Bio:
I am a 27 year old Govt graduate of UT-Austin. I became politically active due to Howard Dean. I've worked with Travis Coordinated Campaigns, Rick Noriega, Mark Strama, Get Austin Moving, and ActBlue.
Earlier today Bettie Naylor, an activist in the LGBT and Women's Rights movements, passed away. For decades, Naylor was a mentor, leader, trailblazer, and advocate for equality and tolerance. Her actions and leadership have had a profound impact not only in Texas, but across the country as a result of her many years of activism. She will be missed.
A number of statements are included below.
Equality Texas
In the 1980's, Naylor personally helped organize all the gay bars in Texas - a group that until then had no representation in the Legislature. Bettie fought to ensure the bars were not punished or fined solely because of their gay affiliation, and she successfully lobbied on their behalf for a decade.
Bettie was a founder of our organization, having lobbied on behalf of the Texas Gay Task Force, which would later become the Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas (LGRL), and which is now known as Equality Texas. Bettie was also a driving force behind the formation of the Human Rights Campaign.
A founding member of the Texas and National Women's Political Caucus, Bettie breathed new life into the women's movement, and gained powerful allies along the way. In the early 1990's, one of those allies was Texas Governor Ann Richards.
"She said to me once, 'You're an uppity woman, aren't you?' and I said, 'Why, yes, I am,'" Naylor recounted fondly. Later, when Naylor was honored by the Human Rights Campaign, Governor Richards commented in her classic tongue-in-cheek manner, "Bettie Naylor is older than dirt. And I have taught her everything she knows."
Bettie Naylor was an iconic champion of equality in the Lone Star State. As her partner, Libby Sykora, said in 2008, "Like others, I just admire her so much as an individual, as a person and as a woman. Truly, she is probably the most amazing woman I have ever met."
We extend our condolences to Bettie's partner, Libby, and to her entire family. Arrangements are pending.
Annie's List
For over 40 years Bettie has been an icon in the movements for women, gay rights and reproductive choice. She was a founding member of the National Women's Political Caucus, a founding member of the Human Rights Campaign, and a long-time advocate and lobbyist for women and LGBT rights.
She was also a committed member of the Annie's List Austin Steering Committee, and we are so glad to have known and worked with her since our founding in 2003. In fact, next month at our Annual Central Texas Annie's List Luncheon, we planned on honoring Bettie as our "2012 Woman Warrior" for her lifelong fight for the values we all share.
We are saddened that we won't be able to give her the award in person but we will move forward in celebrating her life with her family. Bettie was a legendary leader and an inspiration to everyone she touched. She will be missed.
Human Rights Campaign
"Bettie Naylor was a force to be reckoned with, and played a central role in bettering the lives of LGBT people at both the national level and in Texas. As a founding board member of the Human Rights Campaign, and a leader in starting our Austin Steering Committee, Bettie was a tireless advocate and never stopped working to ensure that members of our community received the rights, dignity, and respect that all people deserve. Bettie was driven by a desire to create a future where kids never had to be ashamed of who they were, but could instead live openly and without fear. Today, we live in a country where many loving, committed same-sex couples can marry and start families, where many students can thrive in their communities without fear of violence, and where a growing number of businesses are recognizing the importance of protecting their LGBT employees - these are all part of Bettie's lasting legacy."
Former Rep. Glen Maxey
I'm very saddened to hear that Bettie Naylor, the icon of the GLBT community and my mentor, has passed away last night. She was a founder the National Women's Political Caucus and the first gay leader to work for our community in the Texas Capitol for GLBT rights. And a damn near great human being.
Bettie, please tell God when you see her to fix some of this shit back here on earth, ok?
Twice previously on Burnt Orange Report we have reported the endorsements of local clubs and organizations. As the endorsement season winds down from everyone but media publications, we are providing this more or less final update on where the campaigns stand. You can find the rest of the endorsements previously reported here and here.
The non-mayoral incumbents have all stepped up their game and avoided getting any additional "no endorsements" from this set of groups. While Leffingwell and Shea split these four clubs, the combined total of endorsements is a bit more lopsided with Leffingwell now having received 21 to Shea's 8 and Dafoe's 1. Martinez has 22 to Pressley's 4. Spelman has earned 18 to John Duffy & Dominic Chavez's 1 with 6 official "no endorsements" issued. Cole is in a similar situation with 18 to Shaun Ireleand's 2 and 5 "no endorsements."
Early voting begins Monday, April 30th.
This post has been updated to reflect the addition of NXNW Democrats, the Austin Board of Realtors, and Mexican American Democrats.
We've entered the beginning of the campaign finance file-a-palooza in Central Texas. First up, with their 30-Day reports, are the Austin municipal candidates for whom early voting begins in just 12 days. I have bolded the incumbents who in each case are also the fundraising leaders.
Time is running out for these campaigns with less than a month to go before Election Day on May 12th. This report gives a good sense of who is in and who is out (as Project Runway would say) at this stage of the election.
Mayor: Incumbent Lee Leffingwell out raised, outspent, and still has twice the cash on hand as his nearest opponent Brigid Shea. His campaign notes that his total fundraising to date now exceeds $236,000; Brigid Shea reported a few thousand on her prior report as she had just entered the race. In a press release, Leffingwell's campaign claims to have received 650 contributions, 35% of which were less than $100 with less than half being "max out" donors of $350. The average contribution size is $229 with donations coming from 48 different Austin zip codes. While we have not received a press release from Brigid Shea, she has raised enough funds to remain competitive. Notable donors include Roger Beasley, Jeff Jack, Bill Bunch, Brian Rodgers, Dave Shapiro, former State Rep. Ann Kitchen & Mark Yznaga. Former Leffingwell (Place 1) opponent Jason Meeker contributed to Shea's campaign along with current Place 6 candidate Shaun Ireland. Rachel Van Os, a candidate for Texas Democratic Party chair, and former Attorney General nominee David Van Os are also contributors. Shea loaned her campaign $25,000 on April 2nd, which represents close to half of her current cash on hand; Leffingwell's outstanding loans are carried over from prior reports. Clay Dafoe reported five donations, three of which were fellow Dafoes.
Place 2: The big news here is that incumbent Mike Martinez has 22 times as much available cash on hand as his opponent Laura Pressley. With nearly $100,000 left to spend, nearly as much as the Mayor, it is unlikely that Pressley will have the resources to compete in these final weeks. Laura Pressley admitted to accepting two illegal corporate contributions from U.S. Foods and the People's Pharmacy which she has pledged to return. Notable Pressley donors include Vik Vad and Don Zimmerman, the current and former Republican nominees for Travis County Tax Assessor.
Place 5: This seven-way race has had a good chance of heading to a sleepy summer run-off and the finance reports indicate that incumbent Bill Spelman still has a fight on his hands to get to 50%. Spelman's fundraising does comes from a diverse array of donors including former Leffingwell Chief of Staff Matt Curtis, Kevin Cole, husband of Councilwoman Sheryl Cole, as well as Shea/Tovo donors Ann Kitchen & Mark Yznaga. Additional notable contributions came from former city council candidates Margot Clarke and Jennifer Kim, former Travis County Attorney Ken Oden, Shudde Fath, and Tim League. Behind Spelman is Dominic Chavez whose donors included former Republican County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty, anti-rail activist Jim Skaggs, and former Texas Monthly Publisher Mike Levy. Tina Cannon has a couple thousand dollars on hand befitting her low-cost campaign. The four remaining challengers have raised no money, with John Rubine not having filed any report, confirming our prior comments that this is essentially a 3 person race. Spelman's job is to stay above 50%. Chavez and Cannon's job is to come in second and hope for a runoff.
Place 6: Incumbent Sheryl Cole, while weak on endorsements, is not lacking for cash. She out raised Spelman and should have more than enough money to complete her campaign. Her opponent Shaun Ireland has just two donors, excluding himself.
These facts remain undisputed. Brigid Shea's response continues to evolve to the point of deliberate distortion.
In KVUE's excellent piece of "journalism" last night, reporter Morgan Chesky questioned Shea directly on her contracts. Her response is well worth the 3 minutes it takes to watch this report.
For those who can't watch the story at work, here is Shea's response (excluding her quote that we are just "desperate to not talk about the real issues addressing the city" without any further explanation as to what those are.)
When KVUE brought up this issue at her campaign headquarters, Shea said she didn't know her business was ever involved.
"So when you see 'Brigid Shea and Associates' listed as a subcontractor you did present a bid?" KVUE News asked. "Apparently I was part of that bid proposal, but like I said, I have no record of it," Shea answered.
Brigid Shea's official stance is that she has no record of 'Brigid Shea & Associates" having been a part of the 2002 failed bid to build Austin's 4th Water Treatment Plant in East Austin, but somehow she "apparently" was a part of it?
The facts are quite clear here. Brigid Shea & Associates was created by Brigid Shea, as reported by the Austin Business Journal in 2000. Environmental activist Robin Rather was quoted as saying Shea would be "the perfect person with exactly the right skills set to be providing this type of consulting service." And in case Shea misplaced her paperwork, here is the listing of her company as part of the 2002 WTP4 East Austin bid.
But even more interesting was new information uncovered by KVUE that suggests Brigid Shea may have failed to register as a lobbyist with the city in 2011. From their report which was the lead story on last night's news.
A tip to KVUE News questioned whether Shea legally registered as a city lobbyist for work performed in 2011.
In her annual statement of financial information form, Shea acknowledged Austin's American Youth Hostel paid her $11,000 last year. Shea admits she was hired to promote the hostel and raise money for it, as it struggled to keep operating on city parkland. She denies any lobbying.
"No, I did not. That was not part of my job," Shea said.
Shea admits to meeting with city officials outside council meetings on behalf of the youth hostel. Law requires you to register as a lobbyist if you trying to influence or persuade a city official. Shea, however, maintains her job was strictly an adviser.
If the law requires you to register as a lobbyist if you are trying to influence or persuade a city official, and Shea "admits to meeting with city officials outside council meetings on behalf of the youth hostel" which "paid her $11,000 last year" to "promote the hostel and raise money for it as it struggled to keep operating on city parkland"... how does that not meet the definition of being a lobbyist?
KVUE's questions, like ours, are not unreasonable. Shea has made transparency on of the central issues of her challenge to Leffingwell as stated on her campaign website.
I want a City Hall where all citizens, regardless of their status, are welcomed, and listened to. I want to cut back the influence of lobbyists and special interest campaign money. It corrupts the process when those who are financing the incumbent's campaigns are the same ones reaping millions in city contracts and deals. I'll introduce true transparency and tougher contribution limits.
Shea's campaign continues to assert one reality for 2012 that conflicts with her own actions, statements, and work over the past decade. Once again, we are left with the question- "Which Brigid is it?"
For the voters' sake, let's hope we find out before the election on May 12th.
At the age of 94, Bernard Rapoport, known as "B" to friends and family, has passed away. A supporter of Democratic and progressive causes for many years, Rapoport will be sorely missed. Our publication joins the Texas Democratic Party in honoring his life and giving our most sincere thoughts, prayers, and appreciation to his surviving family.
"Betty and I were greatly saddened this morning to learn of the passing of our friend Bernard "B" Rapoport.
In talking about "B" no statement really seems adequate. "B" was an accomplished author, a dedicated philanthropist, an outspoken progressive, a successful entrepreneur and a very proud American. He is perhaps described best by the tile of his own memoir, "Capitalist with a Conscience."
As the son of Russian immigrants and a child of the Depression, "B" remarked that he "could never understand why people who have a lot aren't willing to share." And he didn't just say it he lived it. "B" was a generous philanthropist who dedicated his life to helping others. When presenting "B" the Franklin D. Roosevelt Distinguished Public Service Award, Richard French said "he gave many people their first break." Providing others with access to opportunity and working to level the playing field were a big part of his life's work and he will be long and well-remembered by the many he helped.
He lived by the philosophy that "everybody does better when everybody does better." One other thing I know for sure is that everybody who had the chance to associate with him was better for the experience. We will miss him so very much.
The thoughts and prayers of our family and the entire Democratic family are with the Rapoports."
Update: Below is the statement released by the Texas Observer.
The staff and board of The Texas Observer mourn the loss of our longtime board member, friend and benefactor Bernard Rapoport. For 50 years, Rapoport has supported the mission of the Observer to expose government corruption, ferret out wrongdoing and report stories overlooked by the mainstream media.
"We really had a freedom of conscience at The Texas Observer, which was something new, and we had it because Barney was ready to stand behind a free press. For that I am very proud of the Observer, and very proud of Bernard Rapoport," said Observer Founder Ronnie Dugger.
"Although he was our major advertiser, B never put pressure on us, never openly disagreed with us. He believed in free speech and the structure that The Texas Observer had and continues to have today-that the editor is in charge, not the publisher or the owner. He is really a model for the rest of the free press."
In 1991, Rapoport helped form the nonprofit Texas Democracy Foundation, which publishes The Texas Observer.
Susan Longley, chair of the board of the Texas Democracy Foundation, said, "No immediate words can help ease the loss of such a great man. I know the Rapoport family will find strength in the love of family and the warm embrace of friends."
Over the past week, a large bulk of local endorsing clubs and organizations have weighed in on the Austin Municipal races. Below you will find an updated table of endorsements available at the time of posting. Analysis below.
The first thing that is clear, having attended or participated in most all the forums from this new wave of endorsements, is that the Democratic Clubs have now indicated their support overwhelmingly for all four incumbents. The one non-endorsement from the Austin Tejano Democrats was a result of a runoff between Bill Spelman and Dominic Chavez in which no consensus was reached. Chavez's past Republican activity played a role for some voters I talked to, which would echo the fact that he outpolled Spelman in last week's Real Estate Council of Austin (RECA) straw poll.
Also of note is the Stonewall Democrats endorsement of Bill Spelman over openly gay challenger Tina Cannon. In the Austin Environmental Democrats which saw heavy voting, Leffingwell easily cleared the club's endorsement threshold with over 70% of votes cast. The League of Bicycling Voters is the only organization so far to offer up a dual endorsement of any kind, recommending both Leffingwell and Shea in the Mayor's race. Rounding out the list is Texans for Accountable Government who gave underdog candidates Clay Dafoe, Laura Pressley, anarchist John Duffy, and Shaun Ireland their support- the first endorsement for some of the candidates listed.
We have previously written about the Austin Neighborhoods Council endorsement here. Last Friday, and again today, requests have been made by the publication to ANC for a copy of their statement in support of this year's candidates. We have yet to receive a response but will publish it as soon as we hear back.
*Austin Sierra Club- When our first endorsement post was printed, Burnt Orange Report had received by email and confirmed in conversations with campaigns and other publications a different set of endorsements than the one listed in the table above. We withheld its inclusion in our table at the time, a decision that appears to have been the correct one, due to two factors. The first was we had not yet received an official release from the Austin Sierra Club with their endorsements which at the time was still a recommendation of their Political Committee. When Brigid Shea included their endorsement in her fundraising email this past weekend, I tweeted at both her campaign and the Austin Sierra Club asking whether they had released their endorsements publicly yet. Again, Burnt Orange Report has received no response.
As such, and because there is no other place where this information has been addressed, I have chosen to publish an email that was obtained by our publication outlining the original recommendation of the Austin Sierra Club's Political Committee. The voters, not only within the Sierra Club's membership (which in recent years had become more divided on the direction of their organization's advocacy, according to members), but the voters at large deserve to be aware of the facts.
Hello ExCom,
PolCom [Political Committee of Austin Sierra Club] met this morning to decide endorsements for City Council. Present were Erin Myers, Karin Ascot, Kedron Touvell, Peter Beck, Roy Waley, Scott Swearingen. Dick Kallerman is out of town.
Mayor- We endorse Brigid Shea against Lee Leffingwell. Leffingwell has not been good on our issues, most obviously WTP4 and Formula 1. Brigid has a proven record of working well on environmental issues. Her answers on the questionnaire are much more specific, detailed and action-oriented. LL's are self-referential and generic, a lot of blather about how he supports environmental issues. Brigid has a long history of actively working on our issues, water quality and quantity protection, cleaning up coal (had her own consulting business doing this), open space purchase and conservation. She also has specific ideas on how to make development pay for itself, whereas LL is vague on that question. There is a clear sense among us on PolCom that Brigid is simply more convinced of the need to change directions, whereas Lee is proud of where Austin is and where we are going (he says exactly that in his recent fundraising letter). We don't agree.
Place 2- We endorse Laura Pressley against incumbent Mike Martinez. Martinez has voted with Leffingwell on all the major environmental issues, with a few recent exceptions that occurred only within the campaignseason. In general he has not been friendly to our issues (including WTP4 and F1). Some on our committee feel Pressley had the best answers of all the questionnaire responses received - and wrote them herself! We had a difficult time trying to decide whether she is ready to run a solid and winning campaign, and we considered a non-endorsement in this race. However, if we are not going to endorse MM, we should endorse her; Martinez will not appreciate us either way. Pressley is intelligent, and excellent on all our issues. She understands the problems with SH45 (environmental and traffic-related), issues of equitablecost distribution in water and electric utilities, implementation of Imagine Austin plan, etc.
Place 5 - We endorse Bill Spelman. While he has not been stellar on our issues, the other candidates are not impressive. We have particular reservations about his (likely) strongest opponent, Chavez, who is developer-backed. We believe that of all the incumbents, Spelman is the most likely to change policy direction and get on board with a more progressive agenda.
Place 6 - we voted not to endorse. Although we like Cole as an individual, her votes have not been particularly helpful to our issues, and we do not sense that will change. We received no questionnaires back from anyone else in the race, so chose not to endorse.
We are looking here both at specific individuals and at a real need to change direction. We need to move Austin forward in an affordable, sustainable way, and we don't feel that is happening with the incumbents.
With the exception of Place 2, all of our votes were unanimous. In Place 2, Kedron and Peter favored a position of no endorsement, so the vote was 4-0-2.
We would appreciate your approval/feedback as soon as possible.
Many thanks,
Karin
PolCom Chair
It is unknown officially why the Austin Sierra Club has chosen to backtrack on their endorsement of Laura Pressley in Place 2 since they have not responded to requests for clarification. Unofficially, multiple club members have expressed to me concerns over the appearance of endorsing Pressley, a Ron Paul supporter who is endorsed by Flouride Free Austin and the Longhorn Libertarians, and how that might affect the credibility of the organization's other endorsements. This is not the only race where reservations have been expressed, though it is the only one where the recommendation of the Political Committee has been overturned.
As soon as we receive an official comment or statement from the Sierra Club, the Austin Neighborhoods Council, or Brigid Shea on any of these questions, we wil update our readers. If any of the same feel that coverage of these facts has been unfair or untrue, I welcome you to reply to any of my requests for comment or make use of our standing Right to Respond policy.
The Austin Neighborhoods Council has issued their endorsements in the 2012 municipal elections. The most notable change is that in every single race that was on both years' ballots, the ANC has switched their support away from the position they held 3 years ago.
2012 Austin City Council Endorsements
Organization
Mayor
Place 2
Place 5
Place 6
Austin Neighborhoods Council
Brigid Shea
Laura Pressley
No Endorsement
Sheryl Cole
2009 Austin City Council Endorsements
Austin Neighborhoods Council
Lee Leffingwell
Mike Martinez
Bill Spelman
No Endorsement
It should be noted that ANC's prior endorsement for both Lee Leffingwell and Bill Spelman was unanimous. Here's their statement from three years ago as written in the minutes from the March 25th, 2009 meeting.
Austin Neighborhoods Council 2009 Endorsement Statement
MAYOR - LEE LEFFINGWELL
ANC unanimously endorses Lee Leffingwell for Mayor of Austin. Of the 5 candidates, ANC believes that Councilmember Leffingwell is overwhelmingly the most qualified and has the best vision to lead Austin through these tough economic times. He is the mayoral candidate who cares most about issues critical to neighborhoods, as evidenced by his budget priorities and his commitment to planning and community participation. We call on Councilmember Leffingwell to step up his leadership on important community issues and look forward to working with him as Mayor of Austin.
PLACE 2 - MIKE MARTINEZ
Besides the strong commitment to planning, community participation, and budget priorities demonstrated by the other endorsed candidates, Councilmember Martinez has shown a political maturity and problem-solving skills that will serve Austin well throughout the broad range of challenges that face the community. The incumbent has provided leadership on many important issues over the last three years, showing an ability to work with neighborhoods even though his position may differ from ANC's.
PLACE 5 - BILL SPELMAN
Former Councilmember Spelman garnered a unanimous endorsement from ANC. His familiarity with the principles of the Austin Tomorrow plan and the community's environmental priorities will serve Austin well as we begin a new comprehensive plan. His commitment to sound planning practices, including community participation, appears to align with ANC's growth management resolution of 2008.
PLACE 6 - NO ENDORSEMENT
Neither candidate earned the ANC endorsement. We hope that both candidates will increase their interaction with and understanding of neighborhoods and the related planning, budget and quality of life issues crucial to Austin neighborhoods.
Sheryl Cole, who in the intervening three years has voted FOR the Water Treatment Plant 4, FOR Park PUD, FOR Grayco PUD, FOR F1 subsidies, and FOR convention center hotel fee waivers, went from "No Endorsement" to getting the ANC's seal of approval. That's rather curious, especially in light of the fact that Cole has the same voting record as Leffingwell and Martinez on these key issues. Spelman's is nearly identical other than his votes on the Water Treatment Plant, yet he lost the ANC's endorsement this year.
Ostensibly, the ANC supports candidates based upon their vision of city government and growth and how it impacts neighborhood quality of life. We have requested this year's endorsement statement and will post it as an update to this post as soon as it is available.
Yesterday, at a forum for Austin's Mayoral and City Council candidates, Mayor Lee Leffingwell asked a question of challenger Brigid Shea regarding how much money she has received in city contracts awarded to her since leaving the council in 1996. This question has been slowly circulating in conversation among city activists and the press and it's somewhat surprising (given the information we are posting today) that no one one has publicly written on this topic.
In response Leffingwell's question, Shea replied"Less than the Mayor makes... about $40,000 a year."
Based upon information publicly available, we have been able to account for over $500,000 in City of Austin contracts that have indeed been awarded to her consulting firm Shea & Associates as a subcontractor on a number of the city's major water and wastewater projects. We have compiled these contracts below (amounts with an * are estimates based upon the % of the total allocated to the subcontract).
Let me first say that for a candidate who has put transparency and environmental policy front and center in her campaign, particularly after last year's heated city council election on similar issues, it is surprising that this information hasn't yet been reported elsewhere. Maybe that speaks to the apparent lack of energy among city voters as is being reported by the campaigns who in the field already. It is true that we have seen lower participation in organizational endorsements as compared to those held last month for the Democratic primary. With redistricting messing up the election calendar, this very well could be a case of voter fatigue.
But even if that's true, it is our responsibility in the media to write about the facts regardless of how disinterested the electorate might be. And the facts in this case include a very major one that hasn't yet been talked about.
Take a look at the last line in the chart above. Do you see a project that sounds familiar?
Brigid Shea participated in the losing bid to build Austin's 4th Water Treatment Plant as a sub-consultant for communications and public relations.The competing bids can be downloaded HERE and I've highlighted the key line item from the document below.
As a public relations sub-consultant, Shea would have been tasked with advocating on behalf of the Water Treatment Plant. That includes supporting its construction, arguing for the need to increase in water treatment capacity, and advancing many of the same arguments made by supporters of WTP4 in last year's divisive council election.
"The City currently operates three surface water treatment plants to meet the needs of the City's residents and businesses: Green Water Treatment Plant, Davis Water Treatment Plant and Ullrich Water Treatment Plant. The City needs future incremental water treatment and distribution system capacity expansions to meet projected water demand growth."
To participate in a bid on a project, particularly in the role of communication and public relations, one would assume that the bidder supports the project. Yet, in response to this year's Austin Neighborhoods Council questionnaire, Shea appears to engage in some historical revisionism.
“She spoke out against Water Treatment Plant 4,” Bunch said of the major construction project that Mayor Leffingwell voted for and was authorized by a narrow 4-3 margin. Randi Shade also supported the project, a factor that may have contributed to her defeat by Kathie Tovo.
...
Neil Carman, clean air program director for the Sierra Club’s state Lone Star Chapter, said he supports Shea, “Because I want to see a change at City Hall. ... “Instead of putting money into a new water treatment plant, we should have invested in conservation and reuse to get the most out of the water we’ve got.”
Brigid Shea's words against the construction of a new Water Treatment Plant in 2012 contradict her actions in support of its construction in 2002. Given how central this issue was in last year's elections, on its own merits as well as in the larger context of Austin's utilities and capital spending, it is only fair that voters have the access to the facts. At the very least, they are owed some sort of explanation by Shea on what she believes and when she believed it.
In a normal year, endorsements for city races in Austin would have come prior to those for the Democratic primary, but with redistricting the two swapped places. Even though the two elections are back to back, with early voting for the primary starting just 3 days after the municipal election, local clubs, PACs, and other organizations are shifting gears to weigh in on the races for mayor & city council.
First, it needs to be noted that confirming a number of these endorsements were difficult. Incumbents Bill Spelman and Sheryl Cole don't list any endorsements on their websites. A number of endorsing groups do not have websites, or have incomplete lists of endorsements. I don't know if this indicates a lack of energy in the municipal races where early voting begins in just six weeks or if this is a result of the toll taken by the rescheduled primary election.
As to the candidates, Mayor Leffingwell has the broadest coalition of support (among coalitions that participate in our low turnout city elections). That support is mirrored for Leffingwell ally Mike Martinez with the exception of the Central Labor Council, which declined to issue an endorsement; Martinez has received the public support of AFSCME Local 1624.
In Place 6, "no endorsement" is the winner so far as incumbent Sheryl Cole, yet again, is failing to inspire the electorate. This is nothing new, as the local media has editorialized its disappointment before with Cole. In 2009, the Austin Chronicle said "It's unfortunate Cole didn't draw a stronger opponent" and that she was "competent if not dazzling." The Statesman called her "quiet but effective" and our own publication wrote that Cole "could be more proactive, more aggressive, and more engaged on behalf of her constituents" in our 2009 endorsements. In three runs for council, Cole has failed to get the endorsement of the University Democrats each time. The saving grace for Cole, much like in 2009, is that her last minute opponent Shaun Ireland hasn't gained much traction.
The Place 5 race is the most curious as incumbent Bill Spelman appears to be worse than expected on the endorsement front. Unlike Cole, Spelman has six opponents, which could put him in a runoff. While Tina Cannon and Dominic Chavez are his most organized opposition, neither has been able to win any of the institutional support in their own right. Cannon did tie with Spelman in the University Democrats voting in both the first and second rounds, leading Spelman, a professor at UT, to not receive the endorsement of his "home" club. As a result, Spelman won't appear on the thousands of yellow doorhangers distributed by the Austin Progressive Coalition which certainly would have been a nice boost in his attempt to avoid a runoff. If Spelman had had any opponents 3 years ago when he returned to the city council, we'd have a basis of comparison for what this means, but going from zero to six opponents indicates some level of weakness being sensed. I suspect that having the lowest cash on hand and being the only Anglo among the council incumbents up for election may have also be a cause. Still, he is favored to win.
More organizations and Democratic clubs will issue their endorsements in the coming weeks, with at least six clubs participating in the multi-club forum on April 3rd.
All Filed Candidates, Listed Alphabetically, Incumbents in Italics: Mayor: Clay Dafoe, Lee Leffingwell, Brigid Shea
Place 2:Mike Martinez, Laura Pressley
Place 5: Tina Cannon, Dominic Chavez, David Conley, John Duffy, Robert "Bo" Prudente, John Rubine, Bill Spelman Place 6:Sheryl Cole, Shaun Ireland
Last night, the Texas Democratic Party help a webinar to help explain some of the key changes to the delegate selection process as a result of delays in the calendar caused by redistricting litigation. While 288 delegates and 22 alternates will still be headed to Charlotte, NC to represent Texas at this September's Democratic National Convention, the beginning of this process will be somewhat different.
Outlined below are changes to the delegate selection process. These are focused on the changes caused by redistricting, not those created by TDP committees in reaction to the 2008 Texas Two-Step process.
No Precinct Conventions: Because of redistricting delays, the May 29th primary will occur too close to the Texas State Democratic Convention for that to serve as the start of the delegate selection process. There will be no precinct conventions this year- not on May 29th or any other date.
Oath of Affiliation: Since this year's process begins will not be preceded by voting in a primary, voters who participate in the convention process to select delegates will have to sign their name to the following oath.
"By signing this document, I hereby affiliate myself with the Texas Democratic party. I understand that by signing this document, I become ineligible to vote in a primary election or participate in a convention of another party, including a party not holding a primary election, during the voting year in which this primary election is held. I further swear/affirm that I will support the nominee for President."
April 21st County/Senate District Conventions: This is now the beginning of the delegate selection process. (Caveat- you don't have to actually be elected as a state convention delegate to serve as a national convention delegate.) Democrats interested in participating in the delegate selection process just need to show up at their County or Senate District convention on April 21st, sign with their presidential preference, and sign an Oath of Affiliation with the Democratic party.
State Delegate Election: Delegates to the state convention will be awarded at the ratio of 1 delegate per 300 votes for Bill White in the 2010 general election in your precinct (or group of precincts if combined). After signing in at the County or Senate District convention, voters will group by precinct to elect among themselves delegates and alternates to the state convention. This year's process calls for each person to cast one vote, with the tallies ranked in order, filling all available delegate and then alternate seats available to the precinct. Delegates or alternates to the state convention do not have to be in attendance at the County / Senate District convention to be elected.
National Delegate Statement of Candidacy Form: Any Democrat wishing to run for a National Delegate seat at the state convention must file this form by mail or hand delivery to the Texas Democratic Party in Austin between April 16th and May 15th at 5 PM. Often overlooked because it is so early in the process, this form MUST be filed if you have any intention (even if you ultimately decline) to run for National Delegate. This isn't a change cause by redistricting, but it's worth highlighting.
To read a more detailed outline of the process, check below the fold where you can find the Texas Democratic Party's "How to be a Delegate" guide for this year's process. It goes into more detail about how the various national delegates are allocated by type and senate district. Fun Fact- Austin's SD-14 will elect 10 national delegates, more than any other Senate District; you can check out how many yours has on the 3rd page of the embedded file below.
