What Black Texans Want Ahead of The Midterms
From classrooms to voting booths to hospital delivery rooms, Black Texans are urging politicians to address issues shaping their communities, including educator pay, school funding, voting access, affordability and maternal health. Ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, their message is clear: political participation means more than casting a ballot. Candidates must listen, demonstrate accountability and deliver on their promises.
During a recent event for Senate Democratic candidate James Talarico, voters echoed that sentiment, emphasizing that showing up for Black voters means delivering on real policy concerns rather than expecting automatic loyalty at the ballot box. For younger voters, economic pressures are making politics increasingly personal. Kaylin McGlothen, community engagement director at the Texas Democratic Party, described how bills and homeownership affect her perspective.
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“I am at the point where I’m paying bills. I am a homeowner, and these things are actually affecting me,” she said.
McGlothen said Gen Z is increasingly willing to research issues, speak out and challenge the status quo. “And we like to be vocal about what’s right and wrong,” she added. “We’re just fed up, and we know that the future is in our hands.”
Collective Action and Accountability
For some voters, change begins with collective action.
“It’s like we’re starting all over again,” Vincent, a voter at the Talarico event, told us. “We’ve been struggling as African American, brown people all our lives. So this [President Donald Trump] struggle is just a different struggle.”
McGlothen said she has seen growing enthusiasm for voting, including people committing to wait in line for hours and encouraging participation on social media.
“I’ve seen people committing to standing in line for hours to vote, which is always fulfilling because you’re motivated enough to be out here for hours,” she said.
Economic concerns are also driving the conversation. Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder said lowering grocery prices, addressing inflation and rooting out corruption are among voters’ priorities.
“We’re not only running a historic campaign, but an intentional one,” Scudder said. “We’re meeting communities where they are, on their terms, and elevating the issues that matter most to them.”
Sheena Flanary, the party’s vice chair of voter engagement, said voters want transparency and ethical leadership. She added that candidates’ actions must match their promises.
“What they’ve done, their voting record, it all aligns, so it’s not saying one thing and doing another, and expecting other people to hold the bags,” she said.
Representation, Education and Health
Voters also want candidates who are accessible. McGlothen said many complain that politicians do not make themselves available to the communities they seek to represent. She pointed to Talarico’s appearance at an HBCU tailgate as an example of community engagement.
McGlothen and Flanary also stressed the importance of supporting Black candidates. Flanary said they are often “underfunded, under-resourced, and, quite frankly, underappreciated.”
Education remains a pressing concern for teachers and families. Sharon, a Texas teacher, said educators need elected officials who support their work and provide students with adequate resources.
“To know that we have political people in office that’s gonna start support us and make sure that we’re doing what we can to educate the next future, that’s what we’re looking for,” she said.
Black Texans are also demanding attention to the dangers Black women face during pregnancy and childbirth. Alongside maternal health, educator pay, school funding, voting access and economic opportunity remain central concerns.
Ultimately, voters want affordable living, supported schools, accessible polling places and leaders who remain accountable after Election Day.
Watch The Root‘s full interview with James Talarico here.
