On The Record: Michael Wilson

For this episode of On The Record, I spoke with Michael Wilson, State Democratic Executive Committeeman from Senate District 25 in Austin.

How did you get started in politics? Did you come to it in your youth or later on?

I grew up in Oklahoma thinking of politics as an “in-the-know” practice. Politicians were talking heads on Sunday mornings who chatted about issues that I cared about but felt I could do little to affect. Much of this had to do with the fact that the party structure in that state was so insular: they did little to reach out, and resisted attempts to reach in.

My wife and I moved to Austin just before the 2000 elections, and it was exciting to watch national politics unfold in our backyard. After four frustrating years of Bush’s presidency, we felt an urgency to get involved. The use of Meetups provided a way for us to join a political campaign as grassroots volunteers. The process was quite a revelation. It removed the mystique of politics, and we have been engaged ever since.

What was your personal progression from simply being interested in politics and the issues to becoming an SDEC member?

Three weeks before the 2006 Democratic Convention, a local group of activists called and asked if I would consider running for the SDEC. Although I was always looking for ways to stay involved in politics, I had never considered running for anything. And with only three weeks to prepare for the election, I really thought it was a crazy idea. But, I took a week to think about it and decided I could do a good job of representing Senate District 25.

What would you say are the primary issues concerning the state?

Health care tops my list. With the highest rate of uninsured children in the United States, Texas needs to do more to get eligible children enrolled in CHIP and Children’s Medicaid. Only about half of the 1.4 million uninsured children are currently enrolled in either of these programs.

Do you have any ambition for higher office? Do you have plans to run for any other party office, or possibly even public office?

No. I am still new to my current office. Senate District 25 covers six counties between Austin and San Antonio and I am enjoying getting to know people and understanding all the issues that affect this area. If I decide to run again at the next convention, the delegates will have the chance to evaluate me based on my record. It is better that I simply do what I was elected to do and let things progress from there.

Who are some of your political heroes?

I really admired the late Mike Synar. (Sarah Vowell tells a great story about him in her book The Partly Cloudy Patriot.) He was elected to the U.S. Congress eight times in a heavily rural Oklahoma district and gained national prominence fighting against the tobacco lobby and for gun control. While you might think rural Oklahoma voters would have simply rejected outright anyone as “liberal” as him, he was young and enthusiastic and his potential excited even his very conservative electorate. Recently, we have seen similar examples where candidates who weren’t expected to win were elected to our State Legislature based on that same kind of enthusiasm.

What would you say has been the single most defining moment in your political life?

In 2004, I ran a grassroots organization in Travis County trying to elect Gen. Wesley Clark for President. This was my first political experience and it showed me the best side of politics: people coming together for a common cause. I was able to draw from many of my experiences during my campaign for the SDEC.

What are you looking forward to in the coming cycle?

A continuation of the wave that began in 2006. Democrats in this state see daylight ahead, and we are running towards it. I don’t do predictions, but I believe we will have candidates and campaigns capable of taking over enough seats to bring Democratic values to the floor of at least one Legislative chamber.

What would you say the political breakdown of your family is? Is it mostly Democratic or are you somewhat unique?

I grew up in a college town. My mother is passionately liberal and my father is fiercely conservative. My friends and I were the children of university professors who talked and talked about our liberal values but actually did very little. When I met my wife, who was much more of an activist, I was inspired to get involved and act on the things I believed in.

What advice would you give to young people just getting into politics?

If you want things to change, it’s up to you. It really is true that much of politics is just showing up and getting to work.

What one thing would you say a political organization never has enough of?

Committed, long-term volunteers. During an election cycle, we can usually find volunteers to knock on doors and make phone calls, but finding people to serve in ongoing roles such as precinct chairs is more difficult. These kinds of roles are important because they keep activists engaged and provide connections into our neighborhoods and communities between election cycles.

What has been the most valuable lesson you’ve learned in politics?

Maintaining perspective. It is easy to get jaded by losses and setbacks. I think most people enter politics because they care about some issue or candidate. I try to remember why I cared enough to get involved in the first place.