On The Record: Hector Nieto

For this episode of On The Record, we speak with Hector Nieto, the Deputy Communications Director for the Texas Democratic Party and former legislative director for Texas Representative Rafael Anchia.

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

I first got involved with politics and the legislative process in 1997 during my sophomore year in college. I was attending school here in Austin and I needed a job for spending money.

As a result, I began working as a messenger for the Office of the Sergeant-At-Arms at the Texas House of Representatives. Although I told myself I was only going to work at the capitol for about a semester or two, my boss decided to assign me as a messenger to Speaker Pete Laney and the political bug quickly bit me.

The next thing I know, I had several promotions. From messenger to Supervisor to Reading Clerk, I spent those five years learning the ins and outs of the political and legislative process at the side of Speaker Pete Laney.

Somewhere in between I also found the time to graduate from school. I always joke around about how I graduated from St. Edwards University, but was educated at the State Capitol.

What was your personal progression from the role of activist to the role of legislative director?

Unfortunately, I never really had the opportunity to be an activist. A couple of months after I left the State Capitol in December of 2001, I was hired by Congressman Martin Frost and began working out of his Fort Worth congressional office. It was during those three years of working for Congressman Frost as a Field Representative and campaign staffer that I met Rafael Anchia, who at the time was a DISD School Board Member.

From our first meeting, I was very impressed with Rep. Anchia. He was articulate and always had the best interests of his constituents in mind.

We worked closely together during the 2002 and 2004 reelection campaigns for Congressman Frost, so it was only natural for me to decide to work for the newly elected state representative after Congressman Frost lost in 2004. And as a result of my extensive legislative experience, Rep. Anchia assigned me to the position of Legislative Director.

How do state politics affect your neighborhood?

State politics affects me now like it never had before. As a father of a two year old boy, I question if the State of Texas will be able to provide my son with a good public school education.

Unfortunately, the Republican controlled state legislature has made that impossible. Instead of investing more money in our public schools, Republican politicians would prefer to give tax cuts to the wealthiest.

In addition, the cost of college education for my son continues to skyrocket every year. At this rate, I’m not certain if I’ll be able to afford the cost of tuition when he is ready to attend college. This is why I have made it my mission to help elect more Democrats.

I am confident that with a Democratic controlled legislature, my son will have his best interests taken care of.

Who are some of your political heroes?

Congressman Martin Frost would be my political hero. His ability to serve his constituents was always impressive. No matter what the request was, whether it was big or small, Congressman Frost was always there to be helpful to his district.

Additionally, his commitment to involve younger people in the process, whether it was in his campaign or in his Congressional office, was admirable. It is not everyday that a senior Member of the United States Congress will allow a young 22-year-old staffer be his official representative in his congressional district. It was an honor to work for him, and I will always be grateful for the experience I gained.

What are you looking forward to in the coming cycle?

I am looking forward to taking the fight to Republicans again.

Last cycle we forced Republicans to play defense in districts that were draw to elect Republicans and they lost. I know we can do the same this cycle. With the control Texas House of Representatives on the line, I can guarantee you that Republicans are running scared. With major counties like Harris on the brink of turning blue, this cycle can be very successful for Democrats all across the state.

Most importantly, John Cornyn is more vulnerable than ever. Texans need a senator that will truly represent them in Washington. I look forward to helping the Democratic nominee take on John Cornyn and finally return responsible government to the State of Texas.

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

I was born and raised in Laredo, Texas by parents who continue to be staunch Democrats. Both my sisters and I learned at an early age the value of voting, and more importantly, the importance of voting a straight Democratic ticket.

Although my parents may not have been active at the grassroots level, they were consistent voters. My parents are in the Voter Action Network as triple D's. They are proud of that fact.

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

I would recommend to any young person who is thinking about getting involved in politics to try being a messenger at the State Capitol. As a messenger, you have access to the House Floor while the House is in Session and you have one on one access with all legislators of both political parties.

As I mentioned earlier, I was raised a Democrat, but it was watching the political and legislative process on the House Floor where my Democratic values were solidified.

Messengers are part of the limited few who have access to House Floor and actually get to see the “sausage” made.

Believe me, it is not a pretty process. However, I will always remember that time as an educating experience.

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

Political organizations never have enough people who speak Spanish. Ever since I started working for Congressman Frost, I have based a majority of my career on the fact that I am bilingual.

My ability to speak Spanish is priceless as point person for Spanish media at the Texas Democratic Party It is unfortunate, but I am the first bilingual spokesperson in the history of the TDP. The Hispanic community is the fastest growing demographic, and it is imperative that we communicate our Democratic message with their language.

Since I have been at the TDP, we have made great strides in communicating with Spanish speaking communities, but we cannot do it alone. We need more people who are able to articulate our message in more than one language.