Cid Galindo's Television Ad

by: Karl-Thomas Musselman

Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 02:17 PM CDT

CORRECTED: 2008 Austin City Council Poll Results

by: Karl-Thomas Musselman

Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 11:15 PM CDT

I have posted the official poll results below. The changes are marginal but do reflect a lower level of undecided voters across the board and Robin Cravey swaps positions with Jennifer Gale in Place 4.

Here are the actual poll results.

IVR Polls surveyed 517 likely City Council voters on April 16.  The survey's margin of error is +/- 4.3%.

Place 1
Lee Leffingwell 37.5%
Jason Meeker    13.7%
Allen Demling    3.9%
Undecided       44.9%

Place 3
Randi Shade     26.4%
Jennifer Kim    24.9%
Ken Weiss       11.3%
Undecided       37.4%

Place 4
Cid Galindo     11.9%
Laura Morrison  10.3%
Robin Cravey    10.2%
Jennifer Gale    8.0%
Ken Vasseau      4.8%
Sam Osemene      4.8%
Undecided       50.0%

We don't usually have an opportunity to see a poll like this so what does it tell us?  First off, according to the pollster, these respondents are those who self-identified themselves as planning to vote in the city elections, so the undecideds, while high, are not inflated by unlikely voters.

That said- it's clear that these races are very fluid and voter contact via TV, Radio, and Mail will play a large role in the next 3 weeks.

In Place 1, Leffingwell clearly has an established lead with Meeker having to work to get beyond his base if he's to have any chance. This concurs with the wideheld assumption that Leffingwell is headed to victory without a runoff.

In Place 3, a statistical tie exists and while always predicted to be a hard fought race, I wouldn't have guessed that Shade would have had this level of support prior to entering the paid media phase of the campaign (which against an incumbent is a place she's probably happy to be in). Still, it's anyone game, but unless Kim or Shade is able to boost their margins, they'll be going head to head until the June runoff and a long campaign and smaller electorate could shift the electoral dynamics.

In Place 4, it is clear that the lack of an incumbent has the race wide open for whom is going to face off in a June runoff. Morrison, having won the lion's share of endorsements and some of the city's better consultants, does not have the poll numbers to back up what many had perceived to be frontrunner status. There is a clear separation of the field in this place with Gale providing the dividing line of those who are contenders and those who are not; Gale, of course, being in a class of her own.

Also, people may have underestimated the power that a Hispanic surname has, even in city elections (note- he has done some tv already). Combine that with a candidate likely to pick up the moderate to center-right city voters, and we may be dealing with a battle between Morrison and Cravey for which progressive will get to take on Cid Galindo in a runoff. Still, the race has the most undecided voters and is wide open so there is a reasonable chance that we get a Morrison-Cravey runoff that makes Austin lefties a little less anxious.

Share your own thoughts in the comments. The poll script is in the extended entry.  

Democrats Express Concern Over Galindo's Republican History

by: Mark Duncan

Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 11:07 AM CDT

An Open Letter From Concerned Travis County Democrats

April 16, 2008

It's a wonderful time to be a Democrat! The interest in the March 4th primary was amazing. Whether you were a Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton supporter, it was clear that America wants a change in direction and is looking to the Democratic Party for new leadership!

Though we've been focused on the national scene, we are fast approaching another crucial election right here in Austin.  This May we will be voting on three places on the Austin City Council.  The winners will have a major impact on the future of our city.

Our city elections are non-partisan, but the personal integrity and political values of the candidates are no less important here at home than they are at the national level.

That's why we are writing to you as concerned Democrats.  Even though the winds of change are blowing, old style political spin is still alive and well in Austin.  

Developer Cid Galindo, a candidate for Place 4, appears to be hiding his Republican connections. Recently he sent out a campaign e-mail with the following statement:

"Friends and Fellow Austinities,

This week I cast my ballot in the Democratic presidential primary that has captured the imagination of our nation and imbued us with a determination to turn the page and set a new course for our country"

A strong sentiment indeed and one we all might agree with. Let's look at the evidence.

When asked if he is a Democrat, Mr. Galindo has indicated he is an "independent".  He may be an "independent" but a check of his voting record shows that he voted in the 2004 REPUBLICAN primary.  When asked about this in Democratic forums, he claims he wanted to vote against Bush. However, there was no one running on the ballot against Bush in 2004 Primary.

When looking deeper into Mr. Galindo's political past, we found a 1995 donation of $1000, the maximum amount allowed at the time, to then GOP Senator Phil Graham.

Finally, The Galindo Group, the land development company he co-owns and serves as the president of, has prominent support for the Texas Public Policy Foundation on its web site. Financed by leading Texas Republican donor Jim Leininger, this conservative policy organization has been pushing school vouchers and attacking publicly funded education for years. Strange bedfellow indeed!

Has Cid really had a change of heart?  Or is this just a clever ploy to hide his past and help him get elected in an overwhelmingly Democratic city?  

All of our local Democratic Clubs have seen beyond this ploy and endorsed other candidates in this race. While this is heartening, the general public needs to see beyond the progressive veneer Mr. Galindo has been presenting.

We urge you to keep in mind the fundamental issues of honesty and integrity, as well as Austin's need for candidates with genuine records of supporting social equity, neighborhoods, our environment, and  local businesses.  We deserve leaders we can trust.  We need to support candidates who will put the public's interest above special interests and who have a demonstrated commitment to open government and progressive values.

Carl Betancourt
Former Democratic Precinct Chair

David Butts
Democratic Precinct Chair

Kitty Clark
Former Democratic Precinct Chair

Cecelia Crossley
Former State Democratic Executive Committee Member

Richard Franklin
Former President
Black Austin Democrats

Jeff Jack
Former President
South Austin Democrats

Ramey Ko
President
Capital Area Asian American Democrats

Donna Beth McCormick
Precinct Chair and former Texas Democratic Party staff member

Elliott McFadden
Former Executive Director
Travis Co. Democratic Party

Jan Soifer
President
North by Northwest Democrats

Walter Timberlake
Former President
South Austin Democrats

Chad Williams
Former President
West Austin Democrats

Mark Yznaga
Coordinator of the 2000 Democratic Coordinated Campaign

4 Democratic Clubs Endorse

by: Matt Glazer

Wed Mar 26, 2008 at 10:24 PM CDT

• Tim Mahoney was endorsed by CAPD, CAAAD, SAD, and TED for ACC
• Jerry Garcia was endorsed by CAPD and CAAAD for Austin Independent School District Board
• Lee Leffingwell was endorsed by CAPD, CAAAD, SAD, TED for re-election in City Council Place 1
• Jennifer Kim was endorsed by CAPD and CAAAD for Austin City Council Place 3
• Randi Shade was endorsed by SAD for Austin City Council Place 3
• Laura Morrison was endorsed by CAPD, CAAAD, and SAD for Austin City Council Place 4

This list represents all endorsements made tonight at the Democratic Club meetings and links to the website are provided if available.

Cid Galindo Fundraising Report

by: Karl-Thomas Musselman

Mon Jan 14, 2008 at 05:00 PM CST

Cid Galindo today announced that he raised more than $11,000 in the first 30 days of his Austin City Council campaign, saying that his success in bringing together a diverse group of supporters over the holidays underscores how strongly voters want to unite behind a candidate who will move the city beyond the battles of the past to address the challenges of the future.

"We may not have the most money in this race, but our report shows that our campaign will have enough resources to show that we have the best message," Galindo said. "I am grateful for such strong support as we make the case for the kind of positive change that can turn Austin into one of America's greatest cities."

The former City of Austin Planning Commissioner, running for the Place 4 seat being vacated by Betty Dunkerley, filed his campaign finance report for the period ending December 31.

With $7,350 raised from 22 contributions in the period from December 10 through December 31, Galindo's report shows a broad spectrum of Austinites backing his campaign, from advocates for parks, neighborhoods, and the arts to champions of education, high-tech, health care reform, and sustainable development.

Galindo said he has brought in an additional $3,800 in the first two weeks of the new year, for a total of $11,150 as of Sunday.