| Taj Clayton offers a breath of fresh air for this Dallas district, and an opportunity to send an exciting young leader to Congress. We enthusiastically endorse him for election in CD-30.
 Taj Clayton is the real deal. His inspiring life story, strong work ethic, and innate understanding of the grassroots make him a rising star in public service, and we believe he is the best choice in CD-30. It's time for the next generation of leaders like Clayton to step up, especially when the incumbents are plagued by scandal.
Clayton's parents worked double shifts in a glass factory to give their family an opportunity to succeed. Clayton attended Harvard as an undergraduate and law student, cleaning bathrooms and sweeping staircases to work his way through. He now works as an attorney at Fish & Richardson. This is his first campaign for office, but the newcomer has already made quite a mark on the campaign trail. In his recent campaign video, Clayton makes clear that he's running to serve everyone in the district, and if elected, we think he will do more to provide opportunities for the African-American communities in this South Dallas district.
He has held steady in fundraising, is running a spirited ground campaign, and is gaining impressive support in his bid to oust the incumbent. He earned the endorsement of the Dallas Morning News, which writes that Clayton "not only grasps the deep economic challenges facing the 30th District but also ways to work the Capitol Hill system to create jobs and business opportunities for his constituents."
We have concerns over incumbent Eddie Bernice Johnson's ethics problems, stemming from accusations that she awarded 23 scholarships from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation to her relatives and children of a staffer, in violation of the foundation's rules. She also asked that the scholarship funds be sent directly to her relatives, rather than to their higher education institutions. This does not pass the "smell test," as they say. She earned a Dishonorable Mention on the non-partisan ethics group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington's "Most Corrupt Report." This is the kind of accusation of corruption that should be the province of the Republican Party and the Republican Party alone.
Johnson has served 10 terms in Congress, as well as one term in the State Senate and three in the Legislature. While she has done some great work in her career -- we specifically appreciate her vote and speech on the floor against the Iraq War authorization -- she is 76, and it is time for her to go. The next generation of Texas leaders is ready to step up and more proactively address the challenges we're facing. We need young leaders to help inspire young voters, and press the gas pedal in turning Texas blue. We think Clayton is the best candidate in this race to do that, and we encourage voters to support him in this hotly contested primary. We applaud Clayton for challenging the scandal-plagued incumbent now, rather than waiting around for Johnson to retire, and encourage voters to support him in this primary.
We believe that the challenger is better than the incumbent, and will do more to serve the entirety of the district as well as our wider progressive goals here in Texas. We enthusiastically endorse Taj Clayton for CD-30.
Endorsements are made based on a weighted consensus of the staff, which guides the type and tone of endorsement. Members of the Burnt Orange Report staff employed by campaigns abstain from voting on those races. |
