On The Record: Shondra Wygal

For this episode of On The Record, we speak with Shondra Wygal, president of the Texas Young Democrats.

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

My family has always been kind of political. I actually went to a traditional African-American Baptist church. I started becoming political there. A woman from my church was one of the ones who got me involved during the 80s. While in college I didn’t do much in politics, but I started when I came back to Houston.

What was your personal progression from being interested in politics and the issues, to actually becoming involved?

It all started because of the 2000 national elections, after everything that happened with Bush and Gore. One thing that really got me upset was the issue of the popular vote versus the electoral vote. It was then that my friends and I became really angry with the political system and started to become active.

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

Probably education. I have one niece in public school, and the testing that they have to do makes them not well-rounded. All they do is over-test these kids to the point where that is the only thing they know how to do. Also, health care is an issue, particularly for children and veterans. The last is probably pollution, and what we can do about it. We have a beautiful state and tons of it, but I feel in lots of the major cities people have forgotten about that and how we need to take care of it.

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

Yes, but what position that would be I have no idea.

Who are some of your political heroes?

Barbara Jordan, Garnet Coleman, and Lyndon Johnson. Johnson had a really good heart when it came to racial politics. He always went against the grain and I respect that. Of course also the Clintons, and our late Ann Richards.

What are you looking forward to in the coming cycle?

I hope that we will have a better turnout. I hope that we can get more young people and people of color. I also want to see organizations get out and help bring people to the polls who are not able to bring themselves.

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

I would tell people to always be honest and do the right thing. We have too many of them that try to play politics, and it’s not working for them. Somewhere along the road we lost the teachings of basic ethics and we need to get back to that. I would also tell people to not give up so fast when they are just getting started; things take time.

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

People who will do the right thing for the organization and not themselves. The most important resources would have to first be volunteers, and of course money second.

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

It’s always better to do the right thing and be the better person. Sometimes you need to just walk away and not get caught up in bad situations.