Burnt Orange Report

14 of 15 Texas DNC Members Endorse Frost

By Byron LaMasters

Martin Frost now has 15 public endorsements of DNC members. Today, Frost announced the endorsement of 14 of the 15 Texas DNC members along with the endorsement of New Mexico Attorney General Patricia Madrid (also a DNC member).

The 14 Texas DNC members endorsing Martin Frost are as follows:

Chairman Charles Soechting, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, Hon. Yvonne Davis, Hon. Senfronia Thompson, Commissioner Oscar Soliz, Mayor Ron Kirk, Gabrielle Hadnot, Vice Chair, Norma Fischer Flores, Jaime Gonzalez Jr., David Holmes, Sue Lovell, John Patrick, Betty Richie and Bob Slagle

The fourteen members sent a letter to their fellow DNC members earlier today stating their reason for support of Martin Frost. The one Texas DNC member not endorsing Frost is Al Edwards. Edwards also sent a letter to DNC members praising Martin Frost, but as co-Chair of the Democratic Southern Black Caucus, he is bound by an agreement of the caucus to not endorse. For the letters sent by Edwards and the other fourteen, go on to the extended entry:

Letter to DNC Members by Texas DNC Members:

Dear Fellow DNC Members,

The next Chair of our great Party has to be ready to hit the ground running on day one. We are proud to endorse Martin Frost because he is the best qualified candidate for DNC Chair, hands down. He has worked his entire career for our Party at the local, state, and national level, and his commitment to our core values has shaped a winning record in the Congress and his community.

Martin Frost has a proven record that includes everything from local grassroots organizing to building a winning program at a national committee, where he led a DCCC effort that took back 14 seats in 1996 and 1998. Martin is both tough and smart, a skilled tactician, a proven fundraiser and a talented, capable spokesperson.

Throughout his career, Martin has reached out and involved people of all races, union members, professionals, conservatives and progressives, gays and lesbians, city and country dwellers, young people and seniors. And he knows how to use both Internet technology and old fashioned shoe leather to turn out the vote.

Martin Frost is the Democrat who knows how to beat Karl Rove and Tom DeLay, so they made him the top target of their corrupt redistricting scheme, which remains under criminal investigation and still faces a federal court challenge.

We respectfully ask that you join us in supporting Martin Frost for DNC Chair. He's a leader who will go to all 50 states and build a winning party organization in each one.

Sincerely,

Chairman Charles Soechting, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, Hon. Yvonne Davis, Hon. Senfronia Thompson, Commissioner Oscar Soliz, Mayor Ron Kirk, Gabrielle Hadnot, Vice Chair, Norma Fischer Flores, Jaime Gonzalez Jr., David Holmes, Sue Lovell, John Patrick, Betty Richie, Bob Slagle

Letter to DNC Members by Hon. Al Edwards:

Fellow Members of the Democratic National Committee:

I am pleased that our Texas DNC Members have endorsed Martin Frost for Chair, and I certainly do not want my absence from the list of Texans endorsing Martin to be misunderstood.

As Co-Chair of the Democratic Southern Black Caucus, I am bound by a commitment to my fellow Caucus members to make no DNC endorsements until we have considered a Caucus endorsement. That said, I have known Martin Frost for many years and I can tell you without hesitancy that he has always worked with every group in our Party to stand up for our principles and turn out the vote to win elections. I have always been proud to work with Martin Frost in service to our Party and I assure you that he has skills, dedication and experience to be an outstanding DNC Chair.

State Representative Al Edwards,
Co-Chair, DNC Southern Black Caucus