On Wednesday, October 29, a large gathering celebrated the Seventh Annual Williamson County Democratic Party Awards Dinner at the Georgetown Community Center. This premiere fundraising event of the year supports the 2026 Coordinated Campaign, and helps WilCo Democrats maintain a year-round presence in the county.
The four honorees represent Texans at their most courageous, caring and unified.
Meghan Stabler | Jennifer Mattingly Bad Ass Award Honoree
Chair Kim Gilby:
“If there’s a fight for justice happening, chances are Meghan’s right in the middle of it. Meghan has pushed history forward, step by step, law by law, heart by heart. She’s briefed the Congressional LGBT caucus. She’s testified before the U.S. Senate and House, and even stood in the White House as President Obama signed the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Like the woman for whom this award is named, Jennifer Mattingly, Megan embodies strength, kindness, and conviction. As Jennifer related, being a badass, wasn’t about being loud. It was about being brave. It was about standing up for what’s right, even when you stand alone.”
Meghan Stabler:
“Deep in my heart, I want to think about Jennifer for a minute. Jennifer’s middle name was Joy. And we’re all missing that in this current climate that we’re living in right now. And in my heart, I wish I could get back to those dreams, in what has become a reality for every one of us today, and I urge all of us to come together. To double down, to expand our networks, to engage in conversations with people not like us.
You see, we’re journeying together in very turbulent and very dark times. Authoritarianism is here. We face opponents who have a mouth full of scripture and a heart full of hate. However, we must not stoop to their level in what we do or what we say. We have space for every perspective, but we have dangerously lost our way as a country. More than partisan cleverness, we need kindness, we need shared purpose.
I personally feel numb and powerless at times. This paralysis that’s upon us right now is the passing spasm of demagogues who fear progress. Let us fight for a reality that rejects the propaganda and gives our youth a future founded on truth. In the name of democracy, let us all unite on this journey together. I accept this award, not for myself, but as a reminder of the work that we all share, the hope that we must keep allying together, and the change that we must make for the joy of tomorrow.”
Sara Groff | Community Service Award Honoree
State Representative John Bucy:
“This is not the time to be petty or small. In the face of overwhelming threats and oppression, we must be the spark. In times like these, it’s essential to organize, to fight back, to give back and make a difference. We meet cynicism and apathy by overwhelming it with empathy and earnestness, and clear eyed devotion to making a difference whenever and wherever we can. It’s my honor to present the Community Service Award to someone who has always shown us the way forward, whose integrity has never wavered, whose empathy is the foundation on which we can rebuild our community and transform our world.
Sara has been a precinct chair, an activist and a civic leader, giving generously of her time and donations to candidates in Cedar Park, and beyond in Williamson County and the state. Her work as volunteer coordinator for the Williamson County Democratic Party in the 2018 election cycle was essential in winning not just my seat, but multiple elections all across this great county. In founding Cedar Park Pride, Sarah has helped ensure that every Texan knows they are welcome and loved in this community.
Professionally, she is now working for Travis County Judge Amy Brown, where she has been instrumental in flood relief and recovery efforts, spending days and days in the disaster zone. She’s leading the way on developing transit options and increasing affordable housing supply in Central Texas. In response to a random email that had been received by a plethora of legislative offices, Sarah championed and shepherded into law the House bill known as Kevin’s Law. It provides for 30-day emergency refills of insulin and insulin-related equipment of supplies, so that no Texan will ever again die because a pharmacist cannot get a hold of the physician. Sara is always willing to step up, always ready to go above and beyond, opening doors, developing connections, making local and state governments more accessible, transparent, and responsive to those in need.
Sarah has the ability to get to the core of an issue, to remind us of our heart, to be resilient, to uphold our values, even in the face of overwhelming opposition, and to lead in a way that calls her community in and encourages others to give back and do the same. Sarah is unique. She’s a builder. She has no time for negativity. She builds up those around her, and every day makes the people she comes into contact with and her community a better place. Everyone in this room can learn a lot from the way you live your life, Sarah.”
Sara Groff:
“I’m so honored and truly humbled to be receiving this award. I grew up in a family that believed deeply in giving back, people who’ve worked at nonprofits their whole life and spent their lives trying to make the world better for others. I learned from my grandparents, my parents and my cousins that there’s nothing without community. That shaped how I see community. It’s not something we live in. It’s something that we build together piece by piece. Because service is never one person. It’s never a one person, ever. The work that I’ve been able to do, both personally and professionally, has only been possible because of the people around me. So now while my day job is now focused in Travis County, my heart and my service and my dedication to a progressive WilCo will always remain my forever passion.”
The Hon. Nicole Collier | Barbara Jordan Trailblazer Award Honoree
Round Rock Councilwoman Hilda Montgomery:
“Tonight, we honor a woman whose courage and conviction reminds us of Barbara Jordan herself. A woman who believed in public service as both a privilege and a responsibility. Representative Nicole Collier is a respected attorney, small business owner, grandmother, and a mother of three. And she has spent her life working to achieve and to protect the American dream. But what truly defines Nicole isn’t just her leadership. It’s her moral courage. When the Texas House ordered members under surveillance for breaking quorum, she stood alone on principle. She refused to sign away her dignity, choosing instead to protest injustice from the House floor itself. Her act of consciousness drew people to the capital that night. Ordinary Texans gathered to show their support and to chant, “Let her out!” In that moment, Nicole wasn’t just holding her ground. She was holding the line for her democracy, for representation and for every Texan whose voice has been silenced. As Barbara Jordan once said, “What the people want is simple. They want an America as good as its promise.”
Rep. Nicole Collier:
“I truly appreciate this honor and this recognition, WilCo Democrats. But it’s not something that I accept alone, because it’s a collective effort from my fellow Democrats in the House and the Senate, and you on the ground who help elevate the message about preserving our democracy and taking a stand.
You know, when the idea of the need to do a quorum break happened…I was like, oh, you know, there may not be enough Democrats to come together to make it happen. But never underestimate the power of the Wu! He made it happen, and it was amazing. It was tough, but it was amazing. We knew what the mission was. And one of the things that was very helpful was setting the goals at the very start, so that way we had the ability to pinpoint–you know, we met this measure, we met this goal–and that was very key to getting more participation. And that was, again, under the leadership of Chairman Wu. A lot of the time when you take a stand and you go against the grain you have a lot to lose, but if we keep in mind ‘it’s not about me, it’s about us,’ then we can keep our focus and not be afraid to do those things to move the needle forward. And that’s what happened. We met our three goals. We came back.
And once quorum was restored, I came back to fight and didn’t know what I was walking into, because right at that moment I heard these words: ‘If you’re a Democrat that had denied quorum, if you want to leave, you must agree to be released into the custody of police.’ I don’t know about you, but being in the custody of police does not indicate something civil. And knowing the interaction that my community, the black community, has had with law enforcement, I didn’t think anything good could come from agreeing, walking into the custody of police. And maybe I’ll chalk this up to I was pissed. I had to sit through a session where they repeatedly chipped away at the rights of our LGBTQ community, where they devalued and dehumanized people, where they took away programs in our schools for diversity, equity and inclusion. When they created programs–scams–to take money out of our public schools to fund their own private schools, I was pissed. It was very raw. And for you to ask me or to suggest that I should willingly go along with your next scheme, I just wasn’t having it. I couldn’t take that anymore. I was tired of being tired. I was tired of losing, and I was just going to stand my ground. I don’t have any really good flowery statements. I was just fed up. I was fed up, and I said ‘No more. I’m not going along. I’m not going to collaborate with you. We’re not on the same team. I’m not doing it.’”
As Kim said, I don’t work for the America that I see today. I’m working for the one that I want tomorrow. And sometimes you need to be uncomfortable, we have to be uncomfortable. We have to be willing to risk it all. I’m not going to work against the interests of my community, and I suggest you also take that position. You take that position because it doesn’t help my community, it doesn’t help your community when we negotiate against our own interest. We may be outnumbered in the Texas House, but we don’t have to be outwitted. But it’s going to take all of us working together. We need everybody, everybody. Everybody has got to get in, because if we continue to send more (Republican) “reinforcement” to Washington, if we send more “reinforcement” to Texas, we won’t have any rights to fight for, because they will tell us what is ‘right.’ They’re already doing this. We need our own plan. We need to actually take action on a plan. And we have to work to restore our democracy, restore the people’s voice, and make sure that we win in November.
It only takes one person to make a difference. Because that is where change comes. You may be uncomfortable, but that’s where change comes from, being uncomfortable. That may be the one to spark the movement that will raise awareness to the whole nation. Remember, you have power, each and every one of you have power, power in your voice and power in your vote. We need people to be bothered about what’s going on right now. Take a stand and again, we don’t have to be intimidated. We don’t have to accept the crumbs that they offer. Imagine if there were hundreds and thousands of us saying no. I really think that it surprised them that I said no. Because when you surprise them, they don’t know how to respond. And they make mistakes. And so, it’s looking for those opportunities, not being afraid to take them, and standing by them. So you can hold the line, whether you hold the line on the school board, the city council, county commissioner, you can hold the line for justice in your courtrooms. You can hold the line in your classrooms, anywhere you are, hold that line for democracy. Stand up. We’re depending on you because we can’t do it alone.”
The Hon. Gene Wu | Gov. Mark White Courage in Service Award Honoree
Larry Yawn:
“There are times when our elected officials must ask the question: does this policy serve people, or does it serve power? When the 89th legislature convened, opportunities to distinguish between serving people and serving power were around every corner. Some would say under every rock. Even into special sessions, and with all those strategies exhausted, many people looked to the one remaining strategy, breaking quorum. The minority party in Texas was faced with serving people or serving power. They sided with the people, and they turned to their caucus leader to direct their plan.
Tonight, we honor the chair of the Democratic Caucus, Representative Gene Wu, and the Texas Quorum Breakers for recognizing the difference between serving power and people, and for risking the consequences.”
Rep. Gene Wu:
“A few months ago, the Speaker of the House issued a warrant for our arrest. The Governor put DPS troopers all around the state, including in front of my house. We had a U.S. senator calling the FBI telling them to come track us down and drag us back by force. We had to deal with a rogue sheriff, vigilantes, militias. We had multiple bomb threats called on our hotel. We got kicked out of two hotels by no fault of our own. And even when it was all done, it still wasn’t done, because afterwards when we came back, they forcibly insisted and told us we could not leave unless we were escorted by police, which is not following the law nor the rules, but simply something they would do just to humiliate us further. And you would think that we had committed some kind of high crime or treason against the United States for that type of response. And the reality is maybe we had done something worse. The reality is, we told Donald Trump no. Texas Democrats simply had enough. Just like the seven and a half million Americans who were out in the street two weeks ago had enough. Just like the people in this room have had enough.
And the story is not about the quorum break. The story is about unity. The story is about people who do not have that much power, who do not have that much voice. But when they get together and put aside their differences in saying, ‘We have a greater goal here, we have an objective of defending not only our state, but defending the country that we love.’ And that is what counted. That is what made it possible. It is that unity, that sense of mission, that made it happen and made it successful.
This was a hard thing to do. We did this because it was our job. It was our duty to do this. And what is going to come for us in the next year, none of that will be easy, I promise you. Because we’re no longer fighting for Democrats. We’re no longer fighting to turn Texas blue. We’re no longer fighting for just more rights and a better economy. We are quite literally fighting for the future of this country and what America means. All the stories that we were taught of what this country is and should be are no longer true. But the thing is, we can say we’ve had enough of this. We all can rise up and say we’ve had enough. And this is what we’re going to do in the next year. We’re going to go out there and tell everyone we can find we’ve had enough. Have you had enough? If you’ve had enough, it’s time to work. And let me tell you this, we need to go out there and tell everyone it’s not enough for you to just vote. It is not enough.
If you have the audacity to say that you love this country without reservation–if you are proud to be an American, if you believe that this country was founded on the principle that every man and woman should have a fair shake, that if you work hard and you follow the rules that you should get ahead, and not because of your last name, not because of your daddy is, not because of how much money you have, but because you did it right–we’re going to win for that America. We’re going to bring that America back. We’re going to start right here in Texas. Let’s show ‘em how it’s done!”