Bloomberg Campaign Press Release - Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa Introduces Mike Bloomberg at Texas State Democratic Executive Committee Meeting

"Today, I'm going to introduce a man who knows how important Texas is for 2020, Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

"Mayor Bloomberg has been on the front lines of turning Texas blue for years and is helping us turn Texas into the biggest battleground state in the country. I invited him to address you because, simply put, Mayor Bloomberg puts his money where his mouth is. And he also gets it. This man gets it.

"When I was kid working, and we would go working in the field with my grandfather, and we would go work in the city, the best pickers wouldn't pick the smallest tree that was closer to the ground. The best pickers, the ones that made the most money, were the ones that picked the citrus trees, that was the largest, that had the most fruit in it. Right? He understands how that works. He understands that all the fruit, most of the fruit, is here in Texas.

"Texas is the biggest battleground state in the country. Democratic influence is on the rise in Texas, and that influence can be felt in every corner of our state. We've seen a record number of strong, diverse democratic candidates proud to run for office. At the presidential level, Donald Trump has been trailing or tied with the top democratic contenders for president in Texas in the last seven polls in a row.

"John Cornyn, the absent Senator in Texas, hasn't seen a poll above 37% approval rating since March. Most of them have come out in the 20s. Our Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee have made a Texas a tier one priority, and we're only nine seats away from flipping the Texas House – many of which were in the DFW area.

"To win the state, it's going to take time and investment. Mayor Bloomberg's investment isn't just words. Just last month, Mayor Bloomberg announced that he would be investing in a voter registration drive that will boost voter turnout among many underrepresented communities in Texas. He understands how critical Texas is, and he's not just talking about it, he's putting in the work so Democrats can take back the state next November.

"By investing in our state and protecting and expanding the vote, Mayor Bloomberg is putting a stop to the Republican voter suppression efforts that have kept them in power.

"Before announcing his presidential bid, Mayor Bloomberg invested heavily in gun safety reform initiatives through his group Everytown For Gun Safety. And that means a lot to us in Texas after what happened recently in this state – in El Paso, in Odessa, in other parts of the state where you've seen mass shootings. Situations that never should have happened.

"This week, Mayor Bloomberg vowed that as president, he would close the private sale loophole and enforce stronger background checks and permanent requirements. As you know, there had been three mass shootings in Texas in the past year. The pain our communities have suffered continues to be met with Republican inaction. We applaud Mayor Bloomberg's efforts to stop the gun violence epidemic before more lives are lost and more Texas blood is shed.

"Mayor Bloomberg has also invested in climate change initiatives, that aim to close coal fired power plants and halt the growth of natural gas. Rather than relying upon fear mongering and fake science, Mayor Bloomberg knows what will curb the effects of climate change. Here in Texas, we saw the devastating firsthand effects of Hurricane Harvey.

"Just as he is on other issues, Mayor Bloomberg isn't just talking about change. He's doing it. It's investments like these that matter.

"Let me tell you something. This is our moment. We're going to win the White House, take out John Cornyn, flip several Congressional seats, break the super majority in the Texas Senate, flip the Texas House, and win hundreds of local elections across the state, because of this investment we're seeing in partners like Mayor Bloomberg and the time and energy shown by every single person in this room today.

"Although Mayor Bloomberg won't be the only presidential candidate to invest in the biggest battleground state in the country, we're enormously grateful for his generous contributions to Texas, and we look forward to partnering with him on issues and initiatives.

"With that said, it is my great honor to introduce to you the former mayor of the great city of New York, and one of the many great democratic candidates for president, Mayor Michael Bloomberg."