Representative Valinda Bolton and her husband Andy Hathcock made a joint announcement:
When Valinda Bolton filed in December 2005 to run for State Representative, she brought her husband with her for moral support. This Monday, Representative Valinda Bolton will be filing for re-election and her husband will again be at her side. But, this time he'll be filing for office also! A family who believes in public service, Representative Bolton's husband, Judge Andy Hathcock will be filing for the 98th District Court.
"It's a challenge to have two family members running at the same time," said Rep. Bolton. "We have a 13 year old son with homework, science fair projects and a yard that one of us has to mow. So, we have the art of schedule juggling down to a science."
Austin City Council Woman Jennifer Kim is kicking off her re-election tonight at Stubbs:
Please join me as we kickoff my re-election campaign for the Austin City Council, Place 3.
Jennifer Kim Campaign Kickoff
Wednesday, December 5
5:30-7:30pm
at Stubb's Bar-B-Que
801 Red River
Texas Supreme Court Candidate Linda Yanez had this to say about her race:
Signaling a major threat to the one-party rule of the state's highest court, Justice Linda Yañez today was the first Democrat to file the official papers for candidacy for the Texas Supreme Court, complete with nearly 800 signatures representing Texas voters from all 14 appellate court districts across the state.
Yañez, the Senior Justice of the 13th Court of Appeals who was first appointed by Governor Ann Richards, stated clearly the need for change. "One-party rule has bred arrogance, group-think, and allowed pay-for-play politics that favors insurance companies and large firms over consumers and decisions of juries made up of our peers," noted Yañez. "It is time to bring some balance to the state's highest court."
"It's important that we field candidates with appellate court experience," Yañez added. "The Supreme Court does not decide guilt or innocence, or decide between plaintiffs and defendants, they determine whether law has been applied fairly or not." That, Yañez explains, requires justices who have argued the finer points of law.
Sam Murphy is ready to take on Dianne Delisi in House District 55:
Today I am here to announce my candidacy for State Representative, District 55. We are pleased and proud that you all are here to show your support. As someone who has spent 38 years in service to our country both in and out of uniform and 44 years as a resident of Bell County, I care deeply about Texas and the Bell County in which our children and grandchildren will grow up, marry, have families of their own, and make their future. We all want to see a Texas where our children can grow up healthy, get a good education in our public schools, and have a fair opportunity to attend an affordable Texas college or university. We should expect a Texas where working families aren't drowned by sky high utility bills, over priced insurance rates, expensive toll roads and high taxes.
In Austin, Glen Maxey has officially filed for Tax Assessor Collector:
"I am filing for office today to restore leadership in the office of Tax Assessor-Collector," Maxey said. "From tax equity to protecting our voting rights, the incumbent has failed to be there for our community. This lack of leadership is unacceptable. From day one, I will show up and actively work for the taxpayers of Travis County."
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"With rising property values and the higher tax bills that go with them, more and more in our community are at risk of losing their homes," Maxey continued. "From better publicizing of tax payment plans to referring predatory lenders for prosecution, I will make sure my office actively works to educate homeowners in financial trouble of all their options in a timely manner."
In his quest to beat Mike McCaul in the Texas 10th Congressional District, Dan Grant puts it simply:
The candidate filing period opened today -- and Dan was there to make it official, saying he hoped to signal his understanding of how eager Central Texas voters are to get started on changing Washington.
"I'm in this race to win this race," Dan said.
Larry Joe Doherty adds:
"I realize this district was designed by Tom Delay for Republicans," noted Doherty, "but you can't create a district in this state where Texans will put up with the orders of party bosses taking priority over the values of the people who live here." A recent Washington Post poll shows two-thirds of Independents and nearly half of Republicans believe our country is on the wrong track, yet Mike McCaul has rubber-stamped President Bush's agenda 94% of the time.
"Mike McCaul has abdicated his responsibility," Doherty charged. "He refuses to question the $720 million spent every day in Iraq while voting to deny lower-income children health insurance," Doherty noted. "He can't hide behind Tom Delay's skirt anymore - Texans are ready to correct course."
These are just a handful of the candidates out there, and all of the candidates that sent BOR their announcements (for more announcements, please check out Capitol Annex and Vince's incredible coverage). As more candidates file across the state and in Austin, we will continue to cover any race that reaches out. In the mean time, there is always something you can do to help these candidates-volunteer your time, donate some money, or support our efforts to take back the Texas House. |
