On The Record: Steven Bollinger

This week I talked with Steven Bollinger, past president of the Texas Young Democrats and campaign manager for State Representative Chuck Hopson in 2006.

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

When I was 12, I looked at my mother and told her I was a Democrat when Bush was running against Dukakis in ’88. Our class was split into debate teams; I was placed on the Dukakis side and we won the debate.

I remember block walking by myself when I first got started and not really having any clue what I was doing.

I voted for Clinton my senior year of high school as my first vote.

In 1996, I transferred to University of North Texas and became involved on campus, and eventually became the president of the College Democrats.

I started an internship in 1998 as campaign director at the Denton County party office and learned about campaigns, which led to my first paid position.

What was your personal progression from the role of activist to the role of former president of the Young Democrats?

I became involved and got to know people in the area. I learned about Denton County by living there, volunteering, and getting involved. I learned the ropes through community volunteer work. I was approached to run for campus president. I then became involved in the Texas Young Democrats, which led to me running for president of the Texas Young Democrats.

What would you say are the primary issues concerning west Texas?

I would say water and energy. West Texas has the second largest oil company stationed here.

Wind energy is becoming a huge industry right now. There is a lot of open land everywhere, which makes it prime for this kind of technology. Wind energy is cheaper energy and more energy efficient. This is great for the local economy, because it creates so many more job opportunities for the area.

Education and jobs are issues that make it similar to other areas.

How do local politics affect your family?

My family owned an ice plant, which we sold in 1998, but it was regulated by quality standards by the government. We happily complied with the standards for the control of freon and other harmful substances.

Of course increasing state property taxes are an issue for everyone, along with environmental laws and improvements.

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

I don’t have any current plans, but never say never.

West Texas is not very friendly to Democrats. Hopson was convinced we’d keep the seat here but we were targeted by Republicans to lose. This is a very Republican area, but Hopson proved it can be done. The County Commissioner is a Democrat in the area, so it is possible. This area shouldn’t be abandoned by the party.

The population is large in west Texas and shouldn’t be left out; we should try and gain more seats in the area.

Who are some of your political heroes?

President Kennedy, President Clinton, Senator Edwards, Max Sandlin are all people that I really admire.

Bill Brannon has had a huge impact in my life. I consider him my mentor and I would do anything for him, he truly is an inspiration to me in my career.

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

When I was working for Max Sandlin, Tom Delay began his illegal redistricting and Democrats began losing seats. We were defenseless against the Republicans’ agenda. I promised it would never happen again, and I would do everything I could to make sure Democrats weren’t the victims.

Winning this last election with Chuck Hopson was a great moment. The Republican Party targeted him specifically. We won and it was a tough, long fight.

This last election made me think a lot about my career and politics.

What are you looking forward to in the coming cycle?

The primary season will be fun and interesting. There are 16 candidates total including Democrats and Republicans. In West Texas I found an Obama sticker on the back of a car, and I have spoken to Republicans in the area that say they might vote for him.

I prefer Edwards, but I’d love to see what happens. Governor Richardson looks good, too, and I wouldn’t count him out.

What happens between now and then will be interesting to watch. Issues have an affect on candidate and voters, so that will shape the race from here.

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

I took a different route; I waited on finishing college and worked in the field for experience and kept up with current events. You must have a passion for it. If you don’t have a passion for it, don’t do it. There are bad hours, bad pay, and frustrating situations involved; you have to keep your passion through it all.

Get involved within the party at whatever level and learn as much as possible. Being involved is different than class.

Have you ever considered making politics a career?

I’m not sure if I would start a business; that takes money. I consider myself a consultant. I recently assisted Molly Beth Malcolm in her successful race for the Texarkana College Board of Trustees.

If the timing and people were right, and I felt it was needed, then I might consider a business venture.

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

Resources, and by that I am referring to money and people. There are never enough of those two things in a political organization.

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

Definitely patience; it is something of which I have very little. I learned I have to have patience in this career. Elections and campaigns make mistakes, but it is my job to take every measure to prevent them from happening and dealing with them when they do.

Tell us a little bit about the Hopson campaign, and what roles you feel like you fulfilled in that group, official or otherwise.

I was Campaign Manager for Representative Chuck Hopson. I filled in any gaps there might have been by block walking and helping any way I could. Ours was one of the most expensive races in the state, and we had a terrific fundraiser, so we had the resources to run our campaign properly.

I consulted with the other directors and checked in with their progress to ensure success. I made sure everything worked by checking the nuts and bolts of the operation.