Burnt Orange Report

DMN Endorses Hubener

By Andrew Dobbs

For only the fourth time this year the DMN made the right decision in who to support for the Texas House by endorsing our friend Katy Hubener.

(W)e are troubled that since the last election, Mr. Allen has demonstrated several examples of poor judgment:

Mr. Allen blurs the line between personal and public interests. He lobbies in Washington and other states for an association that champions prison industries, both state- and privately run, and at the same time chairs his chamber's corrections committee. Mr. Allen insists this doesn't pose a conflict of interest. But we worry that his position of authority over legislation that affects the association he works for undermines the public's confidence in the integrity of the legislative process.

Mr. Allen was the target of criticism this summer in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for inappropriately running his personal businesses and his campaign out of his state office. Mr. Allen confirmed to us the story was "accurate, fair and painful."

Some of Mr. Allen's legislative colleagues have expressed concern about his lapses in judgment.

These issues, together with our concerns about Mr. Allen's positions on key issues, prompt us to recommend Democrat Katy Hubener in the Texas House District 106 race. (...)

By way of background, Ms. Hubener, 34, has education degrees from Texas Tech and Claremont Graduate University in California. Mr. Allen, 53, is a graduate of American Christian College in Oklahoma.

Ms. Hubener served until recently as executive director of the Blue Skies Alliance, pressing to clean Dallas-Fort Worth's air so that asthmatic children can breathe and businesses can invest without fear that Washington would restrict economic development. She resigned the post to run for the Legislature, but not before she'd developed a reputation as somebody who could work across party lines. No less a Republican than Collin County Judge Ron Harris lauds Ms. Hubener as "wanting to find solutions" and "being reasonable to work with." (...)

(I)n the final analysis, we figure Mr. Allen's had his turn in Austin. It's time to give Ms. Hubener a chance.

Looks like old habits die hard, they open the article (which I mercifully left out of my excerpt) by singing Allen's praises- his corruption being left until after the lede and his infidelity not garnering a mention at all. But they made the right choice. Katy stands a good chance to knock off a terrible incumbent and in doing so she will become a rising star of Texas Politics.

Congrats Katy! Check out her website and try and drop her some jingle if you can.