The Lubbock County 2026 March primaries are just around the corner.
Learn more about Graciela Gomez’s platforms for the Lubbock County Democratic Party Chair race.
Note: The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal only edited the response to comply with journalistic standards and did not change any responses.
Current occupation: Legal assistant.
Age: 61.
Q: Why are you running for Lubbock County Democratic Party Chair, and what experience and qualifications would you bring to leading the local party?
A: I have previously served two terms as Democratic Party Chair from 2020 to 2024, opting to not run for a third term in 2024. My previous experience as Chair and the relationships built during my terms and in my community activism are key to party growth, moving the party forward and to recruitment of members.
Q: The Democratic Party faces significant challenges in Lubbock County, which has a strong Republican majority. What is your vision for building the party here, and what specific strategies would you use to grow Democratic support and voter turnout?
A: There are many Democrats in Lubbock. The key to bringing them into the party and getting them involved is to make the party accessible to all who bring their talents and voices to the party. The main way to achieve this is to get out into the community and talk to any and all who will listen and who are interested. Hosting events on a regular basis and attending area-wide events where we can reach our community to share party information and to recruit involvement are effective ways that have worked for us in the past.
Also, involvement from young people is so important as so many are concerned with the direction our state and country have taken so engaging with this demographic is equally important.
Q: Candidate recruitment is crucial for a viable party at the local level. How would you approach finding and supporting Democratic candidates for local offices, and what would you do to help them run competitive races?
A: I will reiterate that relationship-building within our Democratic community is key to recruiting Democratic candidates and goes hand-in-hand with growing the party. Many people want to get involved to help make changes and we must make the party accessible to all who want to get involved. We should make sure that information and knowledge about running for office is made available to them. Additionally, as we all know, running for office is expensive and if people are going to put their names out there, then the party should be able to help them financially and fundraising is crucial to this. While serving as chair, I led successful fundraising for the party and for candidates.
Q: The party chair must manage party operations, fundraising, volunteer coordination, and relationships with Democratic candidates and elected officials. Walk me through your management philosophy and how you would run the local party organization.
A: It is imperative that the people that we turn to for donations, volunteering and involvement feel that the Party is theirs. We must have a Party that works for the Democratic members and for the communities the party serves. The Party must welcome people, engage with them, hold events that give information on the party and on how to get involved whether it is running for an officer position, heading committees, becoming precinct chairs, etc. I have proven that I can build those relationships through communication and recruitment efforts.
Q: How do you differ from the other candidates in this race in terms of your vision, priorities, or approach to party leadership? What makes you the best choice to lead the Lubbock County Democratic Party?
A: My prior experience as chair is crucial to the success and growth of the Party. While serving as chair, my motto has always been “Is what we are doing in the best interests of the party?” and that has been my directive in my Party leadership roles.
I have experience in navigating the party through challenging times. My first term, unfortunately, started with the COVID-19 shutdown and we were limited in what we could do during that term.
In my second term, our party achieved growth and stability and successful fundraising. Also, I am proud that under my second term, for the first time in the history of the Party, we had all-female officers and these officers and I worked hand-in-hand doing the hard work that has to be done. They were instrumental in helping the party achieve stability.
Q: What specific goals would you set for your term as party chair, and how would you measure success? What would you want to accomplish for Democrats in Lubbock County?
A: Growth of the party and involvement from the community are crucial. Success is measured in achieving these goals. From these we can recruit local candidates and create involvement from our like-minded community. The chair is the voice and face of the party and its members are the heart and strength.
My wish for the party is to create change through unified efforts in our local politics where representation is balanced and local Democrats have a voice throughout Lubbock, particularly when making decisions by local leaders that impact our communities.
Q: The party chair must balance supporting Democratic candidates in elections with building long-term party infrastructure and community relationships. How would you approach this balance, and what would be your priorities in both the short and long term?
A: Immediate short-term goals are to stabilize the party infrastructure and recruit membership and involvement. The way to do this is to get into the community, talk to people and relay the importance of their involvement. Long-term goals are to have more Democratic party representation in local governmental offices: city, Lubbock ISD and county-wide. This can be achieved with the short-term goals and through community organizing and activism.
We are at a crucial time in our country – involvement and activism by all who are concerned are absolutely crucial and the party must lead the efforts in this endeavor. I feel my experience and the relationships I have built will be instrumental in achieving these goals.
Mateo Rosiles is a reporter for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal and USA TODAY Network in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him: mrosiles@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Read about Graciela Gomez’s platforms for Lubbock Democratic Party Chair
Reporting by Mateo Rosiles, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
