CAPITOL INSIGHTS

Texas Legislative Influence Guide 2025

Strategies for Effective Advocacy
By Drew Campbell & Byron Campbell

Table of Contents

Introduction

After four decades in Texas politics and helping secure billions in funding for our clients, we've distilled our approach into this practical guide that reveals the proven strategies for effective legislative advocacy.

In Texas, successful advocacy isn't simply about showing up during the 140-day legislative session. It's about the continuous work of relationship building, coalition development, and strategic messaging that happens between sessions.

This guide outlines the systems and frameworks we've used to achieve consistent success in the Texas legislature. Whether you're representing a municipal government, a transportation authority, or a private sector organization, these principles will help you navigate the complex legislative landscape with confidence.

Key Insight: The most successful organizations in Texas politics understand that legislative success is built on relationships cultivated long before bills are filed.

The Legislative Relationship Timeline

The strategic engagement calendar that successful organizations follow between sessions is critical for building the foundation of legislative success. Here's the timeline we recommend:

18-24 Months Before Session (Post-Session Review)

12-18 Months Before Session (Relationship Building)

6-12 Months Before Session (Policy Development)

3-6 Months Before Session (Coalition Building)

Success Story: A North Texas transportation initiative secured $24M in funding by following this exact timeline, ensuring that by the time the session began, they had built relationships with 87% of the legislators who would vote on their appropriation.

The Three Levels of Influence

Building relationships with staff and subject matter experts is often as critical as connecting with lawmakers directly. Our Three Levels of Influence framework helps organizations target their relationship-building efforts effectively:

Level 1: Legislators

Level 2: Legislative Staff

Level 3: Subject Matter Experts

Key Insight: Organizations that focus exclusively on legislator relationships miss the critical influencers who shape policy behind the scenes. In our experience, Level 2 and 3 relationships have helped clients prevent problematic amendments 73% of the time.

The Coalition Framework

Transforming individual priorities into regional consensus requires a structured approach to coalition building. Our framework includes:

Coalition Membership Structure

Coalition Development Process

  1. Identify shared interests and priorities
  2. Develop unified messaging that serves all partners
  3. Establish clear roles and responsibilities
  4. Create a joint strategic plan with specific actions
  5. Implement coordinated outreach to maximize impact

Success Story: An initially isolated water infrastructure initiative gained momentum by forming a coalition with 14 municipalities, 3 business associations, and 2 environmental groups, ultimately securing support from legislators who had previously opposed similar measures.

The Issue Framing Matrix

Converting technical expertise into compelling policy narratives is essential for gaining legislative support. Our Issue Framing Matrix helps organizations communicate effectively with different audiences:

The Four-Perspective Approach

Messaging Adaptation by Audience

Key Insight: Organizations that adapt their messaging based on the legislator's priorities see 3x higher engagement than those using a one-size-fits-all approach.

The Legislative Session Strategy

Maximizing impact during the intense 140-day session period requires disciplined execution. Our Session Strategy framework includes:

Weekly Rhythm of Engagement

Milestone Management

Rapid Response Protocol

Success Story: An energy sector client successfully navigated a contentious committee process by implementing our rapid response protocol, mobilizing 43 stakeholders within 4 hours to prevent harmful amendments.

Conclusion

Effective legislative advocacy in Texas is a year-round, strategic effort that combines relationship building, coalition development, strategic messaging, and disciplined execution. By implementing the frameworks outlined in this guide, organizations can significantly increase their influence and success rate in the Texas legislature.

At Capitol Insights, we've helped clients across multiple sectors transform their approach to legislative advocacy, achieving policy wins and funding priorities that seemed impossible at the outset. The key to this success has been the systematic approach described in this guide.

Remember: in Texas politics, the most successful organizations don't start working when the session begins. They've already built the relationships, coalitions, and narratives that will carry them through the intense 140-day legislative period.

For more information on how Capitol Insights can help your organization implement these strategies, please contact us at (214) 213-3443 or visit www.capitol-insights.com.