AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Democrats are hoping a change in leadership can bring more success at the polls.
On Saturday, a panel of Democrats chose Kendall Scudder as the party’s next leader.
Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa resigned after the election last year. He served nearly 13 years as the head of the Texas Democratic Party (TDP).
Eight candidates were running for the position. Scudder got 65 out of 121 votes to win an outright majority.
Scudder had been serving as the TDP’s finance chair. The party said Scudder is the son of a paramedic and corrections officer and graduate of Sam Houston State University.
“I am honored to serve as chair of the Texas Democratic Party,” said Scudder. “The future of this party is bright, the stakes are high and there’s no better moment than right now to get Texas Democrats back in the business of winning tough races. As we do that, we can’t leave any community in this state behind – we need to build a Texas where opportunity is not a privilege, but a promise, for all 30 million of us.”
His promotion to party chair continues his efforts to invest in Democratic candidates across Texas, TDP said.
“The Texas Democratic Party extends its deep gratitude to former Chair Gilberto Hinojosa for his years of dedicated service, and his work laying the foundation for a stronger Democratic movement in Texas,” the party said in a statement.