One of the double-voters in the HD-73 primary runoff/recount/court fight manages the campaign that went to court to sue for vote fraud. Doug Miller's campaign says the list of people who voted twice — a list supplied by Rep. Nathan Macias — includes several of his supporters.

By their count, that includes "a major Macias donor, a County Treasurer, two Justices of the Peace, two elected Constables, the Senior Pastor of a major church, the Director of Adult Ministries at the same church, the Youth Pastor at another church and two City Council members."

They didn't name anyone other than Randall Sabine, the campaign manager.

Lawyers for Macias aren't disputing who is and who isn't on the list, but say the list came from the Texas Secretary of State and not from their camp. "If the state has someone in the database as having run twice, we'll look at it," said Trey Trainor.

Macias has also asked for a new judge in the case. Trainor says they're allowed to object to one judge without cause; he wouldn't say what their reasoning was, and there's no ruling yet on who'll preside in that case. They'll be back in court next week.

Their press release, unedited:

ON MACIAS’ DOUBLE VOTER LIST: HIS OWN CHIEF OF STAFF On April 8th, State Rep. Nathan Macias filed his amended lawsuit asking the State Court to either declare him the victor in the March 4th election or order a new election. Exhibit B in his pleadings was a list of the voter identification numbers for people “who Appear to Have Voted Twice in the Republican Primary,” according to Macias. This is a very serious accusation. Double voting is a third degree felony. The penalty is two to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. But Macias’ list of double voters includes the voter ID number of his own Chief of Staff, Randall Travis Sabine. Also included on the list was a major Macias donor, a County Treasurer, two Justices of the Peace, two elected Constables, the Senior Pastor of a major church, the Director of Adult Ministries at the same church, the Youth Pastor at another church and two City Council members. “Macias’ has gone over the edge,” said Miller spokesman Craig Murphy. “No one believes these people actually voted twice, and I would hope Macias is in touch with that reality. And if his Chief of Staff really voted twice, he did not vote for Miller.” In recent action, local counties determined that Macias’ initial contention that hundreds of people voted in both Republican and Democratic primaries was untrue. Election officials chastised Macias for not checking the facts before he made accusations. Apparently that warning did not move Macias to be more cautious. He claimed in this latest court pleading that scores of people voted twice within the Republican primary. Again he did not check the facts. His source for the accusations according to the pleadings was a second hand list with known transmission issues obtained from the Secretary of State. He did not use the source documents – county voter sign-in sheets. “Macias’ legal maneuverings have ranged from sad to comical,” said Murphy. “He is wasting tax dollars and the court’s time with his frivolous lawsuit.” ## 30 ##

Republican John Cornyn's got $8.7 million in his campaign accounts. That's about 25 times what Rick Noriega's got.U.S. Sen. John Cornyn raised $2.1 million during the first three months of the year and spent $1.2 million, bringing his reelection warchest to $8.7 million. That balance would be enough, according to one consultant, to pay for about five weeks of the sort of saturation TV ads Cornyn will want at the end of the race.

His challenger, Democratic state Rep. Rick Noriega, raised $497,984 during the quarter, spent $838,690, and had $329,293 on hand at the end of March. Unlike Cornyn, he had to run a close primary during that period (Noriega barely cleared 50% to avoid a runoff), and also changed fundraisers and campaign managers during that period. With the new team on board, the campaign said fundraising has picked up.

During the election cycle so far, Cornyn has raised about $13.5 million; Noriega has raised $1.4 million — just over 10 percent of Cornyn's take.

Midland Democrat Bill Dingus didn't get off the Midland City Council before he got on the ballot to run against House Speaker Tom Craddick, and a federal judge ruled that, as a result, he's ineligible to run.Midland Democrat Bill Dingus didn't get off the Midland City Council before he got on the ballot to run against House Speaker Tom Craddick, and a federal judge ruled that, as a result, he's ineligible to run."The Court agrees that a person holding a lucrative office, such as a member of the Midland City Council, is not eligible to become a candidate for the Texas Legislature," U.S. District Judge Walter Smith wrote. Here's a copy of the judge's order. Dingus, who's still on the council, says he was relying on an earlier bit of case law. And he says Smith didn't remove him from the ballot, but that he'll abide by whatever state party officials decide to do. "If the Texas Democratic Party Chair declares me ineligible, I will resign my office on city council and will actively seek to be the replacement nominee for the office selected by the state executive committee that meets this Saturday," Dingus said in an email. "I have done all I can to comply with the election procedures in this state and will continue to do so. I am grateful the Texas Democratic Party submitted this to the Court for determination." Craddick didn't directly comment. "We have no involvement in the lawsuit, and we are leaving it to the courts to decide," said Alexis DeLee, a spokeswoman for Craddick. The lawsuit is actually a battle between the Republican Party of Texas and the Texas Democratic Party. State GOP officials called it a victory, saying the court had declared Dingus ineligible and adding that he can't cure the problem by resigning now from the Midland City Council. "Needless to say, we are very pleased with the decision," said said Tina Benkiser, the state party chairwoman. "We now hope appropriate action will be taken by the relevant individuals and entities." The Democrats said they're still looking at the suit and considering their options. "The Court agrees that a person holding a lucrative office, such as a member of the Midland City Council, is not eligible to become a candidate for the Texas Legislature," U.S. District Judge Walter Smith wrote. Here's a copy of the judge's order. Dingus, who's still on the council, says he was relying on an earlier bit of case law. And he says Smith didn't remove him from the ballot, but that he'll abide by whatever state party officials decide to do. "If the Texas Democratic Party Chair declares me ineligible, I will resign my office on city council and will actively seek to be the replacement nominee for the office selected by the state executive committee that meets this Saturday," Dingus said in an email. "I have done all I can to comply with the election procedures in this state and will continue to do so. I am grateful the Texas Democratic Party submitted this to the Court for determination." Craddick didn't directly comment. "We have no involvement in the lawsuit, and we are leaving it to the courts to decide," said Alexis DeLee, a spokeswoman for Craddick. The lawsuit is actually a battle between the Republican Party of Texas and the Texas Democratic Party. State GOP officials called it a victory, saying the court had declared Dingus ineligible and adding that he can't cure the problem by resigning now from the Midland City Council. "Needless to say, we are very pleased with the decision," said said Tina Benkiser, the state party chairwoman. "We now hope appropriate action will be taken by the relevant individuals and entities." The Democrats said they're still looking at the suit and considering their options.

If Midland City Councilman Bill Dingus is ineligible to run for the state Legislature — as a federal judge contended in a ruling this week — he could be replaced on the ballot by an eligible Democrat. And he might be his own replacement.Lawyers are still poring over the decision from U.S. District Judge Walter Smith of Waco. It didn't order Dingus off the ballot, but says he's ineligible because of a Texas constitutional ban on running for the statehouse if you hold a "lucrative office" in local or state government. The Midland City Council meets the definition. Dingus was relying on another judge's opinion when he signed up for the HD-82 race while remaining on the council. Lawyers are looking for a remedy. If Dingus is illegal, as Judge Smith says, he can't cure the problem by simply resigning. Instead, Democrats would have to knock him off the ballot and then replace him with someone selected by party official from the district's five counties (Crane, Dawson, Martin, Midland, and Upton). They're still pondering, but the leading candidate is Bill Dingus. He could, in one scenario, get knocked off the ballot, resign from the city council, and win the support of those county officials. That would take him off the council, but he'd remain on the ballot to face Republican Rep. and House Speaker Tom Craddick in November.

Subtract Rep. Todd Smith from the group working to replace House Speaker Tom Craddick with another Republican.

The Euless Republican reads the primary and runoff election results to mean no other Republican will be elected in Craddick's place next year.

"It is simply a reaction to the facts on the ground," says Smith, who's been a critic of the speaker, regularly counted among the ABC — Anybody But Craddick — vote in the House. "Everybody knows I've supported candidates... his candidates won in those races and my candidates lost in those races.

"The facts changed and I am reacting to the facts... I no longer see a scenario where we get a Republican speaker who is not Craddick," Smith says.

He thinks there's a chance the Democrats will take the House in November and elect a speaker of their own; the Republicans currently outnumber Democrats by eight in the House, and five Democratic victories would change the majority.

But after congenial conversations with former Rep. Terral Smith, who's now Craddick's chief of staff, and with Craddick himself, Todd Smith is playing to get along. He says he hasn't signed a pledge to vote for another term for Craddick, that he still wants a change in the rules, and that "I'm not willing to sell my vote from my desk." But, he says, "it is better for me and for my district to try to get along, and that's what I'm doing."

Asked about the reconciliation, a spokeswoman for Craddick, Alexis DeLee, said, "The Speaker and he have had a conversation and we look forward to working with him."

Smith says no particular result changed his mind. Craddick's candidates generally did better than those of his opponents, both in March and in the April runoffs, and Smith thinks the math is clear: "It'll be Craddick, or a Democrat."

Oliver Bell of Austin will chair the Texas Board of Criminal Justice; he's a human resources consultant. And Gov. Rick Perry also put J. David Nelson, a Lubbock attorney and former city council member, on that board.

The Texas Workforce Commission hired retired Marine Gunnery Sgt. Jason Doran to head a new Texas Veterans Leadership Program to assist veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. That's the first program out of the chute for Tom Pauken, who was sworn in as the agency's chairman this week. It's modeled on a federal program for returning Vietnam veterans that Pauken helped start during the Reagan Administration.

Mike Rosen, who covers politics and the Capitol for KTBC-TV in Austin, is leaving that job to be press secretary to U.S. Rep. Mike McCaul, R-Austin. He'll work in the congressman's Austin office.

Mike Morrissey — head of the governor's budget office — got promoted to "senior advisor." He'll remain the Guv's go-to guy on the budget, but will also advise him on government operation, "fiscal responsibility," and transparency.

Todd Morgan is leaving Temple Inland to open his own lobby shop. He'll start with two clients: Temple Inland and its real estate spinoff, Forestar.

Perry chose four new regents for Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls: Charles Engleman, an investor and retired petroleum engineer; Fenton Givens of Plano, a consultant and investment analyst; Shawn Hessing, a Fort Worth CPA; and Jane Spears, owner of Galerie Pavilion in Wichita Falls. Givens and Hessing are alums.

The Guv named 13 people — a combination of appointments and reappointments — to the Trinity River Authority: Harold Barnard, president of Ellis County Abstract and Title Co. in Waxahachie; Herschel Brannen III, principal of Eagle Academy in Trinity; Pat Carlson, vice president of Carlson Engineering in Fort Worth; Michael Cronin of Terrell, vice chairman of American National Bank of Texas; Steve Cronin of Shepherd, director of transportation for the Coldspring Independent School District; John Jenkins, a rice farmer from Hankamer; Andrew Martinez, a former city councilman and school trustee from Huntsville; Kevin Maxwell, president of S.C. Maxwell Co. in Crockett; Shanda Perkins, vice president of First State Bank of Texas in Burleson; Manny Rachal, owner of Shrimp Boat Manny’s restaurant in Livingston; Ana Laura Saucedo, a Dallas real estate investor; Shirley Seale, a financial advisor for Edward Jones in Anahuac; and Linda Timmerman, strategic business development director for Texas Dermatology Associates in Streetman.

The Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners has three new members, appointed by the governor: Armando Elizarde, president of Elizarde Homes in Harlingen; Janette Kurban, owner of Kurban Chiropractic Health Care Clinic in Arlington; and Cynthia Tays, owner of Austin Chiropractic Associates.

Indicted: State Rep. Borris Miles, D-Houston, on two counts related to brandishing a gun at two different parties. He was defeated in the March primaries.