CEWDEM, UH’s Dr. Richard Murray, and the Chron’s Rebecca Elliott all have something to say about the H-Town Mayoral contest. CEWDEM, like other Dem activists, is not too happy that the former Sheriff handed off the Sheriff’s Office to the GOP. And CEWDEM has got a pretty big list of folks that he can talk to. Here is what CEWDEM put out last night:
You would be amazed at the number of folks who have contacted me in agreement with all of this, just don’t want to speak out for fear of retribution. I personally will not stand by and not call someone out for party disloyalty. I have worked too long and too hard for people and policies that bring about a better life for All and I will not just sit by and allow someone to give up what we all worked for – and give it to the enemy – without running my chops – whether anyone likes it or not – and as aside, I personally think Adrian Garcia is a nice guy and have always considered him a friend, I am just so sorry he used such poor judgment on this matter and was talked into something by folks who do not have his best interest – and certainly not the Democratic Party’s best interest at stake.
Let’s be clear – Adrian Garcia was elected Sheriff because he was running against a crook and benefitted from the massive turnout of Barack Obama supporters in 2008. He was reelected in 2012 without much of an opponent plus over $200,000 in contributions from the Harris County Democratic Party along with a turnout brought about by President Obama. This is a bad move, it makes it harder for a D to recapture, but Loyalists will turn out and they will vote for a qualified D nominee.
So the point of all this is to say that Adrian Garcia benefitted from several things, not the least of which was being a Democrat, but he did not carry others on the ticket into office – either time. And this is his repayment for the time, effort and money of Loyal Democrats. Think about that. Self above all.
I wonder how many Dem activists disagree with CEWDEM.
Dr. Murray was on Houston Matters a few days ago and had this to say about Bill King:
“he’s viewed as well-informed, attractive candidate personally…”
And:
“Bill is an articulate person. He has studied city issues.”
Dr. Murray’s take is fresh and unbiased. It is not spin. He’s not supporting anyone.
Take the time to listen to his take here: http://www.houstonmatters.org/show/2015/05/12/houston-mayors-race-tuesdays-show-may-12-2015.
The Jays are in town for four. A player for the Jays won the AL MVP Award in 1987 – the only time the Jays have ever won it. Name the player?
Hey, you roll out the first TV ad and plunk down the dough, you get a bit of coverage. Here is Rebecca Elliott on Bill King’s TV ad and buy:
In this year’s race to become Houston’s next mayor, the television wars have started early.
Businessman and former Kemah mayor Bill King brought his campaign to television in earnest on Monday, when his 30-second introductory spot hit cable networks.
Ads like King’s, which Comcast records show will run for three weeks and cost about $84,000, typically do not run until mid-summer in Houston, when the field of credible contenders has winnowed and November’s election is on the horizon. Voters’ memories are short, the logic goes, and an early launch onto the airwaves could deplete a candidate’s campaign coffers.
In a crowded field of some half dozen candidates seeking to replace term-limited Mayor Annise Parker, a candidate like King, who has never held elected office in Houston, stands to benefit from the boost in name recognition a television debut may provide, political analysts said.
It is not that the television time necessarily will translate into votes, said Rice University political analyst Mark Jones, but it could help King establish himself as a viable contender and gain favor among Houston’s center and center-right political elites. That bloc is seen as crucial for King and City Councilman Stephen Costello, the two center-right candidates in the race, as they vie for fundraising dollars and a spot in the runoff. The top two vote-getters in November’s nonpartisan election will move on to this face-off, with state Rep. Sylvester Turner and former Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia considered the early frontrunners.
“If both of them remain strong, viable candidates, they may doom each other to a third or fourth place finish,” Jones said of Costello and King.
According to Comcast, King’s ad will air in Clear Lake, Kingwood, Westchase, Memorial and North Houston, most of which are reliably Republican. These zones are set by the cable company and do not necessarily follow the city boundaries.
Although unusual, King’s move to television is not unprecedented. In 2003, Bill White – then a relatively unknown lawyer and businessman – used early TV ads to build his name recognition and ultimately catapulted himself into the mayor’s office with record-setting fundraising.
“It’s the same logic,” Jones said.
And just as White invested in his own campaign, King intends to put half a million dollars into his bid, spokesman Jim McGrath said.
According to Federal Communications Commission records, none of the more than half dozen mayoral candidates have purchased air time on Houston’s major broadcast networks this year, though 2013 mayoral runner-up Ben Hall’s campaign said he ran about $1,000 worth of ads on Comcast in March. Most of the other campaigns said they expect to stay off television until later in the cycle.
Political analyst Nancy Sims, who is not affiliated with any of the candidates, said she expects television to be key in the race.
“This, in my opinion, is going to separate the wheat from the chaff,” she said. “You’ll never reach enough of the eligible voters to make a difference without television ads.”
For that, the candidates will need ample financial resources, which they are scrambling to amass ahead of the close of the reporting period on June 30.
Other mayoral candidates include former congressman and city councilmember Chris Bell and businessman Marty McVey.
The Mayor rolled out her proposed budget the other day. I wonder if there is an item in the budget to study H-Town’s productivity the morning after a 9:30 pm start of a Rockets playoff game.
A number of GOPers now think it wasn’t a good idea to invade Iraq. Not Jeb Bush. I am thinking he probably misremembered why we invaded Iraq.
The Chron has a story today on an intersection in Midtown whose crosswalks were painted. It is right next to my gym and you can see it from the sit-up benches. The Midtown Management District footed the bill at $20,000.
The 1987 AL MVP Award winner was George Bell of course from the Jays. That season he hit 47 dingers and had 134 RBIs to go with his .308 batting average.
Ken Rosenthal agrees with Commentary on Carlos Correa.
A SpringerDinger help get us a 4-3 much needed win last night over the Giants. We are 9-9 at home and still have a four game lead.
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