Houston Council Candidate Obes Nwabara Makes Democracy A Central Point Of Campaign

Houston City Council At Large #2 candidate Obes Nwabara has added protection of democracy to his campaign website.    

(Photo is of Mr. Nwabara. He showed up often to campaign for the 2022 Harris County Democratic ticket.)

Here is what Mr. Nwabara says--

"We cannot ignore the obvious any longer. Our democracy here at home is under attack. Every day, our state legislature tries to take away more of our rights and that cannot continue. Not only do we have to protect the rights and democracy we still have, but we have to work to expand our democracy to ensure that all can participate. Everything we are working for in this race: reducing traffic, fixing our water infrastructure, investing in the future of our city, will all be for naught if we don’t even have the ability to govern ourselves or choose who represents us. What does that mean? It means registering more people to vote, it means reaching out to every eligible voter in Houston, and it means working to ensure that EVERYONE in Houston and the rest of our state has the ability to vote. It also means using every tool at our disposal to fight back against anyone, any group, or any entity that tries to take our hard-earned democratic rights away. You have my solemn vow to always fight for right to vote and for our democracy."

The Houston Democracy Project is asking candidates for Houston municipal office in 2023 to make democracy an important issue in their campaigns. This doesn't mean candidates can't discuss other concerns. Mr. Nwabara talks about many issues in his campaign. But what Mr. Nwabara says is right. How will we make important public policy advances under authoritarianism? What can move forward if we can't govern ourselves?

It feels sometimes like we've turned seeking the protection of our most basic freedoms and expecting the Democrats who run to represent us to join the fight for democracy into a difficult ask.   

We must use the leverage we have as rank & file advocates of democracy to press our candidates to speak up.  

The people of Houston and Harris County merit protection from the anti-democratic right. There is no public safety without democracy.

We deserve far more than the diminished plea for routine elections not impeded by Republican hatred of multi-racial democracy. We must demand actions that expand democracy for ourselves and the people in our lives. 

Houstonians have lost an elected school board to wrongful State of Texas intervention in what just 60 years ago was a Jim Crow city. Harris County Republicans are in court trying to overturn 21 Democratic election wins from 2022. The leading Republican candidate for President of the United States is Donald Trump.

Mr. Nwabara correctly interprets the political climate in Houston and Harris County. Hopefully more candidates for Houston public office will do the same in 2023.     

​The Houston Democracy Project is working hard to make democracy a top focus in Houston city elections. Please share word of the Project & please support the effort.

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