EPYD & The Longoria Legacy

Elections were held last night for new leadership of the El Paso Young Democrats. The current version of the club has been probably the most successful and well-sustained effort of the organization.

Out-going President Alfredo Longoria and most of the officers chose not to seek another term and are going to be dedicating more of their efforts on their personal lives and other political projects.

I want to be clear and state a major bias here on my part. Not only is Alfredo Longoria a personal friend, but I was part of the effort to create and sustain the organization. I had a front-row seat to the efforts of the El Paso Young Democrats over the last couple of years.

Here's what Longoria's legacy looks like to me. He took a group of motivated young Democrats that weren't particularly liked by the Old Guard because of perceived political alliances and created one of the most powerful and influential Democratic Party clubs. Let's face it, the life-blood of a lot of campaigns came through the El Paso Young Democrats in terms of support and volunteers.

Along with others like Vice-President Jay Desai and Treasurer Mike Apodaca, the organization flourished and was able to work with members of all the factions within the El Paso Democratic Party. The organization had 22 meetings during Longoria's tenure and spent many hours contributing and volunteering in the community. They didn't just say they wanted a better El Paso, they got some skin in the game to make it happen.

And it was all under the direction of Alfredo Longoria. Perhaps Alfredo's biggest legacy over the organization is not only its longevity, but the fact that it was drama-free. There wasn't the in-fighting in the El Paso Young Democrats that typically spoils the efforts of some of the more-established organizations in town.

Longoria over-saw something very important that led to a tanglible change in the way politics is done in this town. When Longoria and the rest of the team launched EPYD, they made sure they did so properly. That is to say, the were the first Democratic organization in town to actually follow the rules and are set up as a Political Action Committee. For years, in some cases DECADES, organizations within the Democratic Party were not set-up as Political Action Committees which is required by law. The El Paso Young Democrats, an organization that is by definition led by young people, did what the older and more established clubs failed to do. In fact, there are a couple that are STILL not set-up properly.

But most clubs within the El Paso Democratic Party followed the lead of the El Paso Young Democrats and have come in to compliance with the law. Now there is a greater level of transparency in El Paso politics and we will be better off for it.

On a personal level, I think Longoria's crowning achievement came last year. As young people, we have never really been embraced by the Old Guard. But in a nod to the influence of the El Paso Young Democrats, some of the Old Guard regime came to the El Paso Young Democrats for help. For me, that is the legacy of Alfredo Longoria's tenure as President of the El Paso Young Democrats. He took the misfits no one else wanted and made them a force to be reckoned with.

The fact is Longoria and Desai were the driving force behind the El Paso Young Democrats and their departure means a great deal to the organization, but I will write more about that later.

Longoria, Desai, and myself have all worked on a lot of campaigns. Usually on the same side, but occasionally on opposite teams. You win some, you lose some. But Longoria and Desai have always been pros and maintain relationships with as many politicos as possible despite being on opposing teams from time to time.

Thats the mark of good competitors.

I should also point out the Longoria, Desai, and others (myself included) don't always agree. There are plenty of times were we disagree. But Longoria is always the peace maker in the group. He's always the one to attempt to find common ground and build consensus.

Longoria would often reach out to people from varying political factions and asked them to address our organization. Even when the membership favored a particular candidate, Longoria ensured that all candidates were welcomed and treated with dignity and respect at our meetings. I can honestly say that is not always the case in the El Paso Democratic Party, but Longoria made it the standard practice in EPYD and no one that has attended our meetings as a guest speaker can ever say they were treated with anything less than dignity and respect.

The void left by the leadership of Longoria and Desai is undeniable and in my opinion, irreplaceable. They, along with others in the organization left a mark on every campaign they touched and had a tangible influence on the local El Paso Democratic Party.