HD-105 Could be the Seat that Delivers a Democratic Majority in 2010

by: Todd Hill

Tue Aug 04, 2009 at 07:00 AM CDT

In 2008 Democrat Bob Romano fell 19 votes shy of defeating Republican Linda Harper-Brown, in a race that, because of the razor thin margin of votes, went through a recount and lawsuit.  The eight term Republican went on to be declared the winner of this majority-minority seat.  Democrats smell blood in the water on this one and have at least one strong, credible candidate in Loretta Haldenwang fielded.  Republicans apparently smell the same blood too, because rumors have floated that Harper-Brown may have to fend off a primary challenge from a far-right extremist Irving City Council member in order to make it to the 2010 general election.

Although Haldenwang is not the lone Democrat in this race, she clearly offers our Party the best shot at winning this seat.  She has served as a district director and legislative aide to Representative Joaquin Castro of San Antonio and is currently the External Affairs Director for the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.  On her June 30th financial report Haldenwang reported having raised a little over $61,000 with $52,000 cash on hand.  Her largest contributor, and biggest source of support thus far, comes from Annie's List.  The presumptive Republican, Harper-Brown, raised barely $2,000 with cash on hand of almost $90,000---the bulk of which is made up of loans.

In a gubernatorial election year, any legislative campaign is going to have to rely heavily on voter identification, communication, and turnout.  You'll win it in the field talking about the issues of the day.  Local or statewide issues register more with voters in off election cycles, but you have to have the money to communicate and to execute a solid field strategy.  Loretta Haldenwang appears to be on the right path toward meeting those expectations.

Although Democrats will be playing a lot of defense in 2010 here in North Texas , House District 105 clearly allows us to play just enough offense that could very well tilt the balance of power in the state house to favor Democrats.  
 

Kim Limberg Announces for Texas House District 105

by: ginntonic

Sat Jun 27, 2009 at 05:02 PM CDT

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Members of the Press Greetings!    

I write to announce my Candidacy for State Representative for District 105 in Irving, Texas.   District 105 is a key player in this election cycle.  After years of serving in the Democratic Party I'm excited about finally running.

Why am I running?  I want to go to the front lines where the laws are made, so I can defend our Democratic ideals.

I will work to improve and protect our environment, our public education and our transportation infrastructure.  These are the keys to good health, a thriving democracy and our freedom of movement.  I will work to maintain the separation between what is public and what is private.  And above all I will defend our basic rights.

Job creation in the three sectors mentioned are the right direction to take.  More jobs in education, public infrastructure, and sustainable living (from energy to recycling and producing ever more efficient products).

I will work to be in sync with the Obama Administration to maximize our ability to tap any resources, incentives or stimulus packages that are offered.

These are just a few of the many important issues we are facing.  For more details, please check out the Issues page as I continue to build my website.

What qualifies me?  Besides the passion, my years of public service has given me the opportunity to listen and respond to the needs of many from elected officials to the general public.  As a professional engineer with over 21 years of service with the Texas Department of Transportation, I have the technical expertise to understand and find solutions to our transportation issues.  As a parent, I am determined to give our children the best public education I can.  As a wife and mother of three, I am committed to fighting for the health of our families by working toward a better environment and encouraging a sustainable lifestyle.  My passion to act on these issues in a direct way, together with my real life experiences as an mother, an engineer, and an environmentalist make me a good fit for Irving.  

I am a life long resident of Dallas County, who has enjoyed serving the Irving community since moving here 13 years ago.  For more about me click on the Green Ribbon and check out the About Kim webpage.

To practice good environmental stewardship, I am running a Green campaign by minimizing paper use and maximizing web, email and phone use.  The Green Ribbon will symbolize this effort.  I challenge all other candidates to do the same.

I would be honored to have your endorsement.  Please solidify your decision to support my campaign, by endorsing me for State Representative for District 105.    

With your help I can get to the front lines and represent you.

Thank You, and have a great day!

Kim Limberg
Kim Limberg Campaign

Contact Info:

Address

Kim Limberg Campaign
1910 Cartwright St
Irving, Texas 75062

Phone
(214)493-9079

Email
kimlimberg@kimlimberg.com

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NOTE:  Kim is running against a 24-year old from San Antonio who just recently moved to the Irving area.  Kim is the only Majority-Minority candidate so far whose announced in this Majority-Minority District.  A 46-year old wife and mother of 3, Kim is a Civil Engineer and long-time community activist in the Irving area (resident of Irving for 13 years, lifelong resident of Dallas County).  

Proof Voter ID is about Voter Suppression

by: Matt Glazer

Thu May 07, 2009 at 02:12 PM CDT

From the Austin Chronicle:

Smith floated another draft of a possible compromise bill on the floor today. Smith has been leaving Sen. Troy Fraser's SB 362 parked in committee in hopes of finding something that will pull a few swing-district Democrats to vote "aye."

But that's getting push-back from GOP hardliners on the committee and stopping him short of the five votes he needs.

"I have a really good agreement with [Republican] Rep. [Dennis] Bonnen and Rep. [Dwayne] Bohac, and [Democratic] Rep. [Joe] Heflin," Smith said. "I'm having trouble getting Rep. [Betty] Brown and Rep. [Linda] Harper-Brown on board.

Linda Harper-Brown won her re-election by a mere 19 votes.  Harper-Brown beat Democrat Bob Romano 19,857 to 19,838 or 48.72% to 48.67%.  Former Texas Republican Party Political Director Royal Masset estimated that a photo ID requirement would reduce Democratic turnout in Texas by 3%.  In House District 105, that would have cost Bob Romano about 595 votes.  

Is Harper-Brown pushing a fundamental political ideology or is she worried about re-election?  

HD-105: Recount Results in 19 Vote Lead for Harper-Brown

by: Karl-Thomas Musselman

Sat Dec 06, 2008 at 02:13 PM CST

Austin American-Statesman: Romano's lawyer, Buck Wood of Austin, said his client is weighing whether to challenge the results. The Texas Democratic Party also has a separate federal lawsuit pending.

This leaves a 76-74 Republican majority in the Texas House. In 2003, after redistricting, it was an 88-62 Republican majority. That is a change from having a 26 vote gap to a 2 vote gap. Not co-incidentally Tom Craddick has served as Speaker during this same time frame. Hm.

HD-105: Debate Over Emphasis Votes In Recount

by: Karl-Thomas Musselman

Fri Nov 21, 2008 at 08:04 PM CST

At issue, a recent ruling/instruction by the Secretary of State's Elections Division that Democrats claim contradicts an earlier policy. For review, Ann McGeehan, Director of Elections, posted the following notice to Election Clerks on October 31 which details how this type of vote should be counted.

The following are quick reference rules for counting a ballot:

1. An individual mark, or "cross-over voting," always overrides the straight-party mark.  Individual marks include write-in votes.


2. An individual vote for a candidate in the same column as a straight-party mark is regarded as an "emphasis" vote and does not invalidate the straight-party mark.  If the only individual votes are emphasis votes, the vote is tallied the same as a straight-party vote without regard to the emphasis votes.


3. Individual marks for more than one candidate in the same race constitutes an overvote, and neither candidate receives a vote.  (This is the rule for general election for state and county officers, when only one vote is allowed in each race.  In certain local elections, more votes are allowed, e.g., at-large voting.)

Bruce Sherbet, Dallas County Elections administrator posed the following question for the recount.

"In a recount, if a DRE image shows that the voter cast a straight party vote by there is no vote for the candidate of that same party (indicating it was deselected) does the straight party vote override the deselection (thus giving a vote to the candidate that was deselected)?"

Ann McGeehan of the Secretary of State's division responded in this letter (PDF).

It continues to reference a prior court ruling from 2007 between the TDP and Roger Williams where the court rejected arguments that "absent votes" on electronic eSlate machines (which would be the equivalent "emphasis voting" at issue in the HD-105 recount) could not be summarily judged and counted as emphasis votes because "voters engaging in such behavior were equally or even more likely intending to make no selection in a particular race". The 5th Circuit US Court of Appeals upheld that ruling.

While I'm in favor counting every vote and agree that it sounds like the SOS is reversing an earlier opinion, I hate to say that I actually agree with the SOS on this issue. The problem is the difference of how emphasis votes are marked on electronic ballots versus paper ballots.

Remember all the hoopla about the potentially malicious email that circulated telling people that to vote for Obama they needed to vote straight party Democrat and then also "emphasize" their vote by selecting him again? And remember how everyone tried to correct that rumor by mentioning that selecting Obama again actually deselected him from your ballot? That's all correct- for electronic voting machines which many Texas voters use and nearly all the urban counties.

Problem is, if you mark an "emphasis vote" on a paper ballot that is counted by hand or scanned in, that type of emphasis vote DOES NOT discard your vote for them. That's exactly what the original Oct 31 SOS advisory was referring to.

The problem is that on paper ballots an emphasis vote is a proactive mark which is plainly visible in a recount with no question of the intent of the voter. Why? Because on paper, a mark made for a straight party vote doesn't not automatically make a mark or selection for every candidate of that party on the ballot. It can't, it's paper. Therefore, making an emphasis vote by marking a candidate again visually reinforces a vote for that candidate on a paper ballot. In a recount, this would be obvious in reviewing the intent of the voter, separate from how a machine may have scanned the ballot.

BUT on an electronic ballot, like that used in the HD-105 race (specifically the iVotronic machine made by ES&S- view here), selecting the straight ticket option automatically fills in all candidates of that party on the screen with an X. An emphasis vote would occur by someone selecting a candidate who already had an X by their name. This deselects the candidate on that ballot and does so in the exact same way as if the voter wanted to cast a straight ticket vote but not vote for any candidate in a specific race (for whatever reason).

Because the electronic vote leaves no mark by "emphasizing" the vote which is the same end result as no mark made by choosing to skip the race it is impossible to determine the intent of the voter barring some other clear pattern on the ballot.

In more simple terms, on a paper ballot you "opt in" to the straight ticket vote and additional "opt ins" appears as clear intents to vote for that candidate. On the iVotronic, your "opt in" of the straight ticket immediately (and visually) "opts you in" for all of that party's candidates making any additional "opt in" emphasis votes to appear the same as "opted out" intended votes.

Therefore, the SOS's ruling appears contradictory only because electronic voting machines create a contradictory environment for casting and counting the vote. Which says more about the stupidity of electronic voting machines and their ballot design than the SOS.

Update: Phillip may be providing another perspective on this in the morning. I should make it clear the obviously I favor a Romano win, and if there are some additional fact to this story that alter the landscape, I very much want to hear that perspective.

The Hutchison Effect vs. The Obama Effect

by: Todd Hill

Fri Nov 14, 2008 at 08:45 AM CST

Nonetheless, because of what the Star-Telegram wrote about the likes of Republicans Joe Barton, Jeb Hensarling, and Kay Granger making a run for the senate, and the one Democratic name of John Sharp mentioned, coupled with the lively and hopeful discussion around the recent L.A. Times article about Texas being a battleground state in 2012, I think it is important to take a deep breath and really analyze some things here.  

HD-105: What to Expect in the Upcoming Recount

by: Karl-Thomas Musselman

Thu Nov 13, 2008 at 03:02 PM CST

Final resolution of the HD105 contest may take some time. Here's what we can expect over the next several days:

• The Dallas County Commissioners Court will certify the results as reported by election officials.
• Bob Romano must file a request for a recount no later than two days following the certification of the ballot by the Commissioners Court.
• A Recount Committee will be appointed by the Dallas Elections Administrator. The Committee will then examine each ballot to determine the intent of each voter.

Quirk in electronic voting machines could determine outcome

In Dallas County, ES&S electronic voting machines are used during early voting, while paper ballots are used on Election Day. One of the notable flaws in ES&S machines is that voters who cast a straight ticket ballot but then also attempt to "emphasis" vote by marking the box next to a particular candidate inadvertently deselect that candidate thereby canceling their vote.

When the voting screens are reviewed during a recount, these errors should be caught and corrected (Source: TX Election Code Section 65.007).  In HD105, Democrats cast more straight ticket ballots than Republicans.  As the under vote flaw caused by "emphasis" voting is caught and corrected, more Romano votes are likely to be restored than Harper-Brown votes.

Obviously, we don't know if the ES&S flaw will reveal enough previously uncounted votes for Romano to overcome Harper-Brown's narrow 20-vote lead.  Clearly, though, a recount of the early votes in HD105 is justified. Further, this race points to the need that the electronic voting machine flaw should be corrected.

Romano to Call for Recount

by: Michael Hurta

Tue Nov 11, 2008 at 04:25 PM CST

Here's his statement:

I am proud and humbled that so many voters in our community believe I should be our district's voice in the Texas House.  In the coming days, my focus will be on doing everything I can to see that every ballot is counted and that every voter's intent is known.  We must respect the voters, and protect the trust they have placed in our democracy.  To that end, I intend to request a re-count of the ballots cast in this election.

Having seen Mr. Romano's initial reaction to the close race with a desire to go hunting, he probably genuinely is humbled.  This is his second straight attempt at Harper-Brown's seat, and the 2006 result was not nearly this close.  So his humility is understandable.
Whatever happens: Congratulations on your increased support, Bob Romano.

Overseas Ballots Widen Harper-Brown's Lead

by: Michael Hurta

Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 09:26 PM CST

The waiting continues for state Rep. Linda Harper-Brown and her Democratic challenger Bob Romano in the race for state House District 105.

Harper-Brown had a 34-vote lead over Romano on Monday after overseas ballots were counted, according to Dallas County election figures.

Harper-Brown entered Monday's count with a 29-vote margin over Romano. She picked up nine overseas ballots and he gained four.

Dallas County Elections Administrator Bruce Sherbet says 61 provisional ballots remained to be counted Monday night.

The overseas ballots are military ballots, so it should have been expected to go in Harper-Brown's direction.  Also, there is no saying if any of the already-counted provisional ballots have been included in the most recently released tally.  Since the total vote count went up only slightly, I would assume the answer is no.

CBS 11 explains how the provisional ballots will be decided:

The race will be decided by a ballot board.  It has eight teams with one democrat and one republican on each team.

Sherbet says if the teams can't agree on the validity of a ballot, then a provisional ballot judge casts the tie-breaker.  In this case, she's a democrat.

Control of the Texas House...

by: Karl-Thomas Musselman

Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 00:07 AM CST

It lies with the counting of provisional ballots in HD-105 between Rep. Linda Harper-Brown (R) and this man- Bob Romano. The margin is 25 votes.

If this man can win, the Texas House is tied 75-75.

Romano beat Jim Rea in the primary. Rea was endorsed by the Dallas Morning News and favored by the Lone Star Project and expected to win. Romano won the primary by 298 votes.