On The Record: Kay Sweat

For this episode of On The Record, we speak with Kay Sweat, Committeewoman for SDEC District 5.

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

From an early age I listened to my parents, aunts, and uncles discuss political issues. They all were strong Democrats. My parents always said I could vote for anyone I wanted to as long as it was a Democrat.

What was your personal progression from the role of activist to Committeewoman of SDEC 5?

I moved back to my hometown of Lexington in 1975. My husband was an active Steelworkers Union member. We started getting involved in the convention process in the late 1970’s, and when I retired from the Postal Service in 1998 I became Lee County Chair. I was not allowed to be a delegate or hold any political party office before then because of my job at the Postal Service. A Democratic Club was started in Lee County in 1996, and I have been President of the Club since it was organized. I helped Mary Moore, the previous SD 5 Committeewoman, with her duties, and when she moved from SD5 I was selected by the SD5 Executive Committee to take her place. The SDEC appointed me to the position in Jan. 2005, and I was elected at the 2006 State Convention to serve until the 2008 Convention.

What would you say are the primary issues concerning Lexington?

The primary issues concerning Lexington deal with our youth. We are concerned about our schools. We have a small school, and it is
sometimes hard to attract qualified teachers. We have very few jobs for the children that want to work while in high school, and nothing to bring them back here after college.

Alcoa is just north of us, and that causes many concerns about the quality of the air around us and about our water rights.

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

I have no plans to run for any other positions. I am Democratic County Chair, President of the Lee County Democratic Club and SD5
Committeewoman. I enjoy these positions and feel like that is where I can help the most to further Democratic ideas. At this time I plan to run for the SD5 Committeewoman position again in 2008.

Who are some of your political heroes?

I have several Democratic heroes. Out of elected Democrats, John Kennedy and Ann Richards are the ones that influenced me the most. I also would give hero status to all the nameless hardworking Democrats that are out there every day giving their time and money to try to get Democrats elected.

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

It is hard for me to think of a single defining moment, but if I had to choose, having the honor of being selected by my friends in SD5 to be a delegate to the 2004 National Convention was definitely one.

What are you looking forward to in the coming cycle?

I am looking forward to helping elect a Democratic president. We have many great candidates to choose from.

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

I would advise young people just getting involved to listen and learn from the older Democrats. I would also advise them to not quit when they lose. If they are not happy with the way local party business is done, they need to stay involved. The only way to try to change anything in an organization is to work from the inside, not from the outside looking in.

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

A political organization never has enough volunteers who are willing and able to give the time needed to get everything done. Some of these jobs are not glamorous, but they still help out the party.

Tell us a little bit about the SDEC 5, and what roles you feel like you fulfill, official or otherwise.

Senate District 5 covers 14 counties. It has many active hardworking county chairs. We have a SD5 caucus every year. Each year the caucus is held in a different county in the district, which helps all of the counties keep up with what is going on in the rest of the Senate district. Bill Holcomb is the SD5 Committeeman, and we share the responsibilities of the Senate district. We are available to assist the county chairs in SD5 with their duties. These include running the primary, finding candidates for all levels of the Democratic ticket, and helping candidates get the vote out and introducing them to the voters in SD5. Another of our duties is being a link between Democrats at the local level and the Texas Democratic Party. As SDEC members, we attend SDEC meetings, serve on various committees, and attend to TDP business between state conventions. SDEC members are loyal party activists. It is a rewarding job, and we meet old friends and make new ones throughout our service.