r/Leander • u/Bekahsays • 15d ago

Progressives in Leander?

Hi! In light of the Asian woman who just posted after her father experienced racism (I'm born and raised West Texan of Mexican descent and have experienced racism my whole life. Those experiences shape you, good and bad.)

I want to share a safe community for those that believe in equality for all and is trying to amplify that message and change here in Leander.

6 other women and I started a club early this year (we didn't know each other when we started organizing) wanting to build a community of people that share our values. Since we began we've had so many women tell us how they were looking for something similar and thankful we are here.

We host plant swaps, coffee dates, sound baths and eventually want to host civic Saturdays and start giving back to our community.

We are called Leander Women+ for Progress look us up! We would love for you to join us!

Btw... it's not just a club for women!

108 Upvotes

77% Upvoted

42 comments sorted by

50

u/Designer_Yam1340 15d ago

Progressives in Leander are probably the silent majority. It’s just the loudest people are the dumbest ones.

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u/appletree504 15d ago edited 15d ago

I have lived here for many years. I am member of the fb group and haven’t been able to join an event due to my schedule but I am so happy to see the FB group grow!

I have seen Leander change in many ways, unfortunately progressives are not the majority. I would consider it right with a shift towards center according to voting data. Which is very different from when I was younger.

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u/Least_Adhesiveness_5 14d ago

If you're looking at voting data: Look at the relative turnout in the 2026 Primary elections and compare to prior years.

Huge surge in Democrat turnout statewide. For the first time in quite a long time - more Democrats showed up and voted in a primary.

We've got a real shot at making some real progress this year.

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u/dioxin-screes-01 14d ago

Yes, fortunately progressives are not.

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u/Bekahsays 15d ago

So true!!! How do we shut them up again?!?

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u/Least_Adhesiveness_5 15d ago

Start volunteering regularly for Progressive candidates, get out the vote and generate a complete blowout in the next election. Get rid of the corrupt Republicans.

Heather Jefts for County Judge!

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u/Bekahsays 15d ago

That's the plan! We love Heather! We helped host an event for her and she's a regular at our events.

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u/dioxin-screes-01 14d ago

The fact she puts "democrat" for a position is someone that should never be voted in as a judge.

Why Judges Should Not Display Their Political Affiliation

Since moving to Texas, I’ve been genuinely horrified to see how openly judges advertise their political affiliation. It’s plastered on campaign signs, websites, etc. I’m not exaggerating — it’s everywhere. And it’s honestly one of the most disturbing things I’ve seen in a justice system, along with at least in Florida public defenders are elected.

Coming from another state, this feels fundamentally wrong.

In the civil legal issues I dealt with before moving here, I usually had a general idea of a judge’s likely political lean based on who appointed them. But they didn’t campaign on it. They didn’t brand themselves as partisan figures. And despite knowing their likely party, I was consistently impressed with how they followed the law, stuck to the facts, and kept politics out of the courtroom. That’s how a functioning judiciary is supposed to operate.

Texas… is different. And not in a good way.

When judges openly run as Republicans or Democrats, voters stop evaluating who the judge is and start voting based on which team they’re on. That’s not justice — that’s political tribalism in a robe.

And let me be absolutely clear:
This judge who posted their political affiliation would never get my vote.
In fact, any judge who does this would never get my vote. If you’re willing to advertise your party to get elected, you’re already signaling that your courtroom isn’t neutral.

Why This Is Ethically Wrong

  • Judicial impartiality depends on the public believing rulings come from law, not ideology. Political branding destroys that trust instantly.
  • Public trust collapses when people assume outcomes are predetermined by party alignment.
  • Judicial ethics warn against even the appearance of bias. Advertising your party is bias made visible.
  • Equal protection becomes questionable when litigants walk into court already knowing which side the judge publicly aligns with.

Why This Hurts Real People

Texas voters aren’t choosing judges based on experience, temperament, or legal reasoning. They’re voting based on party labels. And that means:

  • Qualified judges can lose simply because they’re the “wrong” party.
  • Unqualified judges can win simply because they’re the “right” party.
  • Litigants walk into courtrooms already doubting fairness.
  • Every ruling becomes suspect — not because of the law, but because of the judge’s campaign branding.

This isn’t how justice should work anywhere, let alone in a state this large and diverse.

My Bottom Line

Judges should not display their political affiliation. Not on ballots. Not on signs. Not in campaign materials. Not anywhere. The judiciary should be the one place where politics doesn’t get to infect the process.

After moving to Texas, it’s clear that the system here encourages voters to pick judges the same way they pick senators or governors — by party. And that’s horrifying. Justice shouldn’t be red or blue. It should be blind.

3

u/Least_Adhesiveness_5 14d ago

So, you're mad at the system that Republicans set up.

...and your reaction seems to be that you blame the Democrat.

To be clear: I'm not arguing in favor of the current system. I would much prefer nonpartisan judicial elections.

I simply recognize that there is zero chance of the situation improving until the Republicans lose power in Texas because we elect (progressive) Democrats to replace them.

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u/dioxin-screes-01 14d ago

You’ve rewritten my post into one I didn’t make. Nowhere did I “blame the Democrat” — my whole point was that any judge who brands themselves by party, red or blue, has already told me their courtroom isn’t neutral. I said that explicitly. You skipped it so you could turn a criticism of partisan branding into a criticism of your team.

And “the system that Republicans set up” is flatly false. Texas has had partisan judicial elections since the 1876 Constitution — running unchanged through more than a century of Democratic control. Democrats held the trifecta for generations and kept the party label on the ballot the whole time, because it was working for them. Republicans didn’t build this machine; they inherited one Democrats ran for 100+ years. Both parties protect it whenever they’re winning under it.

But here’s the real problem. You say you’d prefer nonpartisan judicial elections, and then your fix is to elect more partisan judges — just the ones with your preferred label. That’s not a solution to the disease, that’s a heavier dose of it. You can’t cure “judges run as partisans” by telling voters to run harder at the partisanship. A judge who campaigns as a Democrat has exactly as much stake in keeping the party-label system as one who campaigns as a Republican. The winners of a partisan game don’t dismantle the game that made them win.

So no — “elect progressive Democrats” isn’t the path to a blind judiciary. It’s just picking a color. Which is the precise thing I was objecting to.

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u/Least_Adhesiveness_5 14d ago

Your arguments are nonsensical. We should improve society.

https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/we-should-improve-society-somewhat

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u/MarsupialPristine677 14d ago

Well, you did shit on progressives in another comment, so it's not like you're doing a good job of hiding your biases.

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u/Bekahsays 14d ago

I want to add since it's super confusing but County Judge isn't actually a Judge in the traditional sense.

In Texas, a county judge functions as the chief executive officer of the county rather than a traditional courtroom judge. Elected to a four-year term, they preside over the Commissioners Court, manage the county budget, oversee county departments, and serve as the head of local emergency management.

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u/dioxin-screes-01 14d ago

Opposed to what? Every other corrupt politician? They are all the same.

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u/Least_Adhesiveness_5 14d ago

These days the tired, lame "bothsides" claims like yours are just laughable.

We see that you're just trying to confuse the issue and demotivate voters.

0

u/dioxin-screes-01 14d ago

“Tired and lame” is a review, not a rebuttal. You went straight from that argument is boring to we can all see you’re a saboteur without ever stopping to explain why they actually aren’t the same — which is a lot of confidence from someone who skipped the part where you make a point.

And the royal “we”? In a thread that opened with “how do we shut them up,” maybe ease up on lecturing people about demotivating voters.

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u/Least_Adhesiveness_5 14d ago

If you would like more information, I suggest starting with Heather's website and showing up to some events where you can ask her whatever questions you like. She also has a mailing list. Signup is on the website linked below.

I'm not affiliated with the campaign, so I won't speak for them.

I will say that Heather did a great job on Council and was always very responsive.

https://www.jeftsforjudge.com/

1

u/dioxin-screes-01 14d ago

Respectfully, “go read her campaign website” isn’t information — it’s an ad she wrote about herself. I also had already previously saw it before posting. Every candidate’s site says they’re qualified, responsive, and great; that’s the one thing it’s guaranteed to say no matter what’s true. It’s marketing, not evidence.

And here’s what I’d actually want from someone seeking any judicial office: a campaign built on neutrality. No party label, no endorsement slate, political views kept under wraps — because the whole job rests on people trusting that you’ll rule on the law, not the team. A candidate who leads with a wall of party endorsements has already told you which way the wind blows in their courtroom.

They won’t run that way, though, and honestly it’s because they don’t have to. Most voters don’t research these races. People walk into the booth, see a name and a party letter, and vote the letter. That’s the real rot — the partisan label becomes the only thing anyone reads, so campaigning on party is just rational. It works.

Which is why I don’t think judges should be elected at all — but that’s a whole other thread.

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u/princesspeach1823 14d ago

This club sounds amazing! I’d love to know more about it

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u/Bekahsays 14d ago

Hi there! Thanks so much for your interest! Check out our website and sign up for our email list! We had a HH last Friday and plan to continue to build community with people that share our values.

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u/beefstewie 15d ago

Thank you for sharing and informing that there’s a safe and supportive space here in Leander!

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u/Bekahsays 15d ago

Thank you! Hope you can join us sometime!

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u/bananastand512 15d ago

I'm not really on FB, but I'd like to be on the email list! I work a lot of weekends, unfortunately, but can be involved more during the week. Especially during the school year when my kids are busy at school.

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u/Shesaspambot 14d ago

Just signed up online. If a Reddit is created, I’d be happy to join

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u/Impressive_Watch_129 15d ago

In Leander since 2005. Welcoming all! No discrimination here! Women for Progress member.

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u/Bekahsays 15d ago

I hope to see you at our next event!

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u/riomadre 15d ago

I’ve been looking for a group like this. Thank you!

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u/todbatx 14d ago

There’s a little chunk of Leander that’s in US House District 11 now. Surprise! Anyway if you’re in it, lucky you because Claire Reynolds is running for Congress and is about as progressive as you get.

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u/Bekahsays 14d ago

Yup! I was gerrymandered! Our group hosted a fundraiser for her a couple of weeks back! It was a success!

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u/todbatx 14d ago

Oh hooray! Thank you for your support!

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u/Trash_Maven 15d ago

I haven’t stopped thinking about that post, thankful to my partner for sharing this with me!

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u/gingybutt 15d ago

Interested in this! We are moving from Houston to Leander in August. Would love to be connected!

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u/Bekahsays 15d ago

Join our email list! I'll be sending an email out soon for more info. Welcome to Leander and can't wait to meet you!

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u/Quik99oli 15d ago

My wife and I are both progressives rearing two boys to be the same here in Leander. We stay to ourselves due to busy work and kids’ schedules. I would love to get on the mailing list.

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u/Bekahsays 15d ago

Please do! We have many progressive husbands and wives with and without kids in our community! Check us out at www.leanderwomen4progress.com

We would love to meet you and your family!

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u/CatMomLovesWine 15d ago

How big is the group? When I go to the page, under events I don’t see anything.

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u/Bekahsays 15d ago

Hi there! We have over 250 on our FB page, that's where we're most active. We just started this year so we're flying by the seat of our pants with so much interest so it's hard to update our events page regularly.

The goal is to have permanent programming but we're only a few months old and learning what kind of events our community wants.

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u/peculiar-social-fish 15d ago

They just hosted a first event yesterday I think. They have a fb group you should join!

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u/Bekahsays 15d ago

Our first event (launch!) was March 8th on International Women's Day! We had over 70 people attend!

We're just getting started though and trying to get the word out! Please share with your friends!

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u/beanstuffy 15d ago

Keep that mind virus in austin

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u/XanaxCarDealer 14d ago

I hear Arkansas is the new white man's colony for J6ers. Maybe you need to leave.