candidates. He is a democrat from El Paso who believes that “We should all have a chance to succeed.” Beto is not only the savior that we’ve all been waiting for in Senate, but he is also super cool outside of the campaign! From skateboarding in a Whataburger parking lot, to starting his own small technology company in El Paso, Beto isn’t afraid to show us his determination and likeability during his campaign. Here are a few things he believes in and wants to improve in Texas:
-
Abortion is a popular issue right now and as young women in the US, you will be happy to know that Beto is Pro-choice! He wants to ban anti-abortion limitations and provide access to legal abortions without restrictions.
-
Another topic that involves us directly is his stance on civil rights. He voted to reauthorize the violence against women act in 2013 and he is against wage discrimination based on gender. That means equal pay ladies!! Beto also supports the gay community in Texas where he enforced against anti-gay discrimination in public schools and let’s not forget his support for same sex marriage.
-
His stance on education states that he wants better sex education and to have more access to pre-school education. Both of which help students in the long run to get ahead by attending pre-school and learning more about sex so that students are aware of the possibilities and seriousness of having sex. He also believes that two years of community college should be free.
-
Immigration is also a huge topic in Texas which is why it’s important for your vote to go to someone who supports staying in the US to apply for citizenship and supports the DREAM act.
-
Beto’s goal is to raise the minimum wage. This means it will be easier for people who make minimum wage to support themselves.
These are just a couple of issues and of course I will add the link to his campaign website below. These are the topics I feel are most valued to voters and that will impact us as young women about to apply for jobs the most. But knowing the facts about candidates and who to vote for is just half of the intimidating system to vote. Some of you might be asking…Am I even registered to vote?… How do you register to vote?… When do we have to register by? Well the date to register by is October 9th and the election will be held November 6th. If you’re not sure you registered or want to register/change your voters registration the link is below. But the most important thing to remember is that YOU MUST VOTE IN THE PRECINCT WHICH YOU ARE REGISTERED. That means that it may not be San Antonio for some of you that moved from other places. It’s based off your address on your license so make sure you pay attention to where you can and can’t vote.
Other than that, explore! Find the candidate that speaks to you and what you believe in. It doesn’t have to be Beto or Cruz, maybe another candidate is to your liking, but don’t shy away from the polls! This is your part in our democracy, so take advantage and make a change in Texas. By the way, senate elections are based solely off popular vote so it really does count!
Beto will actually be at UTSA on Thursday October 4th. (That’s next Thursday) You can find more information and RSVP for the event here: https://act.betofortexas.com/event/action/20232?source=fb1809
Beto for Texas website: https://betofortexas.com/
Voting registration information: https://www.votetexas.gov/register-to-vote/
Whataburger skateboarding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwizfmPNrH8
Stance on taking a knee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGWmh-maevk