Sheri Soltes is a nonprofit CEO in Austin, Texas, and she's running for Travis County Commissioner, Precinct 3, covering parts of Austin, Lakeway, Lago Vista, and other parts of this Central Texas county.  She talks about why this race matters to her, as well as the work it takes to win a local Texas election.  Her campaign site is: SheriForTexas.com

Megaphone Texas

How do you win a local Texas election? A talk with Sheri Soltes, candidate for Travis County Commissioner

Dr. Terri LeClercq advocates for prisoners' civil rights.  Her past career as an English teacher at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law informs her current activism, along with a past arrest.

How I Became a Prison Activist - Terri in Austin

"Write to the people who piss you off.  You don't have to just be angry all the time."  Ellen is a retired reporter in Austin who wants to change the current government administration in power.  She wants people to get motivated to act on their values instead of waiting for others.

Be the Change You Want to See - Ellen in Austin

Larry is a self-described activist with a background as a software developer.  Now retired, today he is active in political causes largely to feel better about his own mental health. He knocks on doors, talks to his Congressional representatives with personal stories, talks to his neighbors, travels to Washington DC, and develops relationships.  Here he gives his practical thoughts on Senators Cornyn and Cruz and Representative Williams in the 25th District in Texas.

I Talk to My Texas Representatives - Larry in Austin

Stephanie started standing up for what she believed in, through protest, when she was young.  Today, she continues pushing for social and political causes around Texas as an activist.  Some of her causes include reproductive rights, anti-racism, prison reform, environmentalism, and human rights.

Why I'm an Activist - Stephanie in Austin

75-year-old Bobbie in Austin is a very politically involved cartoonist and educator.  She advocates for many goals close to her, through art, rallies, postcarding, and voter registration.  She talks about why she does all this. 

Impeachment, Environment, Humor, and Hope - Bobbie from Austin

Reverend Chuck Freeman of Williamson County works with the Justice Ministry for Unitarian Universalist congregations in Texas. He is very focused on organizing people to do good and fight against dangers from those in power. 

Organize, Mobilize, and Strategize Truth - Reverend Chuck in Williamson County

Retired lawyer Lorri in Austin volunteers to help immigration organizations and asylum seekers in Central Texas.  Lorri objects to how ICE and for-profit detention centers treat asylum seekers as criminals, and she pushes for case management systems instead.  She describes the hurdles asylum seekers face here to have their legal cases heard.

Immigration Case Management Instead of Detention - Lorri in Austin

Marina is a nurse from Austin and the Rio Grande Valley who deeply opposes the detention centers for children crossing the Texas-Mexico border.  She describes traveling to various centers around Texas to protest and provide aid, as well as describing the needs of the people detained at the border.

Opposing Children's Detention Centers - Marina from the Rio Grande Valley

Recent violence in El Paso made Ana in Austin reflect on immigrants in America.  She talks about what she has learned living and working at the border for decades. Her opinions also were published in the El Paso Times on August 31, 2019: "This land is our land, a changing tapestry of people"

The American Tapestry of Immigrants - Ana in Austin

Lisa from San Antonio and Austin describes how she has been involved in politics since she was a kid, and how she is especially involved now.  She gives advice on how anyone can take political action.

How to Take Action in Politics - Lisa in Austin

Jan from Bastrop in Central Texas is hugely concerned about the way the USA is handling several issues at the border with Mexico.

On the Border - Jan from Bastrop

Michelle from Bastrop County discusses increasing political participation among rural Texans.  She wants better government representatives who meet with constituents, improved hospital and healthcare infrastructure for her neighbors, and funding for public education.

Needs of Rural Texans - Michelle in Bastrop County

Lisa from Austin describes postcard activism projects in Texas and around the country.  She explains how postcards can help get out the vote and inform people about political issues, while being a little therapeutic for writers, too.

Postcard Activism in Texas - Lisa in Austin

Vanessa from Austin, Texas, talks about why she wants the detention centers at the border to be closed. She describes what she saw in the children's detention center in Tornillo, Texas, and what she would say to her neighbors and representatives about them.

On the Detention Centers at the Border - Vanessa in Austin

Real voices. Real politics. Real Texas. Opinions from Texans on progressive issues.

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Megaphone Texas

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