| The Houston Chronicle articulates the political situation in SD-17 perfectly.
For those that thought we were dog piling on Stephanie Simmons bizarre candidacy, it appears we aren't the only ones asking questions.
First the Chronicle discusses what Democrats are speculating-- Simmons was recruited by Republicans to run in SD-17.
For weeks rumors have circulated in Austin political circles that Republicans were trying to entice another Democrat into the race to siphon votes from Bell. His best chance to win the conservative district is to garner a majority in the general election, where the appeal of the presidential race is expected to draw a maximum tide of Democrats to the polls.
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Sure enough, Bell's status as the lone Democrat in the race changed just before the filing deadline on Aug. 29, when Houston attorney and political unknown Stephanie E. Simmons submitted her paperwork, which was immediately approved by Secretary of State Hope Andrade, a Republican appointee.
There's something happening here. What it is, ain't exactly clear. Best case scenario, the Secretary of States expedited ballot approval and didn't do their jobs by checking Simmons eligibility. Worst case, a Republican appointee knowingly helped commit election fraud.
Simmons, 42, who is listed in the Texas Bar under her maiden name, Stephanie Fridia, is general counsel for a North Houston company and graduated from Texas Southern University School of Law in 1994. For an aspiring politician, she's been surprisingly media shy. She failed to return reporters' inquiries and has issued no campaign materials.
Although the candidate claimed to have resided 11 months at a Missouri City address within the district, she voted at an address in Harris County outside the district in the March Democratic primary. She changed the residence on her voter registration one day before she filed for office. State law requires state Senate candidates to be residents of their districts a full year before they are chosen.
Since the secretary of state already certified Simmons for the ballot, Bell has filed suit in a Travis County district court challenging her eligibility. According to his court filing, "Ms. Simmons cannot be a voter in one county, and then six months later change her address and be a candidate for a senate district in a different county a mere two months prior to the special election." A court hearing on the lawsuit is scheduled today in Austin.
On the face of it, Simmons' candidacy appears to be illegal, whatever her motivations for getting into the race. Her situation is similar to that of sportscaster and former Houston Oilers player Spencer Tillman of Sugar Land, who considered running as a Republican but dropped out because he didn't live in the district. Too bad Simmons didn't show the same good judgment.
Let's sum this up. The Republicans were looking for a Democrat to field against Bell. A Republican appointee certified Simmons without doing any verification or checking to see if she was eligible. Simmons has been incredibly camera shy for a candidate. In addition, Simmons is either voting where she doesn't live (a violation of law) or she is lying about where she lives to get ballot access in SD-17 (a violation of residency requirements). |
