Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa said he hopes this week’s National Young Democrats Convention in the Alamo City will continue momentum for the party.
Hinojosa is looking to carry over nationwide support for Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, a possible gubernatorial candidate in 2014.
"They identify with her," Hinojosa said. "They identify with her story of being a teenage mom who put herself through college and eventually made it into Harvard Law School and then the Texas Legislature."
Hinojosa said at this week's convention he plans to explain to the crowd their significance in Democratic politics for the next three years.
"This is a time when certain decisions are going to be made by the people running this country that will affect their lives and their children's lives in a very big way. Issues with respect to healthcare, education and the environment especially," he said.
Hinojosa said the election of President Barak Obama shows how significant younger voters can be when they vote.
"We see what has happened in the last 5 or 6 years. When they (young voters) have stepped up, they have made a difference in the entire national political scene," he said.
Hinojosa said he’s counting on that difference when Davis decides her plans for the 2014 election.
"I don’t think there is any question that their participation in Texas is ultimately going to be the decider of this election in 2014 for governor," he predicted.
The conference runs through Sunday, Aug. 11, and features U.S. Congressman Joaquín Castro as the keynote speaker.
Also this week, the Texas Young Republicans kick of their statewide convention in Austin, where current Attorney General Greg Abbott is the keynote speaker. Abbot has already hit the road in his campaign for governor and faces former Texas Workforce Commissioner Tom Pauken in a GOP primary.
