Burnt Orange Report

Domingo Garcia for State Representative

Disclaimer: I am doing some work for the Domingo Garcia for State Representative Campaign. I haven't blogged about the race until now, because I didn't feel like it would be appropriate to discuss the race on BOR while working for the campaign without a disclaimer. My comments on this website regarding this race are my own and should not be considered the official opinions of any other contributor to the Burnt Orange Report, the campaign or of Domingo Garcia.

Ok, with that out of the way, I'll explain why I'm supporting Domingo Garcia in the 103rd district for the Texas State House. The 103rd is an urban west Dallas district which is majority Hispanic, represented by the retiring Steve Wolens. It includes many Hispanic majority precincts, a couple African-American majority precincts and also precincts in Oak Lawn and Kessler Park which have a large gay population. As you can tell, it's a pretty diverse district. I haven't always had a great relationship with Domingo Garcia. I decided to help his campaign only after meeting with both him and his campaign manager, and doing my research on his opponent. Eventually, I decided that it was a really simple race. The 103rd is a solidly Democratic district. It deserves a solidly Democratic state representative. So who's the best Democrat in this race? It's pretty simple. Domingo Garcia has a 6% Lifetime Rating from the Young Conservatives of Texas (DOC file). Only a handful of current Texas State Representatives have a "worse" record from the YCT. The point? Garcia is solid. He's a solid Democrat on all issues that YCT tracks from abortion rights to gay rights to helping minorities and labor, to fighting for health care and education for all Texans. His Democratic credentials are impeccable. He is a life-long Democrat, has served as a Democratic Precinct Chair, served eight years on the Democratic National Committee and is a sustaining member of the Dallas County Democratic Party. He's been awarded a "legislative hero" award by the Stonewall Democrats for his consistent commitment to civil rights for gays and lesbians. He's running in a solidly Democratic district and he's a solid Democrat that will fight for the 103rd against the right-wing Republican leadership in the state house.

On the other hand, his opponent, Rafael Anchia voted in the 2000 Republican primary (I can provide documentation for this), and voted consistently with Republicans as a board member of the DISD School Board. He has a short record of Democratic involvement in Dallas, while Domingo Garcia has always been a solid Democrat.

So, why now? The Dallas County Democratic Party has rejected Domingo Garcia's application for State Representative 103. They claim that he did not reside in the 103rd district one year prior to the election (11/2/2003). In fact, Domingo Garcia has been a resident of the 103rd district since August 2003 and currently lives in an apartment in the district. Domingo Garcia is the true Democrat in this race. His opponent is not. The 103rd deserves to be represented by a true Democrat and Domingo Garcia is the man for the job. The Dallas County Democratic Party has no basis in which to reject Domingo Garcia's ballot application. It's insider politics at it's worst, and I'm confident that Domingo Garcia will be on the ballot in the primary. I'm good friends with a few people in the Dallas County Democratic Party office, but when friends do the wrong thing, I'll speak out. So, here I am. I'm speaking out. Let's support the best Democrat in the 103rd for State Representative. It's Domingo Garcia.