(THREAD)

I don’t think I’ve ever gone into too much detail about myself here on Twitter, so I thought I’d do so now. Here’s my backstory:

My name is Chris Pino, and I’m 20-years-old. I’m from just west of Houston, Texas, and I go to school in DC.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been concerned with how little my peers know about politics, and how infrequently they participate.

But I didn’t become politically involved until I was a 15 y.o. sophomore at Seven Lakes HS. I was thrust into the role of activist after a classmate invited me to join the High School Republicans Club (s/o @ClaireZacher!), to which I responded by creating the Democrats Club.

Given my community’s deep-red tinge, it was always hard to raise awareness and keep involved. But I fought tooth and nail, and we successfully organized major events such as a school-wide mock primary election and a @AMarch4OurLives school safety town hall.

Even though I have now graduated, the club maintains an active membership of over 50. It continues to educate and involve the student body on political affairs, and combat apathy among young folks. (s/o @cameronjsamuels!)

I’ve brought my fight to Washington, as a student at The George Washington University studying Political Science and Music. I also spent the last few months interning on Capitol Hill for two amazing frontline Democrats: Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (TX) and Senator Doug Jones (AL).

There, I became immersed in the legislative process, working on topics such as student outreach, immigration, appropriations, and civil rights. I’m sure I even took calls from some of you!

But the most impactful and haunting experience was bearing witness to impeachment first-hand. I watched as Republicans in Congress disregarded the Constitution in favor of political expediency.

From all this, I know far too well that Trump is literally an existential threat to the survival of the Republic.

Folks my age continue to be murdered in their classrooms, continue to be bankrupted by the costs of education, and continue to watch as the planet is poisoned by irresponsible environmental policy.

And yet folks my age continue to be sidelined from the political process, despite being the ones who will bear the brunt of today’s poor decisions decades down the line.

Joe Biden may be the last shot my generation has to secure a livable future, and that’s why we must get him elected in November. Full stop.

I ran for National Delegate because now more than ever, the Democratic Party needs to lend younger voices a seat at the table.

In my district, I was the only person under 34 on the ballot. I campaigned my ass off. And I won.

Now, I’m one of the youngest National Delegates.

I was elected in Texas Senate District 18, a heavily Republican and predominantly rural district. It represents 21 counties and ~800,000 Texans. Here’s a map:

During my run, I resorted to a ‘virtual district tour’ in lieu of traditional campaigning. I spoke to, texted, and/or emailed nearly all of its Biden state delegates (~300). From this, I learned a lot about the issues the district faces today, many of which are largely unspoken.

First, let’s talk about Hurricane Harvey. Senate District 18 was arguably the epicenter of the disaster. Harvey made landfall in Aransas County with 134 mph winds, and stalled over the central and eastern portions of the district. Katy; my hometown; received 31.23 inches of rain.

I learned about how many folks on the Gulf Coast have lacked reliable internet and cell service since. In fact, this prevented many state delegates from participating in virtual district caucus, let alone the virtual state convention.

Moreover, many houses and businesses still have yet to be rebuilt. Many constituents claim to have received inadequate support from the federal government & Texas in the wake of the disaster.

Three years later, the community is still devastated. Three whole years later.

This is on top of how the district’s rural areas continue to be underserved by government and sidelined from crucial infrastructural and medical investments. This is a problem across most of Texas, but rural areas have it the absolute worst.

It’s well established that unless we invest more in our rural areas, they will continue to fall behind & struggle in our economy. Harvey only augmented this.

That’s why we need an FDR-esque overhaul to guarantee equitable access to public goods like broadband, cellular & water.

I also learned about how rural party leaders across the district are struggling to receive adequate resources, training, and funding from the state/national party. All are making a diligent effort, but some simply are not equipped to accomplish what they need to thrive.

But in reality, it’s the races in counties like these that some of the most meaningful and feasible wins can occur. Think about it.

It’s a hell of a lot easier to knock on every door in a County Commissioner district representing 2,000 people than one representing 1,500,000.

Additionally, many county and local races in rural Texas are not hyperpartisan. There’s hundreds of elected Democrats representing blood-red rural areas in TX. There’s a proven playbook for winning in the reddest of places. It involves showing your face & making the race local.

If we can find, run, fund, and equip candidate up and down the ballot in rural counties across Texas, we can feasibly win and make a difference to millions of lives.

We, as a party, need to commit ourselves to investing in the areas that don’t always vote for us.

At the Democratic National Convention, I will being my experiences to the table, to advocate for youth involvement, gun reform, LGBTQIA+ rights, and for keeping rural areas in the picture. And of course, I will be fighting like hell to get Trump out of office!

I’m so glad to live in an America where I have a voice and I can make a difference, no matter how old I am or who I love. And my journey has only just begun.