Texas Democratic congressional candidate Johnny Garcia praised the Democratic Socialists of America and described his party as welcoming socialists during an undercover conversation that The Dallas Express obtained.
Garcia, a Bexar County sheriff’s deputy and the Democratic nominee for Texas’ 35th Congressional District, praised DSA’s work energizing voters while speaking with an undercover journalist.
“I mean, you know, they’re doing a lot of good work, right? They’re energizing people to come out,” Garcia said. “I don’t think I’m a part of their organization.”
DSA and the Democratic coalition
Garcia also discussed how much Democrats need to agree to win elections.
“I think that’s where it starts,” Garcia said. “It’s like, do we want to agree 70% of the time and win? 80% of the time?”
Garcia said Democrats can differ ideologically depending on where they run for office.
“I tell folks that’s the beautiful thing about our Democratic Party,” Garcia said. “You could be a DSA in New York, and they win outright. Down here in Texas, it may be a little bit different.”
“But the fact that we’re Democrats and we have these different political spectrums — that’s why it’s such a beautiful party, and we welcome everybody,” he added.
DSA’s program calls for abolishing police
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, DSA advocates public ownership of major corporations, an end to immigrant detention and deportations, expanded voting rights and an overhaul of federal institutions.
DSA’s current “Workers Deserve More” program calls for redirecting police funding toward public services as steps toward “fully abolishing the police and prison system.”
The program also calls for public ownership of the largest corporations and essential industries, ending ICE detention and deportations, and granting amnesty to immigrants regardless of legal status. It would extend full voting rights to all permanent U.S. residents.
DSA proposes abolishing the Senate and Electoral College and replacing the president and Supreme Court with an executive and judiciary that Congress chooses and controls. The organization describes its goal as a “democratic socialist republic.”
On foreign policy, the program calls for ending military and economic aid to Israel, closing overseas U.S. military bases, and ending sanctions against countries including Cuba, Venezuela and Iran.
Garcia did not endorse those individual policies in the quoted exchange. His remarks concerned DSA’s place within the Democratic coalition and its work energizing voters.
Garcia faces Republican Carlos De La Cruz in the November 3 general election.
The Dallas Express asked Garcia’s campaign about his statements and whether he supports any of DSA’s national policy proposals. The campaign did not respond by publication time.
Provided by Dallas Express
