In a northwest San Antonio storefront, a blind pug waddles past a large “Beto for Governor” sign, while Chair of Bexar County Democrats Michelle Lowe Solis types away in her back office. 25 minutes across town, an old huskie lounges next to a cardboard cutout of Donald Trump as Chair of Bexar County Republicans Kris Coons chats in an eighth floor glass meeting room.
These women run Bexar County’s elections alongside their political pooches, coordinating dozens of representatives, hundreds of districts and ensuring thousands of ballots be cast. Though from opposite parties, they expressed similar concerns and goals, echoing a message directed at youth: If you care about the direction of this country, now’s the time to get out and vote.
Both moms living in San Antonio, Coons and Solis lead teams of volunteers in their efforts to get Republicans and Democrats elected, county and statewide. These women had to campaign for themselves as well, earning the vote of their fellow party members to serve a two-year term as party chair.
Coons, elected to her position in July 2024 against two male challengers, is a long-time Republican. She and her husband moved to San Antonio 14 years ago and are raising their 13-year-old daughter here. From appointing election officials and registering candidates to posting notices and preparing for primary-day polling, Coons said her motivation comes from her deep concern for the country.
“We do it for the love of city, state and country. That’s why I ran,” Coons said. “I make it come together because I’m just most concerned for our country.”
Solis, Trinity class of ‘84 alum and mother of two former Trinity students, has been involved with the Democratic Party for decades. She expressed similar concern for the country; she and many others, she said, have a feeling that it’s on a “very dark path.” She explained that many people like herself get engaged in party politics because they see a mismatch in the priorities of their leaders.
“People are feeling the fact that things are not affordable, and things are getting worse,” Solis said. “For some reason, we can always prioritize bombing people in another country before we give healthcare to Americans. So I think folks are understanding that priorities are skewed right now.”
Despite a shared concern about the country’s direction, the chairs stand behind parties and candidates with widely differing views. Still, Coons and Solis showed equal passion about one main issue: getting the youth out to vote.
Coons, while looking at voting data to improve Bexar County Republicans’ election strategy, has found that people aged 18 to 32 years old “just don’t vote consistently” from year to year. To get the youth involved, Coons is going digital.
“I know that you young people would look at me and say, ‘Kris, social media is it’,” Coons said. “That’s the way of the world, you know.”
Solis, on the Democrats’ side, has also witnessed a lack of youth voter turnout. She, too, is turning towards social media to engage voters, implementing a new strategy of posting and boosting videos online.
The move towards social media helps both county parties get their messages out to more people and reach younger audiences. In their messages, both chairs had questions for their party’s to consider:
“Are you happy with the way things are going right now in the city, state and country? You know the answer: No. People are very frustrated,” Coons said. “Our answer is, ‘come on, this is your opportunity. Get out and vote for these great candidates that we have and we can make it happen’.”
“Can Americans survive day to day?” Solis said. “That is the thing people worry about, and if you can’t answer that question in a positive way, then it’s really important to vote, and it’s really important to vote Democratic.”
The chairs spoke of other ways to get youth involved, such as the Bexar County Young Republicans and Bexar County Young Democrats affiliate organizations that connect younger generations with party efforts. These groups, like both chairs and all the people who staff their offices, are entirely made up of unpaid volunteers.
Coons attributes much of her success to the volunteers around her. The Bexar County Young Republicans, in particular, go above and beyond in the work they do for the San Antonio community, Coons said.
“I have been surrounded by the most amazing volunteers and the greatest people that care about what’s happening,” Coons said. “That has helped tremendously. You cannot do it alone, trust me, you cannot.”
Still, the aggregate turnout has shown a lack of youth engagement, she said. Whether highly involved or politically uninterested, college-aged adults do not participate enough and need to vote in elections, Coons and Solis emphasized.
“If you wanna make a difference, you’ve gotta vote. Your vote matters,” Solis said. “If you want the American dream — ‘cause I see it slipping away for your generation — you’ve got to participate and you’ve got to be involved.”
Continuing their work as chairs of the Republicans and Democrats of Bexar County, Solis and Coons are preparing for the midterm elections in November. They each hope that their work will be reflected on election day and that young people will take a stand by casting their ballots.
*Apple Garcia was a contributing reporter for this piece.
