After an extended election resulting in a lopsided runoff loss to soon to be DA Rosemary Lehmberg, Assisstant District Attorney Mindy Montford announced her resignation yesterday. This isn't entirely unexpected given the circumstances and Montford certainly has plenty of time and options for where her future may take her.
Woke up this morning to find an interesting e-mail from the Lehmberg campaign:
This week, we sent an e-mail to let you know about developments in the race for Travis County District Attorney.
It has come to our attention that the statements made by the Austin Political Report about whether Terry Keel is actively campaigning for Mindy Montford may be incorrect.
While Ms. Montford has received financial support from prominent Republican donors, we now understand the statements attributed to Former Republican State Representative Keel may not have indeed been made.
We apologize for any confusion and ask our supporters to refrain from repeating these statements.
We try to avoid rumors and speculation as much as possible, but something strange is going on in the Travis County DA's race.
Capitol Annex and Austin Political Report are reporting two different stories of Republican big wigs campaigning for Travis County District Attorney Candidate Mindy Montford.
The Austin Political Report states that Republican and Craddick loyalist Terry Keel has decided to campaign for Mindy Montford instead of helping his sister-in-law Donna Keel defeat Valinda Bolton.
Now it seems Bush's Brain himself appears to be helping Mrs. Montford too.
Capitol Annex has the story complete with pictures. Vince states:
Karen Johnson, a longtime lobbyist and Bush pioneer who lives in the Pemberton area of Austin, has a Mindy Montford yard sign in front of her house. Asked by a neighbor this weekend why she is supporting a Democrat, Ms. Johnson replied: "I never have before, but Karl Rove asked me to help her."
Early vote started yesterday in this close election. This last minute revelation could dramatically effect the outcome in this low voter turnout situation.
Updated: A spokesperson from the Montford had this to say in response to the allegations Terry Keel and Karl Rove are working to elect Mrs. Montford:
This latest negative attack by Rosemary Lehmberg fits the pattern of lies and distortion meant to distract from the positive, issue-based campaign of Mindy Montford.
While Montford talks about real changes she will make, Lehmberg only talks about Montford. If Karl Rove has been advising anyone, it is obvious from their tactics that it is Lehmberg's unscrupulous campaign.
The Tejano Democrats join the Austin Law Enforcement groups and Rick Reed in endorsing Mindy Montford for Travis County District Attorney in the April 8th Run-off Election.
"Ms. Montford is a voice of reason who will work with all segments of the community to fight crime and build trust between the district attorney's office and the people of this county," says former Texas Senator Gonzalo Barrientos, who is a member of the Austin Tejano Democrats. He adds, "We look forward to working with our county's first female district attorney as Ms. Montford ushers in a new generation of criminal prosecution."
While Montford has received most of the Law Enforcement endorsements, Rosemary Lehmberg has been endorsed by most of the democratic clubs in Austin, and they have split the endorsements of their former challengers with Lehmberg earning Garry Cobbs endorsement and Montford getting the support of Rick Reed. With low turnout and voter fatigue, this is anyones race.
For those that don't know, early voting for the April 8 Run-off Election begins March 31.
According to the release, the announcement came as Sheriff Hamilton and law enforcement stood side by side in their support of Montford who has also been endorsed by every Austin and Travis County Public Safety Association.
"Montford is a trusted public servant who has been pro-active throughout her career working to see that justice prevails regardless of a person's political, personal or professional position is in this community," says Sheriff Hamilton. He points to Montford's experience in the courtroom prosecuting some of the county's most heinous crimes. "Ms. Montford is one of the toughest prosecutors you'll ever meet in a courtroom. As our District Attorney, Ms. Montford will be fair and impartial in the administration of justice throughout Travis County," he added.
Our favorite political junkie is reporting Rick Reed has endorsed Mindy Montford in the race to replace Ronnie Earle. Reed was the darling of the moratorium movement in Austin and could possibly lend some progressive credentials to Montford's campaign.
So what exactly does the Travis County District Attorney do? From their website:
The mission of the District Attorney's Office is to see that justice is done by providing the highest quality legal representation for the public and for individual victims of crime, and by supporting the community's efforts strengthen itself and solve problems.
Ronnie Earle is currently stepping down as Travis County DA, but his legacy is one of enormous work that has led to the expandsion of the role of the DA's office. He created the Public Integrity Unit to hold elected officials accountable -- which has included high-profile pursuits of white-collar crime by such notorious elected officials as Tom Delay.
In addition to these and the Public Integrity Office, Earle has helped create and strengthen the Child Protection Team, the Children's Advocacy Center, and the Family Development Center (now part of Parents' Anonymous of Texas). His dpearture leaves very large shoes to fill for one of the most important jobs in the state of Texas.
To learn more about the candidates in the race, click on the links atop this post, or read any of the following resources. We'll be providing a lot more information on this race over the coming days and weeks, so stay tuned.
