Burnt Orange Report

The SD2 Summit

By Vince Leibowitz

On Saturday, more than 30 Democrats from across Senate District 2 gathered in Canton for the initial "SD2 Summit," a meeting geared toward electing a Democratic Senator in State Senate District 2 in 2006.

Considering filing doesn't open for about 300 days, and a primary is well over 12 months off, the turn-out was wonderful and everyone present seemed quite dedicated to dumping Dr. Bob Deuell (R-Greenville) in the next election.

The SD2 Summit featured Christian Archer of the Archer Nathan Group, one of the leading consulting groups who help head up Take Back Texas, which was very active in the last election and sent out wonderful third-party mailers against Republicans like Talmadge Heflin, Bryan Hughes and others.

In addition to Christian Archer, other speakers included J.B. Mainord, who worked for the previous State Senator in SD2, David Cain; Dallas County Democratic Chairwoman Susan Hays who discussed campaign finance and election law; and Bill Brannon of Sulphur Springs, who recently completed a tour of duty with U.S. Congressman Max Sandlin's campaign.

Both SDEC members for SD2, Dr. Martha Williams, and Steve Tillery, were on hand, as were county chairs from Dallas, Van Zandt, Smith, Rockwall and Hunt Counties. Counties represented in attendence were Van Zandt, Smith, Rockwall, Hopkins, Fannin, Rockwall, Kaufman and Dallas. Delta and Rains counties were the only counties unable to send participants this time around.

Though it wouldn't be appropriate to discuss all of the strategy we talked about during the meeting, we did take several major, positive steps toward ensuring we can win this race in 2006.

Most importantly, we set up four committees to both help prepare for the coming race and keep and eye on Senator Deuell, as well as recruit candidates. The following committees are presently working hard to help take back East Texas and Senate District 2: Recruiting, Communications, Message Development, and Finance. Former State Representative Bob Aikin of Commerce is heading up the Finance Committee. One of our goals is to be able to develop a good donor base so we can eventually present that base with a candidate to support. Given that the previous incumbent in this district had raised as much as $1.2 million in the past, we should do all right in that area--especially when we show the donors we have a viable candidate and that the district is once again winnable.

Of particular interest to me was that some people from SD1, represented by Kevin Eltife (R-Tyler), and SD3, represented by Todd Staples (R-Palestine), came to see what we were doing just to listen and learn.

Since I don't want to let the cat out of the bag yet, I will simply say that it was a very, very productive meeting and that Bob Deuell will have a serious fight on his hands come 2006. I especially want to thank our gracious SDEC members Dr. Martha Williams and Steve Tillery for allowing me to put this meeting together--with tremendous help from my counterparts in Rockwall, Dallas, and Smith Counties.

Our next meeting (excluding committee meetings set between now and then) will be in April in Rockwall. Following that, meetings will be held in Terrell, Greenville and Sulphur Springs.

Vince Leibowitz is County Chairman of the Democratic Party of Van Zandt County.