| Hank Gilbert will formally begin his campaign for the Democratic Gubernatorial nomination on Monday, September 21, according to a campaign e-mail. Gilbert, the 2006 Democratic nominee for Agriculture Commissioner, plans to raise $100,000 before his official announcement. If Gilbert's campaign meets their September 21 fundraising goal, it will equal the entire amount that Gilbert raised in 2006. In the e-mail, Gilbert makes what will be part of his pitch to Democratic primary voters: In the 2006 race for Texas Agriculture Commissioner, we came awfully close to defeating an
entrenched politician, garnering 43% of the vote. That was 7% higher than any other statewide Democrat seeking a statewide executive position.
The amazing part: We were the least known at the beginning of the election cycle back then. We were outspent in that race 25-to-1. $2.5 million to $100,000. And in that same election cycle, we actually earned more than 43,000 more votes than did Governor Rick Perry.
This next round of statewide elections in 2010 will be the most critical for Texans and Texas Democrats. The statewide officials that we elect in 2010 will have the task of re-drawing the state's voting districts. If we do not get statewide Democrats elected this cycle, the Republicans will draw the lines in their favor, making it even harder to elect Democrats for the next 10 years.
We can't let that happen.
Gilbert is trying to present himself as a progressive and electable alternative to the likes of Tom Schieffer, Mark Thompson and Kinky Friedman. Gilbert ran a tough (albeit underfunded) campaign against then-State Sen. Todd Staples in 2006. While he is not very well-known statewide, neither are the other current. Democratic candidates. Gilbert has the advanatge of high name ID among Democratic activists resulting from his 2006 race which included a memorable state convention speech. Gilbert has also had a high profile as a leader in the efforts to stop the Trans-Texas Corridor. |
