205. Texas Democratic Party Chairman Kendall Scudder on Why Texas State Politics and Redistricting Should Matter to the Whole Country

In this episode, host Angela Reddock-Wright talks with Kendall Scudder, Chair of the Texas Democratic Party, about why Texas state politics and redistricting are central to the nation’s future—even for listeners far outside the Lone Star State. Scudder traces Texas’s history as a former Democratic stronghold that powered some of America’s biggest progressive accomplishments—from the New Deal and Great Society to putting a man on the moon and producing the last balanced federal budget—and explains how losing Texas meant losing the party’s “steel backbone.” He walks through the state’s current political landscape: Texas ranking 47th in voter turnout, the enormous number of non-voters who could swing elections, and the high-stakes redistricting fights that pushed Texas legislators to break quorum in 2025 to block extreme maps.Key Topics Covered: Kendall Scudder’s path to chairing the Texas Democratic Party and raising a young family in a deeply political environment.Texas’s historical role as the backbone of major progressive achievements: the New Deal, Great Society, the U.S. space program, and a balanced federal budget.How Texas shifted from Democratic stronghold to Republican-controlled—and what that loss meant for the national party’s willingness to “stand up and fight for big, bold things.”Current state of Texas politics: 47th in voter turnout, a massive pool of non-voters, and why “didn’t vote” would win if it were a candidate.Why Texas is now the second-biggest contributor of Democratic votes after California and how its many congressional seats shape national outcomes. 🔗 Connect with Angela: InstagramFacebookLinkedInVisit Angela's Website