We are not building businesses in normal times. If you live in the United States of America, right now is the time to be aware of what is happening and have conversations about it. 

On today’s episode, I speak with Texas State Representative Linda Garcia about the critical issues surrounding gerrymandering, the current political climate in Texas, and the importance of community engagement in the democratic process. We discuss the implications of redistricting, the role of the President in state politics, and the strategic moves made by Democrats to break quorum in order to protect their constituents’ rights. Linda emphasizes the need for active participation in politics and the power of individual votes, urging listeners to mobilize and support their communities.

To learn more about Rep. Linda Garcia and/or support her work, please visit: https://www.lindafortexas.com/

Follow Rep. Linda Garcia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/linda4texas

---

Learn more about Show Up Real, my Content Marketing Group Program.

Want to work with Cat 1:1? Apply here.

Follow @catdelcarmen and @showuprealpodcast on Instagram.

Learn more at catdelcarmen.com.

Summary Transcript:

I should have said the right way with the representative. I didn’t even pull it up. No, no, no, none of that. I was telling my husband about you. I was like, tomorrow I’m talking about gerrymandering. I don’t even know if I’m saying it right. And he’s like, that’s amazing. And I was like, she also has a book, and she also is a life coach, and she also has all these other things. Anyways, I am so excited to have you here. These conversations, I think, amongst people like us in our communities need to be had so much. For me and my community and my family and my friends, a lot of people don’t really understand what’s going on with a lot of things. But specifically today, you being an actual state representative of Texas, I have a lot of questions for you. And my goal is for people to listen to this and really understand the gravity of what’s happening and why these decisions are being made and why you are making these decisions and Democrats and all of the things. So let’s start from a wide view. First: how are you doing? Are you okay? Are you safe?

I am safe and back at home. Thank you so much for asking. And if I may, I just want to start off by saying thank you so much for opening up your platform. I have had my team reach out to collective platforms that all of us resonate with in different spaces and not political spaces. It means so much to me for you to open up your home to me so that I can speak to your listeners. I know that these are sacred spaces and I know that we’re taught so many times to not have these types of conversations, but we’ve already talked about money, we might as well talk about politics.

Exactly. You already took us there years ago. I’m excited. Thank you so much. It’s so funny, I just came back this weekend, Saturday. I had my 20-year high school reunion and I went ready to talk politics with a couple specific people. I’m from California, from the Bay, so everyone’s pretty similar. I care a lot about people as you do, and I’m just really excited to have this conversation because I try to stay on top of things a little bit, but as soon as I read and Google and do a little bit of research, I leave it at that. I think a lot of people could relate to this. I have the desire to talk about it more on socials, but when you’re not an expert, it feels a little inauthentic. So thank you so much for being here. Let’s talk politics. From a voting perspective, what is actually happening? People might be hearing terms they aren’t familiar with — redistricting, gerrymandering, quorum. Even for a decently smart educated woman, I can’t explain it right. Can you tell us what’s happening in Texas that made the Democrats leave?

We are in a very strange space and time. There are things being done that have never been done before. One of the things happening in Texas is that Trump is inserting himself in state politics. That is not normal. Presidents govern on a federal level; states govern themselves. You do not have presidents intermingling in state politics. Most recently in Texas, he has called for five congressional seats. He wants the state to change the maps so those seats can turn Republican. These seats are currently represented by mostly Black and Brown folks. So he is calling for the removal of those Congress members and asking for them to be replaced with Republicans. Straight up. With no hiding it. He literally said, “I need you to give me five congressional Republican seats.” This is not Democrats versus Republicans. This is racism hiding under the guise of the Republican Party. And the only way to deliver five Republican seats is by redrawing the maps to cut out Black and Brown voices. Under the Constitution, you can only redistrict every 10 years after a census. We are not due until 2030. Calling for mid-decade redistricting is unconstitutional. Yet our governor has agreed.

This is crazy. Did he call for this publicly?

Yes, straight up. And I want to be clear: this isn’t about party politics. It’s unconstitutional. The only way to make those districts Republican is to gerrymander — redraw them so that communities of colour are diluted.

So what exactly is gerrymandering?

Gerrymandering means redrawing a district with precision so that voters of colour are diluted and outnumbered by Republican-leaning voters. We already live under racial gerrymandering in Texas — our current maps are already in litigation. But now they want to make it worse. For example, I live in Dallas County. It’s a big city, majority Black and Brown. But the new maps would combine Dallas families with rural counties all the way up near Oklahoma. Rural communities live very differently — jobs, income, culture. Yet they would decide who represents Dallas. That’s gerrymandering. Imagine a pizza slice: the tiny tip is the city, the huge base is rural areas. The rural population outweighs the city, so they control representation.

That’s wild. Okay, let’s talk about quorum. Why did Democrats leave?

In the Constitution, for laws to be passed, you need a quorum — a minimum number of representatives present. If the minority believes a bill will cause massive damage, there is a tool called a quorum break. It’s like a nuclear option. Lincoln once jumped out a window to avoid quorum. So we broke quorum — we left the state to prevent the maps from being voted on, and to raise national awareness. It’s legal. It’s democracy. By leaving, we stopped the session and rang the alarm nationally.

Got it. So it’s like a strike — legal but disruptive — to draw attention and stop something harmful.

Exactly. It’s like a strike. You lose pay, you face pressure, but you do it to protect your constituents. We broke quorum so the maps couldn’t pass, and so the country could see what’s happening.

So what can we do? Those of us outside of Texas — how can we help?

First, you are in this. Don’t think you’re not. This affects you directly because these congressional seats influence national law. What you can do: mobilise, volunteer for campaigns — phone banking, door knocking, messaging. Donate, even $5. Educate family and friends. Voting is just 25% of the solution. The rest is action. We need to block walk, campaign, and engage communities. There are organisers already doing the work — just raise your hand and they’ll plug you in.

That makes sense. Community first. Support the people already leading, even if it’s uncomfortable at first. Okay — where do people find you if they want to volunteer or help?

On my website, there’s a volunteer sign-up. You can volunteer from anywhere. You can also donate or phone bank for our district even if you’re in California. It’s about community. Support a local leader.

Yes. Thank you so much. You’re inspiring. Thank you for ringing the alarm. I appreciate you and women like you. You’re invited back any time.

Thank you for having me. I appreciate you opening this space.

Of course.