BOR: - Democratic Primary

Endorsements in CD-33 Speak Volumes About Character of Marc Veasey, Domingo Garcia

Katherine Haenschen — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 16:30:00 GMT

It wasn't a surprise when CD-33, a newly created minority opportunity district in the Dallas-Fort Worth area drew enough candidates to populate a soccer team. Throughout the first round of the primary, current State Rep. Marc Veasey and former State Rep. Domingo Garcia emerged as the front-runners, an impression that was reaffirmed on election night, when Veasey earned 37% and Garcia 25% of the vote, heading into an inevitable run-off. The first round between these two candidates became an increasingly acrimonious affair after Garcia attacked Veasey for standing with auto-workers in support of the area's car manufacturers, some of the largest private employers in the region.

So far, the run-off -- which will conclude on July 31 -- has largely been dominated by endorsement news, as various other candidates in the race and area elected officials pick sides between Veasey and Garcia.

Veasey has rolled out a number of impressive endorsements, including State Senator Wendy Davis, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, and State Reps. Rafael Anchia and Robert Alonso. Meanwhile, Garcia has earned the endorsements of former State Rep. Glenn Lewis, and candidate in the first round of the primary Kyev Tatum.

One can view many of Veasey's endorsements as an attempt to eat into Garcia's base, both geographically and ethnically. Veasey, who is African-American, earned the endorsements of two prominent Hispanic lawmakers, Alonzo and Anchia. Alonzo, as a matter of fact, was the first Hispanic candidate elected to the State House from North Texas. Anchia, a national rising star in Hispanic politics, has also been one of the staunchest opponents to voter photo ID legislation, which if put into effect would disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of Hispanic voters. Veasey has also been endorsed by first-round opponents JR Molina and Steve Salazar. Additionally, Veasey, who is from Tarrant County, is racking up support from folks on the Dallas end of the district, home to Garcia. Johnson, Anchia, Alonzo, and Salazar all hold or held elected office in Dallas. They're joined by Dallas Councilwoman Monica Alonzo, Dallas Constable Beth Villarreal and others in backing Veasey in the run-off over Garcia.

It might seem odd that so many respected Hispanic officials past and present would endorse Veasey over Garcia. However, even Garcia's Hispanic supporters admit that he is a "flawed candidate" with shortcomings that, as the Dallas Morning News puts it, should "disqualify him in the minds of the regular voters."

Meanwhile, Garcia has earned the endorsements of former State Rep. Glenn O. Lewis, Fort Worth Council Member Kathleen Hicks, and Rev. Kyev Tatum, another candidate in the first round. All three African-Americans hail from the Fort Worth end of the district. However, concerns have been raised about the backgrounds of Lewis and Tatum, and their endorsement of Garcia should raise eyebrows amongst folks who know their backgrounds.

As a State Representative, Lewis betrayed Democratic Speaker Pete Laney and endorsed Republican Tom Craddick, later defending Craddick's regime in the lower chamber. He helped pass Tom Delay's mid-decade redistricting plan, remaining in Austin to help Craddick hold quorum rather than flee immediately to Ardmore, OK. One of Lewis's top legislative priorities was supporting school vouchers as a member of the House Committee on School Finance. This is particularly alarming, since vouchers take taxpayer money out of our public schools, and hurt Texans who depend on public schools. Lewis was defeated in the 2004 Democratic primary by Veasey himself. One could argue that it was a huge trade-up for the people of HD-95.

Tatum also has a checkered past -- he has donated to Republican organizations and voted in Republican primaries, and also supports school voucher programs to take money from public schools to fund private education. Oddly, he was endorsed by George W. Bush's former Education Secretary. It's odd to see Garcia promoting the endorsement of people so closely aligned with Republicans and failed Republican policies. With friends like these...

Veasey seems to be winning the lion's share of endorsements from respected leaders and former officials on both ends of the district. Meanwhile, Garcia is touting the support of individuals with extremely problematic pasts that should be disconcerting to Democratic primary (and primary run-off) voters. Remember that the new CD-33 is a very Democratic district, and it's likely that barring any major scandal or mid-decade redistricting, the person elected will serve for some considerable time. Voters need to make sure they elect someone they can trust, and given the folks Garcia is currently associating himself with, it's hard to make the case that he's the man for the job.

Travis DA: Charlie Baird Has Disconcerting History of Putting Violent Offenders Back on The Streets

Katherine Haenschen — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:14:06 GMT

As the acrimonious race for Travis County District Attorney heads to the finish line, the campaigns of incumbent Rosemary Lehmberg and challenger Charlie Baird seem determined to illustrate whether or not each candidate possesses the discretion and temperament required for the job as our county's top prosecutor. With the start of early voting last week, Baird's campaign has gone extremely negative with a series of live phone calls that verge on a push poll -- according to the Austin Chronicle, three separate voters reported receiving calls asking what they would think if they knew Lehmberg had taken money from people in return for not prosecuting them, i.e. did she take bribes. Baird claims it wasn't a push poll and that the callers are remembering it incorrectly.

Lehmberg's campaign has pushed back against Baird's accusations in an ad in this week's Chronicle that states, "Charlie Baird has sent out 2 dishonest pieces of mail... Baird has no factual basis for any of the charges he has made. A District Attorney has to make decisions based on real facts, not what serves his political interest. Charlie Baird is rapidly proving he is judgmentally unfit to be District Attorney." Lehmberg's response points to an issue that has long simmered in the DA's race: whether Baird has the temperament and discretion to handle the role of Travis County's top prosecutor.

The role of district attorney is a challenging balance between making sure that county prosecutors have enough to convict violent offenders while also looking for ways to rehabilitate people and prevent recidivism (and hopefully not clogging up our criminal justice system and jails with minor drug offenders). Baird has largely been running on the need to make justice work for "everyone," tied to his reputation as a staunch advocate for defendants' rights.

However, Baird's own record on the 299th District Court, one of Travis County's felony courts, suggests that this advocacy manifested itself into an alarming tendency to put serious, violent offenders back out on the streets via personal bonds.

Before we get into why this matters, some explanation is in order. Defense attorneys can seek a personal bond, or PR (personal recognizance) bond, which gets the defendant out of jail until their trial without paying their bail. Before a judge grants a PR bond, the Pretrial Review Services review department looks at the defendant's past criminal record and recommends whether the judge should grant the PR bond or not. Factors include past criminal history -- a defendant with no prior arrests, no violent offenses, or small drug charges is likely to be recommended for a PR bond. However, a person with a history of arrests or violent crimes is likely to be recommended against.

In his four years on the 299th District Court, Baird led our district courts -- felony and misdemeanor courts alike -- in his granting of PR bonds against the wishes of pre-trail services, by an overwhelming margin. His record amongst felony judges is even more alarming. Several of the people Baird released would go on to commit additional crimes that could have potentially been prevented with a more judicious use of PR bonds by Baird.

*PR Bonds approved by Travis County's state District Court felony benches after initial "no" recommendation by Pretrial Services, FY 2009*
Wilford Flowers:	26
Mike Lynch:	66
Charlie Baird:	408
Bob Perkins:	42
Julie Kocurek:	35
Brenda Kennedy:	11
Melissa Goodwin / Jim Coronado:	61
District Court Magistrate:	76

A study by the Austin American-Statesman of fiscal year 2009 demonstrates the discrepancy between Baird and the rest of our felony benches here in Travis County. The chart reproduced at right accompanied a lengthy article about Baird's use of PR bonds.

There are plenty of folks who would argue that this was the right decision by Baird, that too many people are in jail, it costs us money, etc. But remember that this is a felony bench where judges heard cases involving murder, rape, kidnapping, aggravated assault, arson, fraud, grand larceny, and other serious offenses. This isn't Baird putting a bunch of dope smokers or frat boys accused of public intoxication back out on the streets. This is Baird deciding that people who plead guilty to armed bank robbery are perfectly safe to be walking our streets.

A search through the archives of the Austin American-Statesman brings up dozens of cases in which Baird actively chose to personal bond violent felons, many of whom went on to commit further crimes while back on the streets thanks to Baird. He gave other serious criminals -- people charged with sexual assault of a child, armed robbery and homicide -- the lightest sentence allowable by law.

Learn more about several specific cases below the jump.
Personal Bonds and Light Sentences for Violent Criminals

Homicide -- Jonathan Anthony Kelly-Contreras. The 17 year old killed an elderly woman, Jennie Sue McClusky, as part of a gang initiation just one month after he was released on a PR bond by Judge Charlie Baird. McClusky died after she was robbed and injured by Kelly-Contreras and a friend. Kelly-Contreras, "had been released by state District Judge Charlie Baird last month on a personal recognizance bond on the aggravated robbery charge." [Source: Statesman]

Child Abuse -- Emily McDonald. McDonald put feces in her 3-year-old daughter's hospital feeding tube, and Baird let her go free on PR bond. McDonald was later found with another child and returned to jail by another Judge, who said she "would never have released McDonald on personal bond pending trial." McDonald was arrested for smearing fecal matter in her hospitalized infant daughter's feeding tube, after hospital staff became suspicious of the infant's illness and set up a hidden camera. Staff caught McDonald smearing feces on her daughter's IV cap. The mother told hospital authorities that she smeared feces on the IV line five times during the child's six-week hospital stay. Judge Charlie Baird let her go free on personal bond. McDonald was later found with a child, in violation of her release. She was eventually sentenced to 20 years in prison. [Source: Statesman]

Child Sexual Assault -- Jose Gonzalez. Gonzalez was given a PR bond against the wishes of pretrial review after he was arrested for sexual assault of a child. Gonzalez was in the country illegally, on probation, and awaiting deportation. Gonzalez had a record in both juvenile and adult court for various crimes, culminating in the sexual assault of a child. Baird gave Gonzalez a personal bond. [Source: Court Documents]

Repeat Armed Robbery -- Norvin Buggage. Buggage pled guilty to charges of robbing a bank in Austin and accepted a 15 year sentence. Instead, Baird gave him eight years of deferred adjudication -- a form of probation with no jail time -- for a crime punishable by up to life in prison. Only three months later, Buggage was arrested in New Orleans (in violation of his probation, which forbade leaving the county) on another charge of attempted armed robbery with a firearm and battery of a police officer. Baird sentenced him to five years in prison. [Source: Statesman]

Child Sexual Assault -- Stanislaus Smalls. Smalls, a 42 year old man, pled guilty to two counts of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy he met on MySpace. The Statesman writes, "The plea was unnegotiated, manning it was up to state District Judge Charlie Baird to determine the sentence." Baird gave the man 8 years probation -- no jail time -- for a crime that is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. [Source: Statesman 4.20.2007]

Burglary and Robbery -- Maurice York. Baird sentenced York to deferred adjudication for burglary and armed robbery. The Statesman writes, "while on probation, York, 22, went on to commit more than 20 robberies in Austin. Hindsight is 20-20, and York is now serving a 50-year sentence." The victims of those 20 robberies might question why Baird thought it was a good idea to let their attacker avoid jail time. [Source: Statesman]

Murder -- Carlos Mares. Mares pled guilty for a drug charge and was awaiting a seven-month jail sentence. Baird gave Mares a personal bond and sent him to a halfway house. Mares got drunk with the owner of the halfway house and stabbed him several times. The halfway house operator died. [Source: Statesman]

Murder -- Raul Acedo. Acedo was a meth user with a prison record involved in two shootings on the same day. Baird sent Acedo to prison for 15 years for one of the shootings. The Statesman writes, "The sentence was the minimum allowed given Acedo's criminal record ... Acedo could have gotten up to life in prison." Acedo was involved in another shooting the same day, for which he pleaded guilty and received a concurrent 12-year sentence. Acedo pled guilty to murder in a deal that left the sentencing up to Baird. [Source: Statesman]

Homicide and Domestic Violence -- Eric Skeeter Skeeter punched a man, who fell down and later died of his injuries. Baird gave him 10 years probation. A year later, Skeeter was charged with assault for family violence, arrested, and put back in jail. [Source: Statesman]

These are just a few of the cases I found in the Statesman's archive. I am sure there are more. But just this handful of incidents demonstrates a disconcerting pattern by Baird to bond out serious offenders, after which they commit additional serious crimes.

Again, these aren't kids smoking dope, or first-time DWI offenders. These are violent criminals, many with a history of serious crimes, the exact kind of people the District Attorney is responsible for putting and keeping in jail.

Baird has received well-deserved accolades for his willingness to address the root causes of crime. He's absolutely correct to point to wider issues in our society -- such as a lack of access to education, insufficient food stamps and public assistance -- that play a role in causing crime in the first place. But the role of the District Attorney is not to address or solve those issues. The district attorney needs to put the really bad guys in jail and keep them there, something which Baird's own history shows a problematic unwillingness to do.

In his one term on the state's 299th District Court, Charlie Baird demonstrated an extreme tendency to put violent offenders back out on the street via personal bonds. The fact is, there's no one else on the bench even here in liberal Travis County who has this record of letting violent felons go free on probation, during which they commit further crimes.

The District Attorney is essentially the county's top prosecutor, and based solely on his record, it's unclear if Baird actually has the desire and willingness to sufficiently prosecute violent felons. One can joke about the Travis DA's race being about who is "softer on crime," but the reality is, as a judge Charlie Baird put some pretty awful people back on the streets.

Round-Up of Endorsements in 2012 Travis County Democratic Primary

Katherine Haenschen — Sun, 20 May 2012 20:15:00 GMT

Believe it or not, an end is in sight for the primary season that has been dragging on since last June, when candidates started filing, soliciting support, friending you on Facebook, etc. Our primary candidates got a lot more than they bargained for in the three-month election delay caused by Greg Abbott and the Republicans in the legislature due to their redistricting over-reach. Thanks to all of them for hanging in there and gamely campaigning on, and a special shout-out to the families, co-workers, and friends of the candidates themselves (and their doting staffers) who have put up with this much more than any of them might have imagined!

In any case, Early Voting is going on this week and ends Friday. My colleague Karl-Thomas prepared this handy GoogleMap of early voting locations in Travis County, so find one near you and get to it.

Here's a quick round-up of all of the endorsements meted out this year. Information was culled from candidates' websites and organizations' websites and Facebook pages. Some are incomplete due to the organizations' lack of websites, Facebook pages, or external communication. Fill in the blanks in the comments and I will happily update.

What do these abbreviations mean?
DNE: Did not endorse. Some clubs don't endorse in races that aren't in their geographic purview (Circle C, WAD, etc.)
n/a: No endorsement, usually because a candidate failed to meet a threshold within a group for endorsement.
Blank spaces: I can't find a full list an organization's endorsement, or cannot get confirmation that a specific race was not considered OR no candidate met the endorsement requirements.

Go vote, people!

Support Our Endorsed Congressional Candidates on ActBlue!

Katherine Haenschen — Sat, 19 May 2012 15:00:00 GMT

We have a stellar crop of Democrats running for Congress here in Texas. From newly created Democratic districts to swing seats that can turn blue this November, we've got strong, progressive advocates for our values on the ballot across the state. Last weekend, we endorsed in 10 of our Congressional primaries here in Texas, urging voters to support the candidates who we feel will best represent their districts -- and our progressive, Democratic values -- in Congress. Now, these candidates need your help to win their primaries.

Support our endorsed Congressional candidates via our ActBlue fundraising page!

Meet Our Endorsed Candidates:

Marc Veasey, CD-33:

Taj Clayton, CD-30:

Pete Gallego, CD-23:

Nick Lampson, CD-14:

Lloyd Doggett, CD-35:

Silvestre Reyes:

Candace Duval:

KP George:

Joaquin Castro, CD-20:

Click here to visit our ActBlue fundraising page for our endorsed Congressional candidates!

May of our endorsed candidates have already been working hard for you in the State House or in Washington D.C., advocating for improved access to education and affordable healthcare, championing women's rights and equality, and working hard to fight back against Republican majorities. Our endorsed candidates include some of the leaders who will be working to provide a better future for Texans.

Support their campaigns today, and keep them running strong in the primaries and all the way through November.

Endorsements in Democratic County Chair Elections

Burnt Orange Report — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:45:00 GMT

It may be the last race on your Democratic ballot, but it can be one of the most important: the race for your local Democratic Party County Chair.

Exemplary county chairs build the Democratic party in their area, recruit candidates, expand turnout programs, and play a big role in winning crucial elections. The role can be a tough needle to thread, as chairs must work well with activists, candidates, officeholders, and donors, and make sure the party stays focused on activities that actually win elections for Democrats. It's a thankless, tiresome, and unpaid job, and we commend those who do it year after year. The people who run and win these positions are key to turning our entire state blue, inch by inch and county by county, and we urge voters to look into the candidates for this race and support the person best capable of organizing strong GOTV programs and recruiting the best candidates to run and win.

With that in mind, Burnt Orange Report is endorsing several uncontested county chairs in recognition of their tremendous party building efforts, and also endorsing in select contested races where we believe there is a compelling reason to support one candidate.

Endorsements below the jump.
2012 Burnt Orange Report Endorsements In Uncontested Democratic County Chair Elections

While these candidates and incumbent chairs may not have primary opponents, they are exemplary party builders whose good works have not gone unnoticed. These party leaders show what can be done with strong, organized, coordinated efforts to turn out Democratic voters, and we urge all counties to follow in their lead.

Bastrop: Robert Ryland. Ryland, a BOR community member and seasoned activist, worked hard in 2010 as the county chair, expanding the BCDP coordinated campaign program and supporting great Democratic candidates. We expect Ryland to keep working hard to build the Democratic brand in this growing county.

Burnet: Guy Stuart. For someone so young, Stuart already has an impressive record of activism. He's working hard to turn out every single Democratic vote in this Hill Country county, which is crucial in our Third Court of Appeals races.

Dallas: Darlene Ewing. Ewing's county party held on to every Dallas County judicial position in 2010 despite the Republican wave, and for that tremendous effort alone she deserves support for another term. Ewing has steered the DCDP ship in a great direction, and given the party an excellent foundation on which to build great things.

Fort Bend: Stephen Brown. Brown is working hard to flip this county, and this cycle he just might do it. Brown is growing the party, working hand-in-hand with local clubs. He did a great job with his county's 2010 coordinated campaign, and even ran a countywide vote-by-mail program. Keep it up!

Tarrant: Steve Maxwell. Maxwell is working hard to grow the party in Fort Worth, and has another county moving in the right direction to turn blue. His newsletter, "The Donkey Speaks," is a must-read no matter where you live.

Travis: Andy Brown. Brown works hard to raise huge funds to support field programs in Travis County. The TCDP has a year-round office and staff, which helps support Democratic programming outside of regular campaign seasons. Brown has focused on supporting expansive field efforts that turn out Democrats and win elections, and has made great strides to bring more precinct chairs, clubs, and activists together to work towards our common goals.

2012 Burnt Orange Report Endorsements In Contested Democratic County Chair Elections:

There are several contested County Chair elections across the state. In some of these races, we think there is a clear and compelling reason to support one of the candidates. We have endorsed these candidates below.

Bell: Marianne Miller. Miller's experience as interim chair and with the Texas Democratic Women demonstrate her organizing strength. She's the best candidate to expand Bell County's efforts and run a GOTV program to help increase Democratic margins and win some races.

Bexar: Choco Meza. Meza has done a miraculous job, rescuing the Bexar County Democratic Party from the brink of disaster. She got the party out of debt and restored its reputation after the former chair did much to generate Democratic consternation across the state. Meza deserves a second term to keep the party going in the right direction.

Denton: John McClelland. McClellan is an exciting young leader with a passion for the grassroots who can help boost the numbers in this rapidly growing suburban county. He will inject new energy to the party, and is committed to expanding training, using new technologies, and recruiting more candidates to run. McClellan's got great ideas and a strong organizing background, and deserves a chance to show what he can do.

Harris: Lane Lewis. This is the most important chair's race in Texas this year. Harris County is our most populous county, and HCDP needs the strongest chair possible to keep improving turnout figures year over year. Lewis has served as interim chair and done an excellent job on the whole. He has the organizing and managerial skills to helm the gigantic HCDP operation and keep boosting the Democratic numbers, which will be key to turning our entire state blue. He enjoys a great reputation amongst campaign workers and activists, and is best suited to this tremendous and difficult job.

Tom Green: Linda Shoemaker. Shoemaker is a solid presence in San Angelo, and has done an excellent job supporting her local and regional candidates. We support her for another term so she can keep her county party's eye on the ball.

There are at least 12 contested County Chair races on the ballot this year, including crowded races in Webb, Nueces, Hidalgo, and Cameron County. These races are vastly more important than their ballot position would indicate. We encourage voters to support candidates who are best prepared to engage in the necessary party building and GOTV activities in November to win as many races as possible for Democrats across Texas, and play a crucial role in turning this state Blue.

As always, feel free to advocate for your preferred candidate in the comments, or talk up the great job your local county chair is already doing in your area!

Burnt Orange Report Endorses Garnet Coleman in HD-147

Burnt Orange Report — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:00:00 GMT

Garnet Coleman is a progressive champion who deserves another term in the Legislature. We unanimously and enthusiastically endorse him for HD-147.

Coleman is a spectacular legislator, an unabashed progressive, and a champion for the poor and powerless. He is a leader in the Texas Legislature working to make bills more effective and more progressive. Outside of the Capitol he works hard to elect Democrats up and down the ballot to give our party more support at all levels of government. As we wrote in our legislative preview, Coleman is a strong Democrat and party loyalist who walks the walk, and he not only deserves another term, he deserves to be in a chamber with a Democratic majority so he can really show what he can get done.

Burnt Orange Report unanimously and enthusiastically endorses Garnet Coleman for re-election to HD-147 and urges all Democrats and progressives to support him.

Endorsements are made based on a weighted consensus of the staff, which guides the type and tone of endorsement. Members of the Burnt Orange Report staff employed by campaigns abstain from voting on those races.

Burnt Orange Report Endorses Joseph Carlos Madden in HD-137

Burnt Orange Report — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:00:00 GMT

Joseph Carlos Madden has already been working hard to fight for our progressive values in the Legislature as a staffer. He's the best choice to follow Rep. Scott Hochberg, and we unanimously and enthusiastically endorse him in HD-137.

There are a lot of first-time candidates on the ballot this year, but few are as qualified and knowledgeable about the workings of the Legislature as Joseph Carlos Madden. Madden has served as Chief of Staff for progressive champion Garnet Coleman, and also as the Executive Director of the Legislative Study Group. He has already reviewed and analyzed thousands of bills that have come to the floor of the State House to determine their impacts on Texas families. Ask Madden a question about a policy issue, and be prepared for an answer that is as rapid, thorough, and thoughtful as if he wrote the bill himself.

Madden's Hispanic cultural background fluency in Spanish are an asset in this diverse, multicultural district. He was the first member of his family to graduate from college, and worked his way through the University of Texas as an electrician's apprentice, simultaneously interning at the HDCC and for Democratic representatives. As a precinct chair he has worked hard to elect Democrats in Harris County, and been actively involved with the local party. Madden is an outstanding Democratic candidate in every way possible, and will be an exemplary member of our Democratic caucus.

This will be a close race, with four solid candidates running to replace Rep. Scott Hochberg, and we expect it to go to a run-off. Of Madden's opponents, we commend Jamaal Smith on his work in the legislature and for the Harris County Democratic Party, and are pleased to see him making his first run for office as well. However we give the edge to Madden for his tireless work to make Texas a better place, and his tremendous experience as a legislative staffer.

Madden has the experience and legislative know-how to step into Hochberg's seat and make an immediate difference for working Texas families. We unanimously and enthusiastically endorse him in the Democratic primary for HD-137.

Burnt Orange Report Endorses Chris Turner in HD-101

Burnt Orange Report — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:30:00 GMT

Of the solid candidates in HD-101, Chris Turner is the strongest campaigner and will be the best legislator. We unanimously and enthusiastically endorse him for election in the Democratic primary.

The new HD-101 was drawn as a safe Democratic district in Tarrant County, and has attracted three solid candidates. However, we think that Turner is the best of the bunch, in terms of his abilities as a legislator, credentials as a Democrat, and talents as a campaigner. In 2008 Turner was elected to the state house. As a freshman legislator in the minority party he was still able to be an effective leader and pass several pieces of legislation, including measures to stop seniors and customers from being gouged by utility rate hikes and legislation that allowed the children and widows of deceased veterans use the benefits their loved ones earned while serving our country. He's probably best known for creating a lottery ticket that serves as a funding mechanism for the Fund for Veterans Assistance, which provides emergency funding for veterans in need and counseling for returning vets suffering from PTSD. The program has already generated over $15 million in revenue for Texas veterans.

Turner also has a solid background as a Democratic organizer. He managed Congressman Chet Edwards' campaign for four cycles, keeping the Democrat in office despite his Republican district. He also worked for the Tarrant County Democratic Party as Executive Director, working hard to build the party.

Turner has two opponents. One of them, former State Representative Paula Pierson, is a distinguished public servant and would make a fine legislator. Unfortunately, HD-101 can only send one of these two former state representatives back to Austin. We think that Turner was more effective when he was in the state house, and will be a better representative of this bright blue district.

Burnt Orange Report unanimously and enthusiastically endorses Chris Turner in the Democratic primary for HD-101.

Burnt Orange Report Endorses Toni Rose in HD-110

Burnt Orange Report — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:00:00 GMT

Toni Rose is the most trustworthy Democratic candidate in HD-110. We enthusiastically and unanimously endorse her for election in the Democratic primary.

Rose is a mental health professional with a history of Democratic activism. Her perspective on mental health issues will be crucial in the Legislature, and her experience will allow her to advocate for programs that support mental health across Texas. Rose received a degree in criminal justice, which provides her with expertise particularly important to this South Dallas district. The intersection of her work in mental health and knowledge of the criminal justice system will enable her to lead on these issues.

Rose has a long record with organizations actively involved in bettering her community. She served as 2nd Vice President to the local NAACP, and Vice President of Voter Outreach with the League of Women Voters of Dallas. She is also involved with the United Negro College Fund, Texas Coalition of Black Democrats, and Delta Sigma Theta sorority. She also served on the City of Dallas planning and judicial nomination commissions. Her grassroots activism and deep involvement with the people of this district make her the better choice.

We have serious concerns about her opponent Larry Taylor, owing to his Republican primary voting history. In 2008, he did not vote in the Democratic primary for Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton -- he voted in the Republican primary, apparently caring more about local Republican races than helping to elect the country's first African-American president. HD-110 is the most Democratic district in the state, and as such voters should elect a staunch Democrat who works to build our party and support our values year after year.

Rose is the candidate we trust the most. We unanimously and enthusiastically encourage voters in HD-110 to support her in the Democratic primary.

Burnt Orange Report Endorses Tina Torres in HD-117

Burnt Orange Report — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:30:00 GMT

Tina Torres is a staunch advocate for families and children, and will bring a strong female voice to the San Antonio state house delegation. We enthusiastically and unanimously endorse her for election to HD-117.

Torres is an attorney with a strong record of community service. She was raised in a family with a staunch commitment to bettering the community -- her mother was a teacher and the first Hispanic woman elected to the State Board of Education, and her father was a San Antonio city council member. Part of her law practice includes family law, and she has served on the boards of non-profits that advocate for families and children. We are particularly impressed that she is a volunteer with CASA, a non-profit that trains volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children who are under the protection of the court. Her on-the-ground experience in the community will make her a forceful advocate for the needs of children in her district, especially as Republicans in the legislature fight to take away programs that help low-income families succeed.

When Torres entered the race, some Democratic operatives in the area expressed the sentiment that it wasn't "her turn." Real leaders don't always wait their turn. They seize the opportunity to make a difference. Additionally, we believe that a strong female voice is a necessary and valuable addition to the San Antonio delegation in the lower chamber.

Torres has demonstrated strong campaigning prowess since entering the race, and raised substantial funds in a short time. We believe she will be the strongest challenger to incumbent Republican John Garza, who ousted Democrat David Leibowitz in 2010. It is crucial that we take this seat back, and fill it with the strongest advocate for all people in Texas, especially those who are most routinely victimized by Republicans in the legislature. In our opinion, Torres is the best person to do exactly that.

We unanimously and enthusiastically endorse Tina Torres in HD-117, and encourage voters to support her in the primary and general election.