Can the Democrats win a statewide race?

[sonias]

http://www.texasmonthly.com/blogs/burkablog/?p=6536">Burka blog 3/4/10
Can the Democrats win a statewide race?

I have expressed my opinion on many occasions that the Democrats don’t have a chance to win a statewide race, aside from Bill White, in this election cycle. But some unexpected developments might prove me wrong.

Their best shot is Jeff Weems, who is running for the Railroad Commission. This is the seat that is occupied by Victor Carrillo, who appeared to be running unopposed for reelection until the last day for filing, when a stealth candidate, David Porter of Midland, whose only contact with the oil industry is accounting, entered the race against him. Porter went on to win the race by some 20 points, a result that is attributable to the advantage of having an Anglo surname in a Republican primary. Weems, a Houston attorney, has worked for Shell Western E & P and also worked as a landman. He is a member of the American Petroleum Institute and the National Association of Royalty Owners. His legal specialty is oil and gas litigation. Suddenly the Democrats find themselves with a candidate who is better qualified than the Republican nominee.

Another possibility is Jim Sharp, who is the chief justice of the First Court of Appeals in Houston. Sharp is running for Place 3 on the Texas Supreme Court, a position vacated by the retiring Hariett O’Neill. Her retirement opened the door to a six-person free-for-all, which led to a runoff between the top two finishers, former legislator Rick Green and Fort Worth district judge Debra Lehrman. I do not have enough words to express my dismay that Rick Green could serve on the Texas Supreme Court. I have had a lot of bad things to say about the state’s high court over the years, but even they don’t deserve Rick Green. These days Green identifies himself as a constitutional speaker and author for WallBuilders, an Aledo-based evangelical organization that promotes the moral and religious underpinnings in American history.

Asked by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about his judicial experience, Green said that he “considered it an advantage to be the only candidate without judicial experience.” What the court needs, he said, is someone with legal and business and legislative experience. Part of Green’s legislative experience was getting in ethics trouble for using his Capitol office to film a health supplement infomercial. (As best I recall, it was touted as “brain powder.”) Don’t forget the time he went before the parole board to plead for the early release of a man who had loaned his father’s company $4000,000. Lehrman has served as a district judge in Tarrant County for 22 years and is chairman-elect of the American Bar Association’s section on family law. I know I have been critical of TLR too, and their big spending on Court races, but, hey, Weekley, Trabulsi, Toomey, Linbeck: Where is TLR when we need you? Where is Citizen Leader PAC? If Green wins the runoff–and the shorter name is always a good bet–Sharp might get a lot of backing from the state’s legal community.

I really don't like Burka much anymore but he's at least not pimping unqualified republicans in this article. He actually makes sense talking about at least two other good chances we have to pick up some statewide seats.

Our own Jeff Weems is one of them. He became the most qualified candidate running for Texas Railroad Commissioner when the GOP voters tossed out incumbent Victor Carillo.
http://jeffweemsforcommissioner.com/

:toast: to Jeff!

And Jim Sharp would absolutely have a fantastic chance against http://www.burntorangereport.com/diary/10091/rick-green-punches-his-way-into-scotx-runoff"> puncher Rick Green who is more than slightly mentally unstable. Just saying. :rofl:

:kick:

[sonias]

1. Victor Carrillo Shames the Great White Texas GOP

More on that GOP incumbent loss:

Texas Observer 3/5/10
Victor Carrillo Shames the Great White Texas GOP

It's not often that you hear a politician come right out and speak the brutal truth. But in the wake of his defeat on Tuesday in the Republican primary, Railroad Commissioner Victor Carrillo did just that. A Rick Perry appointee who was subsequently elected in 2004, Carrillo, the commission's chairman, spent more than $620,000 in his primary contest. He sent nearly 500,000 mailers to Republican households. He aired radio ads, did robocalls, bought print ads—you know, the things you do when you're trying to win a campaign.

Carrillo's opponent, an obscure fellow from Giddings, blew through a grand total of $33,000. He hardly ran a campaign at all, as far as anybody could tell. And he gave the incumbent a thumpin', as W. would say, taking more than 60 percent of the statewide vote.

(snip)
Carrillo is unquestionably right. No reasonable person could deny that there exists—as Observer staff writer Forrest Wilder called it in a post-2008 election story on the subject—a "Latino Factor" when Texas voters go to the polls. Testing the "bias" Carrillo speaks of, Wilder and Democratic political demographer Leland Beatty analyzed election returns involving Democratic judicial candidates Linda Reyna Yanez and J.R. Molina. Both faced Republican incumbents. Both lost. And both were significantly outpolled by white Democratic challengers facing Republican incumbents in parallel races. The whiter the county, the greater the discrepancy between the Latino Democrats and their Caucasian counterparts. "This is just as plain as the nose on your face," Beatty said.

[montieg]

2. Carrillo--tho Repug-- is a nice guy. Been in church with him

a couple of times and he's married to the daughter of one of our former pastors. Here's his interview in his hometown Abilene Distorter-News --uh, Reporter-News.
http://www.reporternews.com/news/2010/mar/03/carrillo-cites-built-in-bias-in-election-loss/?partner=popular

“Given the choice between “Porter” and “Carrillo” — unfortunately, the Hispanic surname was a serious setback from which I could never recover although I did all in my power to overcome this built-in bias.”

[sonias]

3. Interesting point in the article

The two other railroad commissioners have announced plans to seek the Senate seat currently held by Kay Bailey Hutchison, so it’s possible an appointment could be made soon to one of their seats.

Would he take the job again if Perry appoints him to the board again? And how soon would be have to run to hold on to the seat he would be appointed to?

Thanks for the article link.

:hi:

[montieg]

4. I'll believe KBH

retires from the Senate when the new Senator is sworn in. Just saying.

[sonias]

5. She is the biggest flip-flopper ever

Never sticks to her word.

[CoolOnion]

6. I'll believe she retires...

...when pigs fly.