Ep. 38: From Political Rivals to Friends (Rep. Cassandra Hernandez)

Kate's primary rival turned good friend joins the podcast. State Rep. Cassandra Garcia Hernandez (HD-115) beat Kate in the March 2024 Democratic primary, and this episode is the full story of that race, how they built a real friendship out of it, and what it means heading into the general election season. With Texas Democrats gathering in Corpus Christi this week for the state convention, this conversation is a reminder of what it looks like when Democrats come together after a hard primary to fight for the bigger goal: flipping the state.Plus: Alex is about to become board president of a 75-year-old Dallas preschool, Cassandra's district office officially opens this month, and Kate makes summer plans. We discuss: How Cassandra went from losing her first race to becoming a state rep — and the piece of advice from a sitting appellate justice that changed how she handled the loss The "olive branch" pact she and Kate made before the primary even started — and what it actually looked like behind the scenes Inside the quorum break: what it was like meeting governors in New York and organizers in Chicago, and why she says "Texas Democrats have fight — we just need help" The DLCC's new push to target 12 Texas House seats, and why Cassandra says the resources need to come "yesterday" Why the GOP's mid-decade redistricting fight is now baked into every future legislative session Her block-walking philosophy: why door-knocking beats everything else, and how her team is using off-cycle elections to build long-term voter relationships The honor of serving alongside state-wide candidates Vikki Goodwin, James Talarico, Gina Hinojosa, and Jon Rosenthal — and what she learned watching them fight up closeFollow Cassandra: @CasForTX | cassandrafortexas.comLove what we're doing? Become a member at patreon.com/missiontexaspodcast — just a few dollars a month keeps independent Texas media alive. And if you can't spare the cash, a five-star review goes just as far. God bless Texas. 🤠