Here is a different perspective on the matchup between Rep. Kino Flores and Annie's List supported candidate Sandra Rodriguez. There hasn't been much talk about this race as of yet but here is an alternative perspective that may not be the one known by folks here in the Capital City. More details here...
The Quorum Report penned that Flores is to close to Speaker Tom Craddick, and that makes him a big target for Democrats looking to oust the Speaker. Those Democrats are putting their faith in Rodriguez, a former trustee for the P-SJ-A school board and a former juvenile probation officer. Rodriguez is the wife of former district judge Fernando Mancias, and, according to her campaign advisor, her father worked closely with late activist Cesar Chavez.
Of course the article couldn't be "fair and balanced" unless it had a snidbit from La Joya Mayor Billy Leo and his criticism on Flores - not being present on the House floor for critical votes this past session on the Voter ID bill and CHIP. But according to one of Flores' advisors, a recent poll showed that "Flores' favorables are ahead of his unfavorables by a greater than seven-to-one margin and that he leads Rodriguez three-to-one on who is more in touch with the community."
This campaign could be one of David versus Goliath, and I'm not sure if Rodriguez's got the weaponry to bring down a behemoth like Flores. Flores is a persistent and hard working politico known for his grassroots style of campaigning. He's only been challenged once over the course of his 10-year reign, and he won that 2000 primary with 76 percent of the vote.
Is Craddick funneling Bob Perry money through Hillco to Craddick D's?
The October monthly report filed by Hillco PAC with the Texas Ethics Commission is a fascinating read. I'd encourage all of you to take a look at it on the Texas Ethics Commission web site.
According to the ethics commission filings, and a recent Texas for Public Justice Lobby Watch report, Hillco PAC received $86,666 in contributions from 6 individuals, 5 of whom are Hillco employees. The 6th contributor to the Hillco PAC was none other than the largest Republican donor in the state of Texas, Houston homebuilder Bob Perry.
His $75,000 contribution to the Hillco PAC represented 87% of their contributions for the entire month.
Hillco spent around $90,000 in political expenditures for the month. Most of their contributions were a standard $1000 contribution to various state reps. and senators. However, 4 contributions raised some eyebrows for me.
Why did Hillco give $10,000 to Kevin Bailey, $10,000 to Dawnna Dukes, and $10,000 to Kino Flores. What do these three State Reps. have in common? I can think of three things; 1) They are all Craddick D's who have pledged their "absolute" loyalty to Speaker Craddick, 2) They are all potentially facing primary opponents, and 3) Each of them knows a direct contribution from Bob Perry wouldn't go over so well with Democratic primary voters in their deep blue district.
It has been well documented that primary opponents have already surfaced against Bailey and Flores, and the Austin political community continues to be full of chatter regarding a primary challenge to Dukes. Just ask Ron Wilson, Glenn Lewis, Jaime Capelo, Roberto Gutierrez, Al Edwards, what their primary voters thought of their allegiance to Speaker Craddick. Even Robert Puente made the decision to retire rather than fight in a primary, and he had over $200,000 in the bank. (Apparently loyalty to Craddick can be a costly decision.)
Obviously, Buddy Jones and Bill Miller are flowing Bob Perry money through their PAC to Craddick D's who appear to be in jeopardy. I assume this arrangement is carefully orchestrated by Craddick to make sure the Craddick D's who are facing democratic primary challenges have a way to get resources from one of his most prominent moneymen (Perry) without disclosing that on their own ethics filings. Considering the millions of dollars Bob Perry has contributed to candidates (mostly R's but also some D's), why didn't he just give the 10k directly to Kevin Bailey and Kino Flores and Dawnna Dukes? Why did he choose instead to funnel that money through Buddy Jones' PAC?
Whether one supports or opposes the actions of the Craddick D's last session, they chose to establish themselves as a separate group in the Texas Legislature. Calling themselves "Democrats for Reform," they laid out an agenda at the start of session. At the end of session, they claimed their agenda was a success, and that the key successes for Democrats this session were the result of the deals they had struck with Speaker Craddick. They also touted the personal victories they won for their district by supporting Craddick, and many were proud to call themselves "Craddick D's."
It should be noted, though, that only a handful of those who attended the first press conference (announcing the Democrats for Reform, at the start of session) attended the second (after the challenge to Craddick at the end of May). More over, the voracity to which "their agenda" can be called a success was called into question.
With the announcement that Chairman Robert Puente will retire, I thought it would be appropriate to see exactly how those "Democrats for Reform" are doing today. This is merely meant as an update -- trying to keep track of our Democrats in the Texas House. I select them out as a group not out of hostility, but because they chose to set themselves apart from the House Democratic Caucus.
Update: To clarify, I designated whether or not any of the following State Representatives would "still vote for Craddick" based on their last known public position -- which I sourced as best as possible in the middle column. Any additional news that any of the Members or anyone else wish to share, please send me an e-mail or post a comment, and I will update the chart appropriately.
The Craddick D's: Where We Are Today - October 22, 2007
Voted "present, not voting" during Rep. Haggerty's roll call speech; Rep. Chavez was quoted in the Houston Chronicle saying she would support new leadership in 2009.
No
Deshotel, Joe
Voted "against" Craddick during Rep. Haggerty's roll call speech.
No
Dukes, Dawnna
Though there were rumors that some in Austin were looking for a primary challenger, none have surfaced. The last known public statement was that Rep. Dukes stands by Craddick - though I'm not certain she'd vote for Craddick again.
Was one of the handful of Democrats proudly trumpeting the "Democrats for Reform" agenda at the end of session. No other public indication of her stance, and no primary news to date.
Yes
Guillen, Ryan
No challenger, no news. Though if the budget committee is still this hard, would he want it?
On the motion to vacate at end of session, was said to be "flip-flopping." No news, though with Rep. Puente's retirement, she is the only Craddick-supporter in San Antonio.
Of the 15, there are definitely 5 fewer supporters for Craddick, two "maybes" (three, if you include Rep. Turner), three Craddick D's facing primary challenges, and maybe a few more who would no longer call themselves Craddick D's.
Some stories just slip through the cracks when there is an interesting U.S. Senate primary going on. Not sure if you noticed, but the primary map is getting interesting around the state.
Clay Robinson wrote a week ago that some “Craddick D’s” are more likely than others to garner primary opponents than others. His list included:
Among the so-called "Craddick Democrats" — Democratic House members viewed as loyal to Craddick, including a number of committee chairmen — those most likely to draw opponents in their party's primary include Kevin Bailey of Houston, Robert Puente of San Antonio, Aaron Peña of Edinburg and Kino Flores of Mission.
Two of those men have either a declared opponent or one looking at the possibilities--Aramando Walle and Roland Gutierrez has started making the moves to challenge Kevin Bailey and Robert Puente respectively.
Armando Walle, an aide to U.S. Rep. Gene Green of Houston, is preparing to challenge Bailey, and San Antonio Councilman Roland Gutierrez is considering a race against Puente.
Another race of interest is Rick Noriega’s seat. Since Noriega cannot run for both a state and federal office his House Seat will be opening up. House District 145 has a few candidates interested.
Elias De La Garza, owner of a busy Gulf Freeway fronted insurance office, is being wooed for the House District 145 race as an alternative to Houston Councilwoman Carol Alvarado and other potential contenders the local Democratic establishment might rally behind as a replacement for Noriega if Noriega gives up the seat.
There's also speculation Roy Morales, a retired Air Force Lt. Col. who ran twice for city council in the last two years, might run for the HD 145 race as a Republican in 2008.
All of these seats are known for being strong Democratic areas. While the newly created TexBlog PAC isn’t going to be involved in influencing the outcomes of these races, we will do our best to continue to cover them. If you have tips, news, or comments please feel free to write a journal or e-mail me at matt@burntorangereport.com.
Absence of two Valley Reps proves crucial on key Voter ID amendment.
AUSTIN - The absence of two Rio Grande Valley lawmakers from the House floor on Monday proved crucial on a closely fought amendment to a controversial Voter ID bill.
The article then goes on to make much of the same points that were made here at Burnt Orange last night, specifically about the one-vote margin of defeat that happened on Rep. Jim Dunnam's amendment. The article also notes that Flores was "unwell" and that Pena was back home in McAllen giving a speech about crime victims.
Flores' statement would carry more weight had not another Representative who has been sick with pneumonia not sat on the house floor through the hours of debate just to vote no. And as important as it is to recognize victims of crime and the suffering that they have gone through, HB 218 was a pretty important bill.
Two notable lines from the article, below the fold.
Update 7:30 pm:Looks like some offices read the BOR as Pena and Kino just paired their votes with Goolsby and England. Good job on the England/Goolsby pairing though guys, you just took those issues off the table for their '08 elections.
Just a quick update on House floor action for the Voter Disenfranchisement legislation currently on the floor.
Voting has begun to settle along party lines as members feels they need to get their say while everyone else tunes them out.
Of interest, however, are two absent legislators whose districts are directly affected by these bad pieces of legislation.
Remember the Craddick 15. The 15 Democrats who helped Tom Craddick retain his seat as Speaker of the House. As a result, here are the assignments Papa Bear Craddick gave to his children:
Sylvester Turner: Speaker Pro Tempore; CBO of Regulated Industries; Calendars; Appropriations
Kevin Bailey: CHAIR of Urban Affairs; Business & Industry; General Investigating & Ethics
Norma Chavez: VICE CHAIR of Calendars; Appropriations; CBO of Financial Institutions
Joe Deshotel: CHAIR of Economic Development; Redistricting; Transportation
Dawnna Dukes: CBO of Culture, Rec & Tourism; Appropriations; Calendars
Kino Flores: CHAIR of Licensing & Administrative Procedures; Redistricting; Ways & Means
Helen Giddings: CHAIR of Business & Industry; VICE CHAIR of House Administration; Higher Education
Ryan Guillen: VICE CHAIR of Appropriations; Calendars; Natural Resources
Harold Dutton: CHAIR of Juvenile Justice & Family Issues; General Investigating & Ethics; Public Education
Tracy King: CHAIR of Border & International Affairs; Environmental Regulation
Eddie Lucio: CBO of Environmental Regulation; Appropriations; Local & Consent Calendars
Ruth Jones McClendon: CHAIR of Rules & Regulations; CBO of Pensions & Investments; Appropriations
Aaron Pena: CHAIR of Criminal Jurisprudence; Ways & Means
Robert Puente: CHAIR of Natural Resources; Local Government Ways & Means
Patrick Rose: CHAIR of Human Services; Higher Education
(Oh how I love numbers... - promoted by Sam Jones)
Here's a list that's been on my mind since last year, a list of the hundred "least-educated" "cities" in the country. Texas features prominently.
The level of education is measured by the percentage of people with (or without) high school diplomas or college degrees, and "city" is defined as a place with a population of 5,000 or more. Many are merely "census-designated places" rather than actual cities. The "least-educated city" list, of course, signifies much more than educational attainment level. The cities and places tend to be low-income, low-opportunity and isolated--they are pockets of poverty--the poorest of the poor. Fifty-four are in California, 24 are in Texas.
I want every Democratic activist to remember this list during the entire 80th Legislative Session - the 15 Democrats who enabled Tom Craddick to retain his undeserved Speakership:
Kevin Bailey
Norma Chavez
Joe Deshotel
Dawnna Dukes
Kino Flores
Helen Giddings
Ryan Guillen
Harold Dutton
Tracy King
Eddie Lucio III
Ruth Jones McClendon
Aaron Pena
Robert Puente
Patrick Rose
Sylvester Turner
Before I get into the heart of my argument, I want to give credit where credit is due. Democratic Leaders in the House, like Representatives Thompson and Dunnam and Gallego and Coleman, did yeoman work in holding 54 of 69 Democratic votes. Two sessions ago, Democrats couldn't get 50 votes for anything (just ask the trials). Two months ago, no one would have believed that Tom Craddick would have to endure am unprecedented 6-hour spectacle on the first day of session to retain his gavel. Now we're within striking distance of taking down the Speaker.
We witnessed real acts of courage from good democrats; Ritter and Eiland risking their chairmanships to do what was right, Hopson taking a principled stand at a critical moment, Martinez returning to the Democratic fold, and Raymond challenging the Speaker directly.
Despite the great work of these great Democrats, it is impossible to ignore the fact that the 15 Craddick Democrats provided Craddick with the margin he needed to get re-elected Speaker. These 15 Craddick enablers put their own best political interest ahead of their party and their constituents. Had just 7 of these 15 Democrats voted their conscience, voted their convictions, or voted their constituents - instead of merely voting their own selfish best interest - we would have kicked Craddick's ass off his $1000 throne.
We should thank each and every one of the 54 Democrats who had the courage to try and make Texas a better place. But let us never forget the Craddick 15.
(These 15 Democrats haven't budged and are set to give Craddick the margin he needs to remain as speaker. We brought 55 Democrats to the table to vote for change. They'll keep fighting through the session but we have long memories. Personally, I'm thinking these 15 may earn themselves a special place in a front page box here on BOR... - promoted by Burnt Orange Report)
Edited from the film below, here are the 10 Democrats who attended Tom Craddick's dinner at the Austin Club on January 7th to pledge their support. If they follow through and vote for him tomorrow, expect primary challengers to find this footage available to them. The House needs cleaning though it begins with Tom Craddick.
1. Joe Deshotel (512) 463-0662
2. Kino Flores (512) 463-0704
3. Ryan Guillen (512) 463-0416
4. Aaron Pena (512) 463-0426
5. Helen Giddings (512) 463-0953
6. Sylvester Turner (512) 463-0554
7. Dawnna Dukes (512) 463-0506
8. Ruth Jones McClendon (512) 463-0708
9. Norma Chavez (512) 463-0622
10. Patrick Rose (512) 463-0647
Other Democrats who have are still suspected as holding out for Craddick are as follows.
11. Kevin Bailey (512) 463-0924
12. Tracy King (512) 463-0194
13. Robert Puente (512) 463-0452
14. Harold Dutton (512) 463-0510
15. Eddie Lucio III (512) 463-0606
Please call your Representatives and the ones on this list to let them know that it is not too late to make the right choice. There is no need to go down with a sinking ship. Craddick can't touch many of these districts because they are so Democratic- they should be beholden to their Democratic Primary voters that put them into office.
