Burnt Orange Report

Garnet Coleman Running for Interim State Chair

By Byron LaMasters

Via the Quorum Report, here is the letter sent by Garnet Coleman to members of the SDEC (Senate Democratic Executice Committee). Unless a consensus candidate emerges, Garnet Coleman is in a great position to serve as interim chair. As a leader of the Killer D's, and as someone respected by most everyone in the party, he'd be able to help us prepare for the elections next year. Here's a picture of my friend David and I with Garnet Coleman in Ardmore, Oklahoma in May:

September 19, 2003

Dear Fellow Democrat:

I am writing you today about the future of our Democratic party. With the retirement of Molly Beth Malcolm as party chair, we face a major crossroads for the Texas Democratic Party. Our next chair will play the major role in beating back the Republican advances. This choice requires the utmost care and deliberation. For that reason, I ask for your support as interim state party chair until a permanent choice can be fully measured.

We know that elections count. We are now feeling the unprecedented Republican budget cuts in which children and the elderly lost health care and workers lost jobs. The last legislative session also saw a far-reaching lawsuit measure that destroys Texans’ access to the courts and radical anti-choice legislation passed into law. At this very moment, the Republicans have come back for more and will seemingly stop at nothing in an unprecedented and illegitimate re-redistricting scheme. The stakes could not be any higher.

The next chair must be a strong voice and active worker for our party. An effective chair must be capable of standing up to the Republicans, raising money and organizing grassroots efforts. The chair must possess good managerial skills and be able to drop everything in their life and head to Austin full time. This is no easy task.

If no consensus can be found on a new permanent chair by the October 25th SDEC meeting, and I was elected interim chair, I would work to maintain and further develop the infrastructure of the state party. My role as legislator and chair of the Texas Black Caucus and the Legislative Study Group (the progressive caucus) has allowed me to exercise the leadership necessary to act as an interim caretaker. As an organizer of the House Democrats’ quorum-breaking trip to Ardmore, I know what it takes to rally support for a difficult cause. I am very dedicated to the Democratic Party and am committed to keeping it strong now and in the future. If elected interim chair, my goal would be build the strength of the party until a permanent chair is elected-either by the SDEC or by the party delegates at next year’s convention.

Thank you for all that you have done and will continue to do for our Democratic cause. I urge you to consider this letter and exercise due diligence in electing the next chair of the Texas Democratic Party. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss the matter further..

Sincerely,

Garnet Coleman