National Democrats turn to U.S. Rep. Greg Casar of Austin to rally working class voters
U.S. Rep. Greg Casar is a politician in demand.
On Tuesday, the 35-year-old Austin Democrat flew to California for fundraisers and a meeting about the party's strategy for the upcoming midterm elections. Then he was off to Colorado for a rally Thursday evening in a congressional district that Republicans narrowly won in the last election, after an appearance in Arizona last month with progressive stars U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, during their "Fighting Oligarchy Tour."
"We've had to increase the size of the venue," said Shad Murib, chair of the Colorado Democratic Party. "The congressman has a fan base here for sure."
Less than three years after he was elected to represent Texas' 35th Congressional District, which stretches from Austin to San Antonio along Interstate 35, Casar has gone from a virtual unknown in the national political scene to chairman of the House Progressive Caucus and has become a sought-after messenger in Democrats' efforts to bring working-class voters back to the party.
Casar has been visiting GOP districts in Texas and around the countryin response to House Speaker Mike Johnson's direction to Republican members to stop holding town halls, to avoid potential confrontations with protesters.
He has also appeared on Fox News and other conservative platforms, criticizing moves by President Donald Trump to reduce services for low-income Americans.
"Right now, the fight isn't right versus left. It's Trump, Elon Musk and the billionaire class versus everyone else," Casar said in an interview this week. "That means going places where people don't think of progressives going."
Since Trump appointed Musk to head his Department of Government Efficiency, Casar has rallied Democrats around calls to "fire Elon Musk" before the end of May — amid polls showing Americans at large are worried about Musk's methods.
In the process, Casar is starting to build a national brand alongside a team of young progressives in Washington, including Ocasio-Cortez, who is being discussed as a likely presidential candidate in 2028.
"Depending on who you ask he's either doing stunts or drawing attention to important issues, but either way he's getting attention," Brandon Rottinghaus, a University of Houston politics professor, said of Casar. "The Democrats are searching for an identity, and Casar is pushing a new progressive vision for the party."
In Colorado, Democratic leaders are hoping Casar can help swing back working-class voters in a heavily Latino district with large numbers of Trump voters.
Murib, the state's party chair, said they had learned their lessons from losses sustained in last year's election and settled on a strategy centered on economic issues, something Casar has been urging Democrats to focus on.
"He has a way of talking to folks that's in line with our message," Murib said. "'Let's get rid of the purity tests and work on bringing back working-class voters."
Casar is one of a number of Democrats, many with bigger name recognition, working to rally resistance against Trump. U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey warned during a 25-hour-long speech on the Senate floor that the "country is in crisis." U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a lawyer from Dallas, appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" this week to challenge Trump to an IQ test after he called her "a very low IQ person."
Earlier this year, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries urged members to keep the pressure up on Trump in Washington and in their home districts and "to connect directly with our constituents and discuss the challenges we are decisively addressing on their behalf."
And Casar, with his impassioned speeches punctuated by fist pumps and Spanish mantras, has clearly found a moment.A former labor organizer with the Workers Defense Project in Austin, he has long had a reputation of being a rising star within Texas' Democratic Party.
Casar caught the attention of political observers shortly after being elected to Congress when he stood on the steps of the Capitol on a hot summer's day for almost nine hours without water, to bring attention to his calls for a federal rule protecting workers from extreme heat.
Before heading to Washington, Casar beat a slate of better-known liberal candidates for a seat on the Austin City Council in 2014, running a shoestring campaign out of his apartment that included handwritten notes to constituents with his cellphone number included, said John Lawler, Casar's former campaign manager.
"He's gotten here because he works harder than anyone else. He puts the holes in his boots; he stays up writing letters," Lawler said. "And he has an exceptional mind for figuring out the widget that needs to be turned."
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Democrats turn to U.S. Rep. Greg Casar to rally working class voters
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Hamilton Spectator
18 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
What US adults think about Pope Leo XIV, according to a new AP-NORC poll
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As he promises to work for unity in a polarized church, Americans with very different views about the future of the church are feeling optimistic about his pontificate. Terry Barber, a 50-year-old Catholic from Sacramento, California, hopes Leo will seek a 'more progressive and modern church' that is more accepting of all. 'I'm optimistic. Certainly, the first pope from the United States is significant,' said Barber, who identifies as a Democrat. 'Since he worked under the previous pope, I'm sure he has similar ideas, but certainly some that are original, of his own. I'm looking forward to seeing what, if any changes, come about under his leadership.' Bipartisan appeal About half of Democrats have a favorable view of the new pope, as do about 4 in 10 Republicans and independents. Republicans are a little more likely than Democrats to be reserving judgment. About half of Republicans say they don't know enough to have an opinion about the pope, compared to about 4 in 10 Democrats. Republicans, notably, are no more likely than Democrats to have an unfavorable opinion of the pope. About 1 in 10 in each group view Pope Leo unfavorably. Victoria Becude, 38, a Catholic and Republican from Florida, said she's excited about the first U.S.-born pope and hopes he can steer the country back to Catholic doctrine and make Americans proud. 'I'm rooting for him,' she said. 'I hope that America can get back to faith, and I hope he can do that.' Being a political liberal or conservative, of course, isn't the same thing as identifying as a liberal or conservative Catholic. But the poll found no discernible partisan gap among Catholics on Pope Leo, and Catholics across the ideological spectrum have expressed hope that Leo will be able to heal some of the divisions that emerged during the pontificate of his predecessor, Pope Francis. Pope Leo recently criticized the surge of nationalist political movements in the world as he prayed for reconciliation and dialogue — a message in line with his pledges to make the Catholic Church a symbol of peace. Before becoming pope, Cardinal Robert Prevost presided over one of the most revolutionary reforms of Pope Francis' pontificate by having women serve on the Vatican board that vets nominations for bishops. He also has said decisively that women cannot be ordained as priests. Donald Hallstone, 72, a Catholic who lives in Oregon, said he expects that Leo will continue to promote women in governance positions 'at a time when there's a shortage of priests' and other leaders in the church. 'It'd be great to see women in those roles,' he said. 'Women were not excluded in the first centuries.' On the other hand, some right-wing U.S. Catholics hope Leo will focus on Catholic doctrinal opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion. Becude, the Republican, said she's against same-sex relationships because she believes that unions should be between a man and a woman, something that Pope Leo has reiterated . Even though she describes herself as 'very conservative,' though, she's in favor of reproductive rights even when church teaching opposes abortion . 'I don't believe that they should stop women from having abortions,' she said. 'We should have our own rights because you don't know the circumstances behind the reason why a woman would want the abortion in the first place.' Few have negative views — yet There's plenty of room for views to shift as Leo's agenda as pope becomes clear. Not all Americans have formed an opinion of the new pope yet; particularly, members of other religious groups are more likely to be still making up their minds. About half of born-again Protestants, mainline Protestants, and adults with no religious affiliation don't know enough to have an opinion about the pope, although relatively few — about 1 in 10 — in each group have an unfavorable view of him. Older Americans — who are more likely to identify as Catholics — are also more likely than younger Americans to be fans of Leo's. About half of Americans ages 60 and older have a favorable view of Pope Leo, compared to about 4 in 10 Americans under 30. But even so, only about 1 in 10 U.S. adults under 30 have an unfavorable view of the pope right now. Mercedes Drink, 31, is from the pope's hometown of Chicago. She still hopes that women will become ordained under his pontificate. 'It's cool; I like him because he brings something different,' said Drink, who lives in Minnesota and identifies as being part of the 'religious nones' — atheists, agnostics, or nothing in particular. 'As a young woman, I hope that he can bring change … considering who he is, he brings something new to the table. I hope he opens the world's eyes to modernizing the church, bringing more people in, having more diversity.' ___ Henao reported from Princeton, N.J. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. ___ The AP-NORC poll of 1,158 adults was conducted June 5-9, using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4 percentage points. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . 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San Francisco Chronicle
25 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Authorities still searching for suspect in shooting of 2 Minnesota state lawmakers
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In July 2024, Trump was grazed on the ear by one of a hail of bullets that killed a Trump supporter. Two months later a man with a rifle was discovered near the president's Florida golf course and arrested. Other incidents include a 2022 hammer attack on the husband of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in their San Francisco home and a 2020 plot by anti-government extremists to kidnap Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and start a civil war. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he asked Capitol Police to 'immediately increase security' for Minnesota Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith. He also asked Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican, to hold a briefing on member security. ___
San Francisco Chronicle
25 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
G7 leaders gather in Canada for summit overshadowed by Middle East crisis and Trump's tariffs
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We do recognize Israel's right to self-defense, but I'm absolutely clear that this needs to de-escalate. There is a huge risk of escalation for the region and more widely," Starmer said, adding he expected 'intense discussions' would continue at the summit. Trump is summit's wild card As summit host, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has decided to abandon the annual practice of issuing a joint statement, or communique, at the end of the meeting. With other leaders wanting to talk to Trump in an effort to talk him out of imposing tariffs, the summit risks being a series of bilateral conversations rather than a show of unity. Trump is the summit wild card. Looming over the meeting are Trump's inflammatory threats to make Canada the 51st state and take over Greenland. French President Emmanuel Macron is making a highly symbolic stop in Greenland on his way to Canada, meeting the Arctic territory's leader and Denmark's prime minister aboard a Danish helicopter carrier. 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Peter Boehm, Canada's sherpa of the 2018 G7 summit in Quebec and veteran of six G7 summits, expects the heads of state to pivot discussion to devote more time to the war. 'Leaders can accommodate a discussion, perhaps even a statement,' Boehm said. 'The foreign policy agenda has become much larger with this.' 'He tends to be a bully' Leaders who are not part of the G7 but have been invited to the summit by Carney include the heads of state of India, Ukraine, Brazil, South Africa, South Korea, Australia, Mexico and the UAE. Avoiding tariffs will continue to be top of mind. 'Leaders, and there are some new ones coming, will want to meet Donald Trump,' Boehm said. 'Trump doesn't like the big round table as much he likes the one-on-one.' Bilateral meetings with the American president can be fraught as Trump has used them to try to intimidate the leaders of Ukraine and South Africa. Former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien told a panel this week that if Trump does act out, leaders should ignore him and remain calm like Carney did in his recent Oval Office meeting. 'He tends to be a bully,' Chrétien said. 'If Trump has decided to make a show to be in the news, he will do something crazy. Let him do it and keep talking normally.' Starmer had a warm Oval Office meeting with the president in February, wooing Trump with an invitation for a state visit from King Charles III. Trump has praised the British prime minister, despite their political differences. Zelenskyy expected to meet Trump Last month Britain and the U.S. announced they had struck a trade deal that will slash American tariffs on U.K. autos, steel and aluminum. It has yet to take effect, however, though British officials say they are not concerned the Trump administration might go back on its word. Starmer's attempts to woo Trump have left him in an awkward position with Canada, the U.K.'s former colony, close ally and fellow Commonwealth member. Starmer has also drawn criticism — especially from Canadians — for failing to address Trump's stated desire to make Canada the 51st state. Asked if he has told Trump to stop the 51st state threats, Starmer told The Associated Press: 'I'm not going to get into the precise conversations I've had, but let me be absolutely clear: Canada is an independent, sovereign country and a much-valued member of the Commonwealth.' The war in Ukraine will be on the agenda. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to attend the summit and is expected to meet with Trump, a reunion coming just months after their bruising Oval Office encounter which laid bare the risks of having a meeting with the U.S. president. Starmer met with Carney in Ottawa before the summit for talks focused on security and trade, in the first visit to Canada by a British prime minister for eight years. German officials were keen to counter the suggestion that the summit would be a 'six against one' event, noting that the G7 countries have plenty of differences of emphasis among themselves on various issues. 'The only the problem you cannot forecast is what the president of the United States will do depending on the mood, the need to be in the news," said Chrétien.
