I've transcribed two paragraphs from a 1/3 page 'letter' ad that appeared in the Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post back on March 1 in the Casteel v. Macias race. I thought y'all might appreciate this (paid for by these folks)...
"A third issue we examined was Carter Casteel's claim that she was not against the ban on homosexual foster parents. While it's true that she voted for the final bill that included the ban, when the ban all by itself was up for a vote, she voted against it. Then she went on record stating that she was for the bill overall, but expressed reservations on the ban portion. Again, Ms. Casteel's literature portrays her completely opposite of how she voted. Furthermore, in researching the matter on the web, we found a number of pro-homosexual web sites speaking very favorably of her vote against the homosexual foster parent ban. Also, about 17 pro-homosexual and/or left leaning bloggers even voted her "Texan of the Year."
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"Besides looking at individual issues, we also looked at some of those endorsing or supporting Carter. As mentioned before, we found the left leaning and/or pro-homosexual web sites (Pink Dome, for example said: "We all love Carter Casteel..."), and the liberal San Antonio Express News, to name a couple.
The liberal San Antonio-Express News. Hah- that's news to me. No wait, that's express news to me. And I think we are less pro-homosexual bloggers than we are anti-'send the SS in to root out same gender foster parents' bloggers.
Carter, even in likely defeat, you are still the Texan of the Year. Heck, maybe you've just been trying to win it two times in a row.
The overseas and military ballots were counted today in the Casteel vs. Leininger Macias race.
WOAI: 17 new ballots counted Tuesday, put New Braunfels Republican Carter Casteel 49 votes behind representative-elect Nathan Macias.
After the March 7th primary, Casteel was only 45 votes behind Macias. The new group counted today consisted of absentee and overseas military ballots.
Not the best direction those votes could have gone, but now the last step is the recount that Rep. Casteel has called for. At this point it's not likely that the results will reverse, but after a million dollar smear campaign, it's the least we could all ask for.
While most outlets in the state are reporting on Rep. Casteel's demise, some are coming around to the possibility that it's too early to write into the history books. The Express-News runs an article which you should go read in full if you want to know what is the latest.
Casteel is looking at a recount which she has until March 29 to call for. I got in touch with the campaign, and they have retained an election lawyer who is reviewing the situation. As to the ballot situation...
The 45-vote margin could narrow when mail-in absentee ballots sent to out-of-country military personnel are counted. They must be postmarked by election day but can be received until March 20.
Officials are awaiting 93 ballots that were mailed out, but not yet returned, including 79 from Comal County, Casteel's base of support. However, election officials expect relatively few of those ballots to come in. Four were delivered to the Comal County courthouse Wednesday, said Comal County Elections Administrator Linell Hinojosa.
There also were nine provisional ballots cast, seven from Comal County. Those will be checked by voter registration officials and counted if the voters registered properly.
I also received a pack of mailers and clippings from my parents last night from this race. I'll scan them and try to get some up in the next 24 hours so you can see the work of James Leininger. Speaking of him, I've taken the liberty of adjusting Leininger candidate Nathan Macias' quotes from the article for you below.
Macias said he's "telling everyone I'm victorious and will represent the district with [James Leininger's] strong, conservative values."
But he later added that with the number of ballots that still could show up and be counted, "I'm not sure anybody can claim victory, [but I'd need to call James Leininger to be sure of that.]"
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Macias said his campaign stuck to the facts.
"I believe the voters chose the representation they desire and deserve, which is [the] conservative, Republican representation [of James Leininger]" he said, [while uncomfortably adjusting the puppet strings attached to his neck].
While I've put in a request to the campaign to find out how many ballots are in but uncounted, and how many are out and could potentially still come in by the mail ballot deadline... apparently the math works out that if the ballots break in the same pattern as the early vote, Carter would end up with a victory margin of 15 votes. And that doesn't even include the possibility of any recounts.
Still, a lot of unknowns, but the race for HD 73 is back on the table.
The Republican Party is up for sale and its new owner in the Hill Country is James Leininger for only $786,096.36.
This race is personal. Casteel, (possibly, see update, there is hope yet) soon to be my former hometown representative, is the Republican I most respect in Texas. She stood for a type of representation, speaking, and campaigning that was a breath of fresh air in the post-2002 era of Texas politics. This race highlights some serious flaws in Texas' campaign finance system, where a candidate wholly uninterested in actually representing a district, controlled by an San Antonio carpetbagger puts ideology before public policy.
I'm so sorry Carter. For you, for your party, and for Texas.
Carter Casteel is mulling her options in the face of her 44 vote loss to Nathan Macias. Several anomalies appear in the race including the fact that that the House race garnered about 680 more votes than any other race on the ballot. While no one is yet alleging any mischief, it is unusual that so many people went to the polls and simply skipped over races for governor, senator, county judge, sheriff and the like. There are 329 possible mail ballots still out, including 259 from Comal County voters. As those trickle in, it may change outcomes. She has sought legal advice and may yet request a recount.
New Braunsfels Herald-Zeitung:(HD 73) But Casteel later gathered her family around her and comforted them and her supporters with motherly wisdom.
"It’s fine. Shush, it’s fine," she said, putting her arms around as many of them as she could. "We might have lost tonight, but we are winners for two reasons. First, we did not break the 9th Commandment — do not lie. And secondly, our family for the first time in four years will be able to spend more time together."
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Casteel might have been hesitant to commit to redoing Tuesday’s count, but she wasted no time making a pronouncement about how important her loss was to the entire state.
"What this means is that no representative can take an independent vote because someone with money might take issue with it," she said. "That’s the tough part. I’ll be all right, but this race has changed Texas politics."
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Through individual donations and money spent with the Texas Republican Legislative Campaign Committee, Leininger poured $786,096.36 into Macias’ bid to send Casteel home.
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"My desire is to see that no seat is for sale. I want to make sure a school teacher’s $10 donation means as much as the millions someone else has to spend," she said.
To her well-wishers and party faithful, Casteel offered a warning.
"Let me tell you, the Republican Party is in trouble. And we’ve got to do what we can to save it," she said, which was greeted with a hearty chorus of "amen."
There are two very important dynamics going on within the Texas Republican Party. As Rep. Mark Strama put it at this past week's University Democrats meeting, "There is an all out war within the Texas Republican Party right now."
There is of course the Texas Parents PAC, running teachers, school board members, and superintendents against incumbent Republicans who are generally hostile to Public Education. And then there are the Leininger Five, wholly owned candidates of San Antonio Voucher Advocate James Leininger who along with Houston homebuilder Bob Perry increasingly funds and tries to call the shots of Texas Republicans. These five challengers are the opposite of the Parent PAC, they are trying to dislodge Republicans who are willing to work for common productive solutions for Education, voting more independently than Craddick, Leininger, or Perry wants.
So if we can, we'll try to feature some of these races before the primary, as it is these local battles which will drive most of the turnout in the Republican Primary.
State Rep. Carter Casteel, R-New Braunfels, has campaigned for school board, county judge and state representative during her 22-year political career, but she's never been as fed up with the process as she is this time.
"This is the first race I've ever been involved in that gave me distaste," Casteel said. "All the races I've been involved with are the way I've taught government when I was a schoolteacher, the way I've lived government and the way I thought government should be.
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The barrage of radio and television ads and two to three direct mailings a week from the Macias camp, painting Casteel as voting with "liberal Democrats," has gotten under her skin.
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While he stressed the need to cut "wasteful spending," Macias could not identify any areas he would advocate cutting.
"I need to get in there and really take a look at it," he said. "Do an across-the-board, up-and-down review and look for ways to relieve some of the burden."
Macias isn't running on any specific principle other than running to the far right of Casteel. The district is conservative (about 80% Republicans) but places a high value on Education and is interested in a solution to state educational finance, as one of it's local school districts (Fredericksburg) recently became a Chapter 41 "Rich District". But Macias is nothing more than a puppet for James Leininger.
Macias dismisses criticism that his campaign represents an attempt by an out-of-district millionaire to buy a seat in the House.
More than 90 percent of Macias' campaign funds have come from San Antonio businessman James Leininger, who has pumped at least $180,000 into the campaign. Casteel is one of five House members Leininger targeted for defeat after they opposed a school voucher bill last year.
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Casteel, seeking a third term, says Macias is not her true opponent.
"Really, it's about me and Dr. Leininger and vouchers," she said. "He is somebody who has unlimited sources of money and will spend whatever it takes to misrepresent Carter Casteel. Well, I've been here 33 years. I've taught 1,800 kids. I've served as a school board member and county judge. I've volunteered for lots of organizations. He can't make me something I'm not."
There is no Democratic opponent in HD-73. The largest newspaper the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung has endorsed Casteel.
If you’re a Republican who is thinking about sitting out this primary so you can sign Kinky Friedman’s or Carole Keeton-Strayhorn’s petitions, reconsider. Too much is at stake March 7. The District 73 representative should answer to us, and not to a single-issue Republican donor from San Antonio.
