Democratic parties and organizations from Comal, Hays and Blanco counties host Let’s Talk Canyon Lake: Candidate Forum 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5 at St. Francis by the Lake Episcopal Church, 121 Spring Mountain Dr., Canyon Lake.
Invited to attend are all statewide, county and local Democratic candidates running for U.S. Congress District 21, Texas governor, Texas lieutenant governor, Texas attorney general, Texas representative for House District 73, Texas Supreme Court justice, Texas, land commissioner and State Board of Education District 5.
The meeting is open to the public.
Southside Canyon Lake resident and Comal County Democratic Party member Russell Marinelli organized Let’s Talk Canyon Lake forums for residents living in unincorporated areas of the county.
“Why not show up were we live?” he said in an interview.
Marinelli’s goal is to turn out local Democrats and raise expectations about living in a predominantly red county.
He said the Canyon Lake area is the most-heavily Republican part of the county, with some precincts voting at 80% Republican in 2024.
“I want to give hope for the future and an alternative to what Republican leadership in Texas has been doing for the last 60 years,” he said. “In Comal, Republicans assume not only will they win, but they will win big. We can have an effect on local races by cutting into their margins whether it’s (the race for) Justice of the Peace 1 or with Merrie Fox (running for Texas House District 73).”
In December, Marinelli — who also serves as chair for Precinct 104 — joined a new group called Young Democrats of Greater Comal County.
Scheduled to speak at the forum are:
- Kristen Hook, Gary Taylor, U.S. Congressional District 21
- Patricia Abrego, Chris Bell and Bobby Cole, Angie “Tia Angie” Villescaz, Texas governor
- Courtney Head, Marco Velez, staff member for Vicky Goodwin, Texas lieutenant governor
- Nathan Johnson, Texas attorney general
- Michael Lange, comptroller
- Benjamin Flores, Texas land commissioner
- Merrie Fox, Texas House District 73
- Darlene Byrne Chief Justice, Third Court of Appeals
- Maggie Ellis, Chief Justice, Texas Supreme Court
- Allison Bush, Kevin Jackson and Abigail Gray, State Board of Education District 5 (Blanco and Wimberley)