Beto O’Rourke, YouTube’s Eugene Lee Yang, and the Texas Democratic Party Release “We Need to Talk About Texas” Documentary

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Today, the Texas Democratic Party is proud to announce the release of “We Need to Talk About Texas,” a documentary film produced by YouTube’s Eugene Lee Yang, featuring Yang’s exclusive sit-down interview with Beto O’Rourke. The film, using footage from a town-hall-style fundraiser event earlier this summer in San Antonio, lends a voice to Texans as they ask about the issues facing our state. The film was released today on the Try Guys YouTube channel (8M subscribers). 

“I wanted to make this documentary because I’m so damn proud to call myself a Texan, and I, like so many other folks in the state, know that current Republican leadership is not reflective of who we are or what we believe,” said comedian and producer Eugene Lee Yang. “Texas Republicans have embraced harmful, backward policies, despite the fact that the majority of Texans don’t agree with them. Beto, and so many of the Democrats running up and down the ballot, are committed to showing up for the people of this state, addressing their needs, and making Texas work for all Texans. They’re running because it’s clear that we need new leadership that genuinely cares about making folks’ lives easier. That’s who we should be electing to office, and that’s why I’m going to continue doing everything I can to support them in that effort.”

Throughout the fundraiser town hall this past July, Yang and his production company 2nd Try collected audience and direct-to-camera footage for the documentary, directed by Yang. The documentary aims to showcase the strength of the Democratic resistance in Texas, the issues facing working Texans, and the need for new political leadership in the state. 

Donations received in promotion of the film will go to the Texas Democratic Party and Beto for Texas to support the organizing efforts of Democratic candidates up and down the ballot, in addition to voter registration and GOTV efforts. The July event and the final documentary were produced by Collective Impact, alongside Eugene Lee Yang.