DECISION 2026
As the largest number of Democrats in recent memory are busy meeting as many voters as possible ahead of Election Day, pundits and pollsters agree seismic waves are rippling through the Lone Star State, which appear to be tipping several contests away from the incumbents in long-safe Republican areas.
However, the difference between the resources local Democratic Party candidates have to work with when compared to the plurality of dollars in the Republican’s billionaire-fueled war chests, makes Goliath a perfectly apt metaphor for what they’re up against.
Leading the local contribution tote board, U.S. Rep. August Lee Pfluger’s mid-year report indicates he’s spent $2,631,404 for the period while retaining $2,881,724.29 cash-on-hand, which when compared to Claire Reynolds’ total disbursements of $42,491 — and her remaining $46,790 cash-on-hand, enables her to spend about $1 for every $61 Pfluger has.
Reynolds said she can’t let that slow her down, and she believes — in some ways — not having all that money is actually an advantage.
“Well, I can only do what I can do with the money I’ve got, but we’ve seen several situations — during the primaries at least — where the people with the money did not win … I do believe that voters are more aware of the role money plays in politics than they’ve ever been,” she said.
“Sure, having a lot of money would be nice for this campaign, but one of the benefits of not having it — there’s nobody who thinks that I owe them something.”
Reynolds said in addition to trying to be as savvy as possible with her campaign dollars, she is focusing on more affordable, traditional ways of reaching voters.
“There’s a lot of cheaper ways to reach the public,” she said, “For one, I’ve just been trying to go everywhere and talk to as many people as possible. That costs gas money and tires and everything, but it’s also, in my opinion, the most effective way.
“Most people, when they see a political ad, they know what it is, and what it’s trying to accomplish, but I’m not sure if they’re changing any minds, so my focus is on just trying to speak directly to as many people as possible, and using my social media to engage with them… It’s really just about having a strong ground game, and also a lot of energy.”
Reynolds alluded to the wounded state of Democratic county-level politics, where an informal survey shows about 45-50 rural counties don’t have an active Democratic Party chairperson, and a great deal of reporting on the Democratic candidates highlights the lack of financial help for rural candidates from the state apparatus.
“I’ve definitely heard plenty of complaints about Democratic Party, but my biggest one is that they’ve just absolutely abandoned us in rural areas like West Texas for decades. And when you don’t serve up candidates — when you don’t even go in there and try — people get used to voting for Republicans, because there are no other options — there’s nobody to refute whatever lies they’re making up about Democrats, or about their own policies.”
A Different Kind of Congress Critter
Claire Reynolds may have the kind of broad appeal that’s just right to inspire anyone looking for change in our freshly gerrymandered district that stretches all the way from the Permian Basin to Greater Austin.
Reynolds would be the first woman to represent San Angelo and the surrounding area in Congress, and she feels her background allows her to connect with the broadest cross-section of folks in Texas’ 11th Congressional District.
Reynold’s grew up in the Midwest, and after high school, she earned a journalism degree in Chigago before going on to law school in San Diego. She said she definitely had her share of regular jobs.
“You know, I didn’t grow up poor, but I certainly had many times where I did not know where my next month’s rent was coming from,” she recalled, “I had to work two jobs …
“My first job was scooping ice cream at Baskin-Robbins, and I definitely built up some arm muscles doing that, and I babysat…then I waited tables all through college and learned to tend bar.
“After that, I did editorial work for a couple of trade magazines after college, helping with publications for grocery store managers and pharmaceutical representatives, and then at night, I would go tend bar or wait tables.
“I have a lot of supporters who do all those kinds of jobs, and believe me, I know the struggles of trying to live on $2 an hour.”
She said working more than one job lasted a good while after she graduated for the last time.
“I was in debt,” she said, “So the money that I was making, working in the public defender’s office on misdemeanor arraignments, wasn’t much, and sometimes things would go late. One time I had to ask a judge to be excused so I wouldn’t be late to my other job.”
After receiving her Juris Doctor degree and being licensed for the first time, Reynolds worked as a clerk for the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of California for a couple of years.
Since relocating to Texas almost 20 years ago, Reynolds worked for six years with the law firm of Aldridge Pite, specializing in compliance with state and federal laws and regulations.
Reynolds then went to work for the State Bar of Texas in 2013, and serves as Public Affairs Counsel, assisting the Texas Supreme Court in overseeing attorneys licensed to practice law in the state.
In It To Win It
Reynolds said she remains optimistic about her chances in November, but she’s committed to stay in the fight until the people can bring about some major changes in Texas.
My purpose in this is absolutely to win, but it’s also with the knowledge that you have to start from somewhere,” she said, “You know, I’m going in there, and showing my face, and talking to people — whether they like me or not –and I’m just listening to them.
“And, if I don’t win this election, I’m probably going to run again in two years, because I love this area of Texas, and I want to show these people that I mean business. I’m not here to forget about it if I don’t win.
“The Democrats need to make a sustained long-term effort here, and sometimes that takes multiple elections.”
Reynolds wasn’t shy about discussing the landmark corruption washing over America in the second Trump Administration and wanted to talk briefly about her opponent rolling back a record number of regulations to benefit his donors, while possibly maximizing his financial position on several stock trades within his regulatory orbit.
“He’s framed it all as like, ‘Oh, well; I have to protect the oil and gas industry.’
“And it’s like, ‘Oh, come on!'”
Do Voters Deserve a Debate?
According to the Claire for Congress campaign, it took some doing to get Rep. Pfluger to agree to an actual debate, but one is slated to be announced for Oct. 5 in Midland hosted by the PBS station there.
Similar efforts to facilitate a debate in San Angelo by local non-profits have been stymied by a lack of participation from candidates from one party, but currently are being pursued by The Concho Observer.
Other Challenges She Faces
Reynolds spoke a bit about the current political climate, and some of the challenges her campaign is learning to work with.
“So, one of the biggest problems is that it’s hard to find volunteers who will go out and knock on their neighbor’s doors in West Texas,” she explains, “People are nervous for good reason, and I understand, but in San Angelo, Midland or Odessa, it’s really hard to have a good ground game, since I don’t have the money to pay people to knock on doors, so, anybody that’s interested in that, please contact us, contact your county Democratic Party or my campaign, and of course we always need money; even $5 helps.
“But I think the best thing people can do is just talk to their neighbors, because that is really how it gets done, and there are plenty of people willing to listen this year.
“There’s a lot of teachers that are willing to listen, and people who haven’t had a raise in five years that are willing to listen, and I think that’s good.
“Who knows what will happen?” she said, “These are crazy times. I can’t even begin to predict what will happen, and — even if I did have the money for polls — I don’t know if I would believe them.
“But I’m not going away; whatever happens, I am sticking around.”
