By Debbie O’Reilly, Women Organizing Women Democrats President 

Collin County Democrats,

Plano is in a fight for its future.

The runoff for Plano City Council Place 7 is not just about one seat. It’s not about Ann Bacchus. In Ann’s own words, “It is about protecting Plano’s brand of excellence. It is about keeping control local. It is about honoring our past, accepting our present, and planning for our future by taking a stand to protect and give every member of our city the opportunity to feel appreciated and valued.”

It’s also about more than Plano. An organized and fanatical group Empower Texans has set its sights on infiltrating local elections to jam as many candidates as they can into city councils and school boards. Through the Plano Citizens Coalition (also known as The Angry Crowd or Hate Slate), they have again recruited a slate to spread their dangerous and self-serving agenda to strip municipalities down to their bare bones.

PCC candidates organized their 2017 campaign behind their dog-whistle “No apartments!” and “Keep Plano Suburban.” In 2019, they are pushing a new set of deceitful and divisive one-liners (“Corruption in City Council!”), fit more for a headline in the National Enquirer than a serious municipal race.

Ann Bacchus is running in the seat that Councilman Tom Harrison stepped down from. You may know Harrison from his anti-Islam Facebook post. Do we want to replace him with Lily Bao, his PCC cohort who calls Mayor LaRosiliere an “anti-Asian racist?” Do we want her campaign’s Islamophobic hit pieces against Ann Bacchus to go unreprimanded, setting a trend for Plano politics based on personal attacks rather than policy?

PCC seated TWO council members on Plano City Council in 2017 and with this runoff are jockeying to place two more – Lily Bao and Shelby Williams – to give the council a split 4/4 vote. They have also placed THREE trustees on the Plano ISD School Board, a dangerous reality considering that ET supports limiting state spending on public education, reducing educators’ rights and benefits, and redirecting taxpayer dollars to fund private schools.

If this fringe group gains control, new businesses will avoid Plano. The Collin Creek Mall redevelopment will stall, and our parks, schools, and libraries will never be the same again.

Plano is the first pillar Empower Texans is trying to take over before taking on Frisco, Allen, Richardson, or McKinney. Why else would Gov. Abbott put his thumb on the scale in Plano?

Who will stop this cancer? Collin County Democrats! We will send ET packing for good.  We will band together, organize, spread this message, and fight harder to build a fortress against future attacks and protect representatives who truly care about the city and the office they serve.

Plano is the bluest city in Collin County (Beto and Mark Phariss for Texas Senate District 8 both took Plano), but Plano Democrats must show up in WAVES at the polls in this runoff.

Democrats aren’t the only ones who know Ann Bacchus is better for Plano. The Plano Firefighters Association knows it. All of the former mayors and current mayor of Plano know it. Newly elected Councilwoman Maria Tu knows it. Moderate Republicans know it, too, and they don’t want fringe groups slating candidates with no understanding of how the city works to win elections.

For a few short but powerful weeks, extend beyond your comfort zone and give everything you can to help Ann Bacchus get elected:

• Volunteer for Ann. Email Ann’s Campaign Manager at johnshanks@gmail.com to block walk, phone bank, or text. This is truly a grassroots effort to defend our turf.
• Donate to Ann Bacchus and help her campaign pay for mailers, push cards, digital ads, texting, and phone banking. Money means outreach, and outreach means getting out the vote.
• Share this article with anyone in Collin County who needs to know what is going on whether they live in Plano or not. Maybe they can volunteer or donate. Talk to your Plano neighbors. Then make sure your Plano friends vote in the runoff.

Collin County Democrats, a win for Ann Bacchus in June will energize and embolden Democrats for 2020. Protect your city and your county of excellence and support Ann Bacchus for Plano City Council Place 7 now.

Please also share this information to anyone who will need to absentee vote. This link includes the application for an absentee ballot.  Applications must be received no later than close of business on MAY 28. All voted ballots that are returned on or before 7PM on Election Day will be counted. The Application for Ballot By Mail must be mailed to Collin County Early Voting Clerk 2010 Redbud Blvd., Suite 102 McKinney, TX 75069.

Early Voting: May 28 – June 4.

Election Day: Saturday, June 8

If you did not vote in the general election, you can still vote in the runoff.

If you voted in the general election, your vote does not carry over to the runoff.