Signing anti-tax pledges — as both of the leading Republican candidates for governor have now done — warms the hearts of gambling promoters. Not because Rick Perry and Kay Bailey Hutchison suddenly become proponents of casino gambling, but because gambling often gets stuck in a threesome with program cuts and tax increases and that setup is what made it legal to bet on bingo, horses, dogs, and the lottery in Texas.
Full StoryHill, Hardy, McCraw, Houghton, and Graham
Former Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill, asked by The Dallas Morning News whether he considers himself a tragic figure after his conviction on public corruption charges: "Oh, I don't know, I'm going to have to think that through a little bit, but it's a good question."
State Board of Education member Pat Hardy, quoted in the Houston Chronicle about questions over the SBOE's choice of an investment firm that allegedly had ties to a board member: "I have never had anything in my whole life shake my faith worse than this, because [some board members] claim to be such goody two-shoes. We have people on the board who are using that as a conduit to advance themselves."
State District Judge John McCraw Jr., hoping to conclude a long-running property fight involving SMU and the George W. Bush Library, in The Dallas Morning News: "This case is five years old and I’m retired. I can't go another five years."
One of the Texas Department of Transportation's five appointed leaders, at a press conference announcing the death of a Trans-Texas Corridor route that would have paralleled I-35: "I am Ted Houghton, the most arrogant commissioner of the most arrogant state agency in the history of the State of Texas.
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, asked by The Atlantic how he addresses "birthers" and conspiracy theorists at public gatherings: "When I go to town-hall meetings, say, 'You're crazy.' In a respectful way."
The Texas Farm Bureau's political action committee — called AGFUND — endorsed Kay Bailey Hutchison over Rick Perry in the 2010 race for governor, saying they split with the governor on eminent domain and the Trans-Texas Corridor.Perry has won the group's endorsement almost every time he's run for statewide office — the exception coming in 1998, when the group endorsed Democrat John Sharp over Perry for lieutenant governor. Perry won that race and the group endorsed him the first two times he ran for governor. They've endorsed Hutchison every time she has been on the ballot since 1990, when they were encouraged — by Perry — to back her bid for state treasurer. Their strategy was to endorse everyone running against a Hightower, for impact. Perry beat Democrat Jim Hightower and Hutchison defeated Democrat Nikki Van Hightower that year. Steve Pringle, the group's legislative director, said Perry's support of the Trans Texas Corridor and his 2007 veto of an eminent domain bill sealed the deal. They'll back Hutchison, primarily through contact with their 400,000 member families. That includes people who joined the Farm Bureau for traditional reasons and those who are its insurance customers; Pringle said there are about a million voters in the families that get the association's publications. The Farm Bureau didn't endorse in the Democratic primary. "We generally pick one candidate and stay with them as long as they're standing," Pringle said. Standing in the stables of a ranch in Waco gave Hutchison the opportunity to take on "Austin insiders and lobbyists." In a new twist to her stump speech, Hutchison added a call for a cap on campaign contributions and an end to the "revolving door" of lawmakers becoming lobbyists. Currently, there's no limit for campaign contributions in governor's races Texas. This year Hutchison's campaign accepted more than $2.3 million in individual contributions of more than $25,000, according to her July state campaign-finance report. That total included six $100,000 donations, records show. But her average donation amount during the first half of the year was $860. Hutchison didn't suggest where to set the limit. "There have to be some details worked out. But I do think that there should be some amount beyond which we don't go. There shouldn't be the impression that people can buy their way in order for the governor to meet with people," she said. —Elise Hu in Waco and Matt Stiles in Austin contributed to this story.
"That one line which you're deducing a complete definition of Perry from, who I oppose in that primary, is not the reason he's going to win."
Close observers of the coming Republican battle for the Texas statehouse were left to wonder: Was Murphy, who isn't working for either candidate, really endorsing Hutchison? Was he saying that he thought she was going to lose? And if secession isn't the reason he thinks Perry's going to win, what is?
I emailed those questions to Murphy this morning. While he confirmed that the candidate he supports isn't the incumbent, he seemed to backpedal on his prediction of how the race would turn out. His email:
"I haven't looked at tape or transcript, but I didn't think I made a firm prediction that Perry would that primary. I certainly did not intend to and it is not my view. I think the race is close and could go either way. I thought, at least, that I said that if Perry wins the primary and indeed he might, the TX secession talk will not be the big reason. And I am not saying that as a Perry supporter. I was trying to knock down EJ's distorted point defining [the] GOP solely as Perry and then solely [defining] Perry as a secession issue candidate.
"Anyway, my view is this: I am for Kay. Not sure who wins, I think it will be a tight race; could go either way. I think Perry's strength is that he is a strong campaigner, has the strength of incumbency and is well connected to some key elements of the party base. I think Kay has a wider appeal to the larger electorate and a stronger vision of where the GOP should go in the future. I think she would make the better Governor."
After a week marked by a forensic science commission shakeup and a webcast screw-up, Gov. Rick Perry is drawing fire from all directions in the blogosphere. The captains of the keyboard are also talking about other candidates for office, the race for state GOP chair and what's on the ballot next month. Accusations leveled at a former House Speaker lead off the final section.
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Bad Hair Week
Perry replaced three of his four appointees to the Texas Forensic Science Commission just before the group's scheduled meeting on the case of Cameron Todd Willingham, whose death sentence scientists now say was based on faulty science. (We wrote about it here.) "The exercise of raw power is truly stunning to behold," the Texas Observer's Contrarian says. The blogger later speculates that Perry wanted to delay the commission's conclusions until after the March primary. "Perry's people have made the calculation that taking their lumps now is better than the alternative," the blogger says.
While Grits for Breakfast goes into detail on the subject of the commission's meeting, BurkaBlog weighs in on Perry's reasoning for shuffling the commission: "He was about to be embarrassed, and not just in Texas but nationally." And Off the Kuff wins Headline of the Week award for a post urging a specific course of action by new commission chair, Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley, titled, "It's not too early to reschedule that meeting."
Dog Canyon, who frequently visited Death Row in the '70s and '80s as a Houston Chronicle reporter, says that Perry "may have violated federal law" by obstructing the commission's work. Find more from the same blogger here. And the Houston Chronicle's Texas Politics has (negative) reaction to Perry's decision from opponent Kay Bailey Hutchison.
Various bloggers filed reports following the alleged hacking of the live broadcast of Perry's announcement speech (our take here). The Austin American-Statesman's Postcards was able to tune in, but the Texas Politics was not. Interestingly, the Internet guru referred to Texas Politics by the Hutchison campaign says the explanation offered by Perry's Web person makes sense. However, Burnt Orange Report thinks Perry's team is making up stuff to cover its own error.
Everyone will find out soon enough, because the FBI is looking into it, according to the Dallas Morning News's Trail Blazers, who reminisces about the 1986 Mark White-Bill Clements gubernatorial contest, featuring Karl Rove and a "bug." But In the Pink thinks the FBI agents should look into Willingham case rather than "finding the homeschooled 12-year-old perpetrator who wreaked havoc on Perry's video."
The Chronicle's Texas on the Potomac talks to Texas economists on the topic of Perry's claims about the state's economy. Here's the Cliff's Notes version: Texas is "absolutely" in a recession; things aren't getting better, or worse right now; some places are doing better than others (Austin is faring better than Houston); and, it doesn't look like Texas will be leading the recovery (blame low energy prices).
Burka is indifferent to the long list of endorsements for Perry, saying they are from ultraconservative groups that Perry didn't have to work hard to woo. Elsewhere, Burka slams Perry's purported agenda if re-elected as governor, alleging that Perry is ignoring the basic problems confronting the state. "It's all politics, all the time," Burka says. In a follow-up post, Burka takes the time to respond to a frequent commenter who called him a Democrat. (So for all of you who troll blogs seeking a reaction, there's hope.) In related news, the Observer's Purple Texas labels Burka a "conservative blogger," garnering thanks from Burka in the comments.
Some kudos were given to the Perry campaign this week: One of the newer members of Team Perry, LatinWorks, took home a ton of trophies from the Hispanic Creative Advertising Awards in September, reports the Statesman Business Blog. Meanwhile, the Chronicle's Texas Politics pairs up videos on the bailout released by the Perry and Hutchison campaigns. And the Observer's Forrest for the Trees says Hutchison is either mistaken or lying about climate change legislation.
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Run, Run, Run
Vince Leibowitz of Capital Annex is officially flacking for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Hank Gilbert. Meanwhile, WhosPlayin posts video of U.S. Senate candidate John Sharp and U.S. Congressional candidate Neil Durrance, both Democrats. And Potomac posts a letter from B.A. Bentsen asking for money on behalf of U.S. Senate candidate Bill White.
Burnt Orange turns over the blog to guest poster Kurt Kuhn, who is a Democrat running for Texas' Third Court of Appeals and is holding a fundraiser at an Austin establishment on Wednesday, hosted by local politicos including Sen. Kirk Watson and most of the Austin-area Democratic state Reps. And U.S. Rep. Pete Olson talks NASA, heath care reform and cap-and-trade legislation with folks during a live-chat hosted by Potomac.
The Statesman's First Reading puts together its version of "The endangered list" of five House members facing tough re-election challenges. (We'll mesh the blogger's list with our Texas Weekly Index ratings of district competitiveness — the closer to zero the number is, the more competitive the district will be in a general, in theory.) Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler, is facing a primary challenge from former Tyler Mayor Joey Seeber (TWI of 40.7 in the GOP's favor, making it a March and not a November race). Rep. Kristi Thibaut, D-Houston, could be in a rematch against former Rep. Jim Murphy, R-Houston (TWI of 9.5 in the GOP's favor). Rep. Dwayne Bohac, R-Houston, is involved in a controversy involving Harris County voter registration (TWI of 15.1 in the GOP's favor). Rep. Linda Harper-Brown, R-Irving, has drawn a Democratic opponent, Loretta Haldenwang (TWI of 8.3 in the GOP's favor). Rep. Terri Hodge, D-Dallas, is fending off an indictment and a primary challenger named Eric Johnson (TWI of 61.2 in the Democrats' favor; March, not November). In the last contest, Johnson is claiming to have raised more than $100,000 since the last report in July, Trail Blazers reports.
Rep. John Davis, R-Houston, has drawn an opponent from his right, Bay Area Houston notes. The blogger doesn't think Mary Huls has a serious chance at beating Davis, but will goad him into dragging the sack during the primary season. Latino-oriented blog La Plaza hosts a post by Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, who has his own blog called Poli-Tex.
Eye on Williamson links to a Texans for Public Justice report on Texas campaign finance in 2008, called Money in PoliTex (which presumably has no relation to either the Martinez Fischer's Poli-Tex or the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's PoliTex). And former Statesman reporter Bob Elder posts parts of his responses to the candidate questionnaire for Employee Retirement System of Texas trustee.
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Open Chair
The Statesman's Postcards talks to the Texas Eagle Forum's Cathie Adams, who is running for the chairmanship of the Texas GOP. (The screaming you hear is coming from TFN Insider.) Postcards also touches base with consultant Craig Murphy, who says that former Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams isn't interested in that position.
Pointing out that the chair and vice-chair of the party can't be of the same gender, Texas Politics says GOP vice-chair and male Robin Armstrong doesn't want to be the leader, either. That means only females need apply for the job left open by Tina Benkiser's departure. Melinda Fredricks, from SD-4, threw her name in the hat on the day Benkiser's resignation was official.
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Amend Corner
Blue Dot Blues prints a little something on each of the 11 constitutional amendments on the November 3 ballot. Check them all out here. Off the Kuff points us to a similar project by Rep. Scott Hochberg, D-Houston, who links to even more info. Red Ink: Texas has summaries of all the amendments, with some editorializing on the side.
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Potpourri
Texans for Public Justice is going after former House Speaker Tom Craddick for allegedly sneaking money, illegally, to Democrats he liked, according to Texas Watchdog. In other legal news, Ellis County Observer's Joey Dauben is out of jail, but he hasn't gotten his computer equipment back from law enforcement, so stay tuned.
Tex Parte Blog was in the audience for a talk at SMU by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who weighed in on the value (or lack of value) of oral arguments before the court. Watchdog links to resources on Texas' open records laws and transportation spending. And TFN Insider castigates designated state school board social studies expert David Barton for writing (twice) in a report that middle-schoolers should learn about "Rosa Parks at the lunch counter." It was a bus, children.
This edition of Out There was compiled and written by Patrick Brendel, who hails from Victoria but is semi-settled in Austin. We cherry-pick the state's political blogs each week, looking for news, info, gossip, and new jokes. The opinions here belong (mostly) to the bloggers, and we're including their links so you can hunt them down if you wish. Our blogroll — the list of Texas blogs we watch — is on our links page, and if you know of a Texas political blog that ought to be on it, just shoot us a note. Please send comments, suggestions, gripes or retorts to Texas Weekly editor Ross Ramsey.
El Paso's Bill Moody, a state district judge who ran unsuccessfully for the Texas Supreme Court in 2006, will run for the seat held by Republican Justice Paul Green next year. Moody, a Democrat, fell short four years ago — losing to Republican Don Willett — but out-performed every other Democrat running on a statewide ticket that year. Moody came in with 44.8 percent that year. Since then, his son has joined the state Legislature: Joe Moody successfully ran for a spot in the Texas House, winning what had been a Republican seat. Now, both Moodys will be on the ticket.
by Julian Aguilar, contributing writer, The Texas Tribune In a place where a surname could carry with it perks that range from getting out of a speeding ticket to a landslide election victory, a newcomer from the Rio Grande Valley with name recognition is insisting he is his own man.
His opponent, a two-time candidate married to a former elected official, is also taking steps to be an independent voice despite the benefits that come with name-dropping in Texas politics.
Sergio Muñoz, Jr., 27, is the son of former Rep. Sergio Muñoz. He will face Sandra Rodriguez, the wife of former state District Judge Fernando Mancias, in his bid to replace embattled Rep. Ismael "Kino" Flores, D-Palmview.
Flores announced last month he would not seek reelection for another term in HD-36 following his indictment by a Travis County grand jury for allegedly failing to disclose required information on personal finance statements.
In the world of Texas border politics where patronismo — the long-standing tradition of bully politics and quid-pro-quo campaigns — runs rampant, Muñoz Jr. realizes he is prone to attacks accusing him of being from the old guard.
Not so, he said.
"The decision to run was made on my own and I am thankful to have the support of my family," he said from his law office in Edinburg.
Rodriguez could be considered the savvy veteran in the race after losing the 2008 Democratic Primary to Flores by less than 1,000 votes, or about four percent.
The former school-board trustee for the Pharr-San Juan Alamo Independent School District said that one aspect of patronismo politics has taken a back seat this time, with Flores out of the running.
"People are not intimidated anymore," she said. "People will sit down and talk to me."
Rodriguez' experience as a candidate has at least one Rio Grande Valley heavyweight predicting she will be part of 2011's freshman class.
"While he (Muñoz) has some name recognition, it's his first time running and so he's going to have to get organized pretty quickly," said State Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, D-McAllen. "The additional plus is that she's a woman," he added.
"Here in Hidalgo County women tend to vote for women," Hinojosa said. "It's just a trend that's taking place here in South Texas. You look at the (Thirteenth) Court of Appeals. Out of six judges, five are women."
He stopped short of endorsing anyone and said he would support the eventual Democratic candidate. He cautioned, however, against leaning too much on the "double-edged sword" of a familiar political name.
"It could be positive or it could be negative, but my take is that people will associate Sergio Muñoz Jr. with his dad," he said. The perceived allegiance in the district between the Muñoz and Flores families might not bode well for the younger candidate either, he added.
"They could be very loyal to Rep. Flores and probably follow his lead but at the same time, as we all know, Rep. Flores has some issues," said Hinojosa.
Muñoz said he plans to reach out to state Reps. Eddie Lucio III, the San Benito Democrat and son of Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., and Solomon Ortiz Jr., D-Corpus Christi, the son of U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz Sr. Those lawmakers have been able to make their own paths, he said.
Married to a former state district judge, Rodriguez also could depend on a proven ballot name. She's chosen not to, using her name instead of his.
"Going back to the patrón system, there were men who had a hard time supporting me to run with the Rodriguez last name," she said. "They kept telling me, 'You need Mancias to win. You need Mancias.' I've been out there and I've always been Sandra Rodriguez."
Next year's primary election will likely determine the seat, despite a new effort by the Republican Party of Texas to convince Hispanics in traditionally Democratic districts to look its way.
Texas GOP Executive Director Eric Opiela, a native of South Texas, conceded the party could be more proactive, particularly on the border, and that putting forth a winning Republican candidate in HD-36 next year was more than a long shot. But fans of Spanish-language media outlets should expect to hear more messages from the GOP that it is the party that best represents Hispanic values.
And in a move reiterating that name-dropping is not just enlisted by Hispanic Democrats, Opiela said the Texas GOP has recruited George Prescott Bush, grandson of Bush (41) and nephew of Bush (43) to deliver Spanish-language messages on Univision stations across the state.
Add to that a small list of "shining stars" already in the Rio Grande Valley, like Cameron County Judge Carlos H. Cascos, and GOP prospects are improving along the border, Opiela said.
Hinojosa sees no cause for alarm.
"I think Republicans have shot themselves in the foot," he said. "When they criticize the immigration policies their shots are so broad that they don't differentiate between Hispanics who are here legally and those who are not."
A year before the 2000 General Election, Bush held a slight advantage – about 2 percent – among Texas' Latino voters over Vice President Al Gore, according a poll conducted by the Willie C. Velasquez Institute. At the ballot box during the General election, however, Bush landed only 33 percent of that vote to Gore's estimated 66 percent. Later, Bush's support for construction of the border fence enraged many Texas Hispanics and contributed to the president's plummeting approval ratings his second term.
By Matt Stiles, The Texas Tribune More than two-dozen people have asked Gov. Rick Perry to appoint them to replace former Texas Supreme Court Justice Scott Brister, who resigned recently to return to private practice.
At least 27 lawyers and judges from across the state asked to be considered for the state's highest civil appellate court, which pays $150,000 a year, according to records released by Perry's office.
The applicants include:
• Wade Birdwell, Lawyer, Wallach & Andrews
• Jeff Boyd, lawyer, Thompson & Knight
• Harvey Brown, Lawyer, Wright Brown & Close
• Jeff Brown, Justice, Texas Court of Appeals, 14th District
• Tracy Christopher, Judge, 295th District Court
• John Donovan, Director of Judicial and Legal Issues for Harris County Judge Ed Emmett
• David Gaultney, Justice, Texas Court of Appeals, 9th District
• Tom Gray, Chief Justice, Texas Court of Appeals, 10th District
• Eva M. Guzman, Justice, Texas Court of Appeals, 14th District
• Martha Hill Jamison, Senior Adviser, Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector
• Evelyn Keyes, Justice, Texas Court of Appeals, 1st District
• Douglas Lang, Texas Court of Appeals, 5th District
• Liz Lang-Miers, Texas Court of Appeals, 5th District
• Debra Lehrman, Judge, 360th District Court
• Renee McElhaney, Lawyer, Cox Smith, Inc.
• Robert Pemberton, Texas Court of Appeals, 3rd District
• David Schenck, Lawyer, Jones Day
• Shawn Stephens, Lawyer, Baker Hostetler
• Rebecca Simmons, Justice, Texas Court of Appeals, 4th District
• Rick Strange, Justice, Texas Court of Appeals, 11th District
• Kent Sullivan, Justice, Texas Court of Appeals, 14th District
• Susan Vance, Lawyer, Lawyer, Alexander Dubose
• Rose Vela, Justice, Texas Court of Appeals, 13th District
• Alan Waldrop, Texas Court of Appeals, 3rd District
• Betsy Whitaker, Lawyer
• Randy Wilson, Judge, 157th District Court
• Dana Womack, Judge, 348th District Court
The eventual appointee would finish Brister's term and presumably face re-election in 2010.
by Matt Stiles, The Texas Tribune Gov. Rick Perry today appointed state appellate court justice Eva Guzman to the Texas Supreme Court.
Guzman, now a member of the 14th Court of Appeals in Houston, will replace Scott Brister, who left the bench last month to return to private practice. [Her bio is online here, and you can find a copy of her application with the governor's appointments office here.]
One of at least 26 applicants for the job, Guzman, 48, will be the first Latina on the court and Perry's first female appointment to the panel. The governor has selected at least seven other justices since March 2001.
"Justice Guzman is known throughout legal circles as a strict constructionist with an unmatched work ethic, and has demonstrated a proven record of sound jurisprudence," the governor said in a written statement. "I am proud to appoint this principled, conservative judge as the first Hispanic woman on the Supreme Court of Texas."
Guzman is married to a police sergeant and graduated from Austin High School in Houston in 1979. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Houston before attending the South Texas College of Law, where she graduated in 1989.
She has been a state judge since 1999, first at the 309th District Court before being appointed by Perry to the appellate post in 2001. She won re-election in 2002 and 2004.
by Brandi Grissom, The Texas Tribune El Paso district Judge William "Bill" Moody plans to float his Texas Supreme Court campaign message to Texans next year.
Literally.
Moody, who is making his third run for the state's highest civil court, said Thursday he plans to use a bright orange blimp in his campaign to become the first Democrat elected to statewide office in more than a decade.
"Our plan is to fly across Texas stopping in dozens of counties to listen and talk to the voters... and impress upon them the importance of the Texas Supreme Court," Moody said.
It won't be Moody's first unorthodox campaign.
Moody — father of state Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso — ran twice before for the court.
He lost a conventional campaign in 2002 to now Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson.
Then, in 2006, he walked more than 1,000 miles, from one end of the Lone Star state to the other, in his campaign against Justice Don Willett.
Moody said the idea for the blimp campaign came to him when he saw a dirigible overhead as he trekked through Central Texas in 2006.
"I said, 'You know, there might be an easier way to do this,'" Moody recalled.
Moody lost the 2006 race, but he was the best performer on the Democrats' statewide ticket that year, with nearly 45 percent of the vote.
This time, Moody plans to run against Justice Paul Green for Place 5 on the court.
He said he thinks his chances for success are better in 2010 because recent elections have been trending toward Democrats in Texas' largest urban counties.
Moody said he doesn't plan to launch the blimp until then end of the campaign, because renting a blimp isn't cheap. Moody said he estimates it will cost $400,000 to $500,000 to use one for just a month or two, and said he's still looking for a pilot to fly the thing.
The blimp, he said, is just a tool to help get out his message of reform for the court.
Big campaign contributors have too much sway in the court's judicial decisions, Moody said, and justices should be chosen in non-partisan elections separate from the primary and general elections.
"Justice is not Democrat or Republican, and the people who come before the courts do not want political judges," Moody said.
The Moody blimp will launch from El Paso and head to points eastward next fall.
Who'll head the Texas GOP?
Cathie Adams, head of the Texas Eagle Forum and a prominent endorser of Gov. Rick Perry, says she's running for chairman of the Texas Republican Party. Tina Benkiser, the Houston attorney who had that job, left to work directly for Perry's campaign. Adams says she wants the job now and for a full term after the party's convention in June, and says simply that she wants to bolster Republicans' chances of winning elections.
Tom Mechler of Amarillo is running for party chair at the GOP convention next summer. That's the regular election time for the spot and it's open to both genders, so long as the vice chair is not the same gender as the chair. Mechler is on the State Republican Executive Committee (SREC) and says in his pitch that the party is in a time of "crisis" because its "ranks are being fractured" — that'd be a reference to the race at the top of the ballot — and because of "a lack of a consistent message being offered to the voters." He's also a Perry appointee, serving as vice chairman of the Texas Board of Criminal Justice.
Melinda Fredricks, a former SREC member from Conroe, wants to run and serve only until the June 2010 election. " I have worked for decades to build a Republican Majority, and I am deeply concerned the work many of us have done is in grave danger after two poor election cycles," she said in an email to the SREC members who'll pick someone to finish Benkiser's term. She's a Perry appointee, too, to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission now, and previously to the Texas Medical Board.
Democrats are expected to be in the hunt, but Eva Guzman will have a primary opponent even though she's got Perry's seal of approval.
Rose Vela, who had already said she'll be running for that seat in next year's Republican primary, followed the Guzman announcement by saying she'll stay in the race. That could be lively, what with a noisy governor's race that could increase attention on politics and on other races like this one. She was a district court judge and has been on the 13th Court of Appeals since 2006. She's also going to be in mid-term next year; if she wins, she's on the Supreme Court, and if she loses, she keeps her current job.
Only the Guv knows why he picked a Latina from Houston instead of one from South Texas, but here's one bug in the soup: Vela's husband, Filemon Vela Jr. (his dad was the late and well-known federal judge), gave $4,000 in two installments to the gubernatorial campaign of one Kay Bailey Hutchison, who is running against the guy who was in charge of the appointment. It couldn't have helped.
Put a marker here for analysis later. If the two judges stay in, and if they're tied — by their own or by other hands — to the gubernatorial candidates, their fates could rise or fall with Perry and Hutchison. That's an insider game, but this is, after all, a primary election.
Endorsements, candidates, money, and rap music...
Democrat John Sharp picked up an endorsement from Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, in his bid for U.S. Senate. That's a slap to Houston Mayor Bill White, who's also in the hunt. Whether they actually get to run is up to U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who has said she'll quit that post to concentrate on her campaign to knock off Gov. Rick Perry. Sharp and White are, so far, the only Democrats to express serious interest in her job. Van de Putte leads the Democratic caucus in the Texas Senate and has been involved in Party affairs at the national level, too.
• Maverick County Judge Jose "Pepe" Aranda Jr. told the Rio Grande Guardian he might challenge Rep. Tracy King, D-Batesville, in next year's Democratic primary. He's in his second term as judge and has said he won't seek a third term. He's also a former mayor of Eagle Pass. He hasn't made a final decision. King said he takes all comers seriously, "especially county-wide officeholders from counties in my district," but says he's not sure yet what Aranda will finally do. This isn't the first time the challenger has looked at challenging King. And, for the record: King says he'll seek an eighth term in HD-80.
• Republican Lisa Luby Ryan says she'll have the support of former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach if she runs for the Texas House in HD-108. That's the Park Cities seat held now by Republican Dan Branch. He's interested in running for attorney general if Greg Abbott doesn't seek reelection; if he does, Luby Ryan would run for his spot. That's four stops on the political bus line: If Kay Bailey Hutchison resigns, and if Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst quits to run for that, and if Abbott decides to go after the Lite Guv job, and if Branch goes for AG, then Luby Ryan, a high-end interior designer, will run for the House.
• Stephen Thomas has named a treasurer, resigned from the Cedar Park City Council and plans to run for the HD-20 seat in Williamson County. Rep. Dan Gattis, R-Georgetown, is giving that up to run for the Texas Senate (where Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, decided not to run again). Thomas will join Milton Rister and Charles Schwertner in the GOP primary. One other tidbit: Thomas picked up the endorsement of local businessman Jarrod Weaver, significant because Weaver was thinking about running himself.
• Barry Cooper, a former cop running for Texas attorney general on what he calls a "pro-family, pro-gun, pro-pot platform," has an offbeat fundraiser coming up in Austin. The main act? Hip-hop artist Devin the Dude, described as "a brilliant oddball with a spaced-out flow."
• Gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina claims to have raised $111,000 in one day last week — part of a Ron Paul-style "Money Bomb." The campaign said the money — which doesn't get officially reported until January — came from all over the country.
Gov. Rick Perry appointed:
• Jeff Rose of Austin to the 353rd district court, replacing the late Scott Ozmun. Rose is deputy first assistant to Attorney General Greg Abbott.
• Former Plano Mayor Jeran Akers to the Texas State Affordable Housing Corp.'s board.
• Robert "Rob" Kyker of Richardson to the Credit Union Commission. He's the owner of R&D Sales and Leasing.
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst named Charles McMahen and Sens. Glenn Hegar, Joan Huffman, Robert Nichols, and John Whitmire to the Sunset Advisory Commission. Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa will remain on that board, and Hegar, who was also on the board before, will chair it.
Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples added two seats to the Texas Agricultural Finance Authority Board and named Will Coward of Coryell County and John Paul Dineen III of Waxahachie to that panel. Coward is a rancher. Dineen is a farmer.
When Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, married Joyce Feinberg, a few days ago, the name of the biggest celebrity in the deal got left out. Sandra Day O'Connor, the former U.S. Supreme Court justice and an El Paso native, performed the ceremony.
Tom DeLay, his feet in tatters, bailed out of Dancing with the Stars. The former U.S. House Majority Leader, a Sugar Land Republican, had stress fractures in his feet that he said forced him out.
Texas Railroad Commissioner Victor Carrillo is recovering and waiting for a diagnosis after feeling ill enough to go to the hospital for three days last week.
Deaths: Jessica Hobby Catto, journalist and conservationist daughter of a Texas governor, William P. Hobby; a cabinet secretary and first leader of the Women's Army Corps, Oveta Culp Hobby; and brother to former Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby, after a struggle with cancer. She was 72.