Elena White, daughter of Texas democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White, speaks with SMU College Democrats Wednesday evening. (REBECCA HANNA/ The Daily Campus)

This year is “the year to get involved” in politics, according to Elena White, Texas gubernatorial candidate Bill White’s daughter and Rice University student.

“This election is about the future of Texas; it’s about making sure we have a leader who is [prepared] for the future of Texas,” she said.

White spoke during a College Democrats meeting Wednesday night in Hughes-Trigg Atriums CD.

White has taken time off from college to campaign around the state for her father who is engaged in a heated campaign against Gov. Rick Perry.

A democrat has not won a state-wide office in Texas since 1994.

Wednesday’s meeting focused on this unusually competitive governor’s race in an effort to encourage students to campaign for Bill White, and eventually, let the Democrats take back the office.

“This is the first time in our adult lifetime… that this can happen,” White said.

“There’s a tendency sometimes to get complacent amongst democrats our age because you think you’ve never seen it before so why would it happen this time? We can’t afford that this year. And we can’t afford four more years of our current leadership.”

White spoke about the 2008 election and the effort to elect Barack Obama, and she urged students who voted in 2008 to get involved in this year’s election.

“We gotta make sure that people know that they individually have a stake in this election,” she said.

“Because a lot of younger people and a lot of older people got out and got mobilized in 2008. We gotta make sure that people don’t forget because this election really really really is about our future. We need to make sure that people take ownership of it.”

In addition to talking about getting students involved in the campaign process, White pitched reasons as to why her father was the best choice for governor.

White stressed the importance of education and how her father will work to improve education in Texas.

College Democrats President and junior David de la Fuente said he thought White’s speech was great.

“I think she did a great job of really connecting with students,” he said, “…and really explaining how her father Bill is the best candidate for governor.”

Sophomore Pascual Pellegrino said he was surprised that a gubernatorial candidate’s daughter came to a meeting of a group as small as the College Democrats.

“The information was very plentiful, and at the same time, it was a little bit more motivational for a state that is mainly republican,” he said.

Pellegrino will obtain American citizenship in April, but he still plans on campaigning during the current election.

Freshman Jennifer Smith said she didn’t know anything about Bill White since she was from Oklahoma. However, Wednesday’s meeting convinced her to learn more.

Smith plans to register to vote in Texas “as soon as possible.”

“From what his daughter said, it sounds like he’s a really genuine guy,” she said. “He’s looking out for the betterment of his state.”