"There’s just too many people running," Thompson said. "Any time someone jumps in, they cut your percentages down."
Thompson said last week he was considering ending his bid. He had said he had launched his campaign earlier in the year assuming he would be in a three-way race with former ambassador Tom Schieffer and humorist Kinky Friedman.
There are now at least four Democrat candidates for governor -- Schieffer, Friedman, East Texas rancher Hank Gilbert and Fort Worth teacher Felix Alvarado. Houston Hair-care magnate Farouk Shami and former Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle have said they may join the race as well. Candidates can not officially file for a place on the March primary ballot until December.
Thompson said he is endorsing Gilbert, who most closely matches him on several key issues including an opposition to toll roads.
Former Travis County District Attorney, Ronnie Earle, appears ready to swell the ranks of the Democratic field vying to be the Party nominee for governor of Texas. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported this weekend that Earle is "leaning toward" running for governor. Should Earle join the field he would be competing with former Ambassador Tom Schieffer, former candidate for Agriculture Commissioner Hank Gilbert, humorist Kinky Friedman, Garland therapist Mark Thompson, and school teacher Felix Alvarado.
In a telephone interview, Earle, 67, said he hasn't set a timetable but will probably make a decision "sooner rather than later." Earle served as Travis County District Attorney for 37 years until retiring in December of 2008. His office came under fire from Republicans for its investigation of DeLay, which ultimately resulted in DeLay's resignation from Congress after he was indicted in 2005 for violation of campaign laws.
In the same report, Earle claimed that because of his "deep roots" in Fort Worth that he feels he can compete in Tarrant County, which former Ambassador Tom Schieffer considers home base. Not only is Tarrant County Schieffer's home base, but he also feels he can compete and potentially flip it if he were the Democratic candidate.
I'm not certain why Earle feels he could gain traction in Tarrant County. The vast majority of Democrats that I socialize and work with here said, "who?" when I first mentioned to them that Earle was considering a run for governor. Many of the movers and shakers in Tarrant County have already quickly lined up behind Tom Schieffer too.
The fact that Earle made it a point to mention his Tarrant County roots indicates that he feels Schieffer is the man to beat early on in this primary campaign. It would appear Earle plans on defining himself as the anti-Schieffer candidate upon entering the gubernatorial race. This is a vastly different strategy than Hank Gilbert, who has entered the race and essentially ignored the other Democratic candidates and has effectively assailed the Republican candidates from day one of his campaign.
Just as a side note, this past Thursday Kinky Friedman made an appearance at the Colleyville-Grapevine-Southlake Democrats meeting. Friedman made a point to plug his book multiple times while he plugged his website zero times. Nor did he pass out any campaign material, ask for money, or ask for votes. Considering this isn't Friedman's first rodeo as a candidate for governor I don't know how much more amateur you can get when you don't at least ask for votes. Then again, perhaps his real motives were revealed in simply plugging books.
Tom Schieffer is running for Governor and has been largely unopposed since announcing. Currently the other filed candidates include Mark Thompson and Kinky Friedman.
Schieffer has announced he has raised nearly $800,000 in contributions and loans. The amount he has loaned his campaign has not be announced nor has the always important cash on hand total.
What is clear is Schieffer has more early money than any other Democratic primary candidate and he is putting together a war chest faster and earlier than Democrats did in 2006.
Here is the announcement in full:
It gives me the greatest pleasure to announce that my campaign has raised almost $800,000 in contributions and loans for this reporting period.
I am especially heartened by the fact that this money was raised during some very difficult times in Texas. People are worried about the economy, jobs, insurance rates, health care and utility costs. Still, enough people believed in what we are doing to invest their hard earned dollars in our cause. They did not give because I had the advantage of incumbency nor did they give because I held one office and was running for another. They gave us these resources because they believe I can lead a cause that will change Texas for the better. I am humbled by their confidence and will do everything I can to merit their continued support.
I am equally heartened by the diverse and distinguished group of Democrats who have agreed to chair the three components of my organization. Gilberto Hinojosa, former County Judge of Cameron County and member of the Democratic National Committee, has agreed to Co-Chair my statewide campaign along with long time Democratic activist Susan Longley of Austin. Former Speaker of the House Pete Laney of Hale Center and the Dean of Texas House Democrats, Representative Senfronia Thompson of Houston, who is also a member of the Democratic National Committee, will head up our Senior Advisory Committee, while former Ambassador Lyndon Olson, Jr. of Waco and Fort Worth civic leader Alann Sampson are co-chairing our Finance Committee.
These leaders represent the diversity and promise of Texas. They come from rural and urban areas. They have experience in the law, business, farming, politics, the clergy and the community. They believe in a Texas where everyone has a right to sit at the table and they have come together to change Texas. I am delighted to have their support, and I would be honored to carry the Democratic banner into next year's General Election.
Update: Sources inside the campaign are saying Shcieffer has $454,155 cash on hand.
Update 2 (By Michael): I just realized that this post was never updated with any loan info for Schieffer. So, sorry about this being significantly later than we could have gotten it out there. But Mr. Schieffer received $200,000 in a loan, the loan being from Lyndon Olson.
There will come a day when I will not joke about what is posted below. In fact, that day might come sooner than we might think. But today is not that day.
In campaigns, the Internet and new technology is a compliment, not a replacement to the traditional operation. It should enhance your ability to communicate with voters but it alone cannot (yet) be the sole pillar of your campaign.
According to KXAN Mark Thompson, former Democratic candidate for Railroad Commissioner, has announced he will run for Governor.
Mark Thompson, who made an unsuccessful bid last year to be TX Railroad Commissioner, says he will run for governor as a Democrat.
Thompson received 44.57% of the vote in 2008 when he ran against Republican incumbent Michael Williams. Thompson joins Tom Schieffer and humorist Kinky Friedman. Friedman only received 12.44% of the vote last time he ran for Governor and is still in the exploratory phase.
Incumbent Republican Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams decided not to show up for his Dallas Morning News Editorial Board meeting- which he had confirmed to attend.
Via Press Release from the Mark Thompson campaign...
For whatever reason, Michael Williams didn't show up at a Dallas Morning News editorial board meeting scheduled with challenger Mark Thompson on Tuesday, September 8. Mark Thompson did.
The invitation to both candidates for Texas Railroad Commissioner on the ballot in 2008 was (so far) the only scheduled event featuring both the Democrat and Republican in the same room before voters decide Nov. 4. It would have been the closest thing to a face-to-face debate this race has seen.
The editors said Williams had confirmed for the meeting. "They were surprised he wasn't there," Thompson said.
Mark Thompson has also issued a challenge to Michael Williams to a public debate. While it's unlikely that he will accept nor would one be televised, I do think having a public brawl at a gas station would be worthy of coverage. (For those of you still don't know, the Railroad Commission has little to do with railroads but instead, regulates the oil and gas industry.)
Acknowledging it will be a difficult, uphill battle to defeat his well-funded, well-connected opponent, Democrat for Texas Railroad Commissioner Mark Thompson announced the opening of his statewide campaign headquarters today.
Thompson's campaign will base its operations in Texas from 96 Red River, in the heart of Downtown Austin -- near the Austin Convention Center.
That's right around the corner from the 2006 Travis County Democratic Coordinated Campaign for those that remember, next to the convention center.
A little more about his bio and the race.
Thompson, originally from Hamilton, Texas and now based out of Garland, Texas, began his campaign after a series of deadly home explosions in North Texas linked to faulty natural gas couplings -- couplings that should have been replaced long ago by the industry at the behest of the Republican-run Railroad Commission. But it seems the Commission is more interested in coddling oil & gas companies than protecting the people of Texas.
Michael Williams has had plenty of time to act on his promise to do something about the faulty 'Poly 1' pipe that attaches many Texas homes to the natural gas infrastructure. Williams promised to do something after a deadly explosion in Garland in 2000. But people are still dying in these coupling-caused explosions -- including disasters in Wylie and Cleburne in the last few years.
I've created a set of three spreadsheets which may be of interest to the BOR community based upon yesterday's Democratic primary runoff in the Railroad Commission race.
The three tabs include the results by county ordered by:
