Door-to-Door Recap, September 26 to October 4
Showing Up Matters: What I Heard from 263 Doors
From September 26 to October 4, I walked Palasota, South College, Pecan, Marshall, McArthur, Patton, West 28th, Faith, Rice, Harper, Marvins Run, and Aggie Way. In just over a week, I knocked on 263 doors, had 101 conversations, and put up 48 new yard signs. Here is what neighbors shared.
Neighborhood pride runs deep
On street after street, I heard about longtime families, close-knit blocks, and neighbors who still look out for each other. A Rosedale resident put it well: "It's nice and tight-knit. Neighbors look out for each other." That spirit is what makes District 1 special, and it is worth protecting.
Parks should be safe and welcoming
Our parks are gathering places for families and kids. Residents want to keep what makes them special while making sure they stay safe after dark. As one Hickory resident told me, "The parks are great for the neighborhood. We just need them to be safer at night."
Streets, drainage, and basic upkeep
Neighbors pointed out drainage that backs up, overgrown ditches, and narrow streets that make everyday access harder. These are basic city services, and they deserve consistent attention, not just a response after something goes wrong.
Showing up matters
Listening starts with being there. Again and again, residents told me how much they appreciated a candidate coming to their door, asking questions, and taking the time to hear the answers. A 30-year resident on Marshall said, "I do not think anyone running has come to introduce themselves until you." I take that seriously, and I plan to keep showing up.
Meet Charles Densey
One of the best conversations of the week happened at Patton and Scanlan. Charles Densey was cleaning up his longtime family property, and we spent nearly 45 minutes swapping stories about his family, the neighborhood's history, and the community he has known for decades.
Charles's family roots in the Darwin-Scanlan neighborhood go back to around 1975, when his father bought the property after Charles entered the military. His father raised 12 children there. Charles remembers a neighborhood where families looked out for one another, kids ate at each other's houses, and his mother sat beneath a tree watching neighborhood children play on a small swing. "We're still a neighborhood," he told me.
Today, Charles hopes that part of the property could someday become a neighborhood park honoring his parents, a place for children, birthdays, and families to gather again.
That same spirit has followed him through the years. When neighborhood kids were told they could not play tee-ball because there was no coach, Charles stepped up: "Yeah, you do. I'm the coach." He even welcomed a little girl who had been told to wait for a girls' league, worked with her all season, and still remembers the day she made it all the way to home plate as the whole park cheered.
His advice to me was just as memorable: "At least let them know that you didn't forget them."
Why I keep walking
That is exactly why I am out on these streets. Good representation means understanding a neighborhood's history, hearing from the people who know it best, and continuing to show up long after Election Day.
Thank you to Charles and every neighbor who opened the door this week. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. Join the campaign or request a yard sign, and if I have not made it to your door yet, I hope to see you soon.