Early Voting Starts Tuesday

Early voting for the March primary begins tomorrow, February 19. Below are the hours when you can early vote, and you can click here for a map of early voting locations in Harris County.

February 19th - February 22nd

        8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

February 23rd

         7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

February 24th

         1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

February 25th - February 29th

         7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Help Me Make A Better Texas

I need your help to defeat an opponent in the March 4 Democratic Primary. I am preparing to have up to $200,000 spent on mailed attacks against me and must have the resources to respond rapidly. You can send a check to my campaign at P.O. Box 88140, Houston, TX 77288 or contribute online by clicking here.

Contact us for a yard sign

If you live in District 147 and would like a yard sign to show your support for my campaign and my continued efforts to make a better Texas, you can click here to request one by e-mail, or you can call my campaign office at 713-522-8634.

Craddick Forces Playing in Democratic Primaries

Below is an column from today's Houston Chronicle on the involvement of Republican Speaker Tom Craddick (and his surrogates like Ron Wilson) in Democratic primaries.

By Clay Robison

Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

AUSTIN — Consider the easy-come, easy-go plight of Republican Rep. Nathan Macias of Bulverde.

He may be in danger of losing his seat after only one unremarkable term in the Texas House, mainly because he has lost his political sugar daddy.

Two years ago, Macias was rolling in money on his way to an upset GOP primary victory over then-Rep. Carter Casteel of New Braunfels, one of the House's more competent members.

More than 90 percent of Macias' 2006 primary campaign funding came from San Antonio businessman James Leininger, the private-school voucher advocate, who was determined to unseat Casteel because she had dared vote against his cause. The attack ads were mean.

Before 2006 was over, Leininger had spent nearly $5 million on Macias and other legislative candidates, only to come up empty again on vouchers during the 2007 session. So far this year, he has closed his checkbook to legislative candidates.

Consequently, Macias, according to the most recent campaign reports, is lagging well behind Republican challenger Doug Miller, an insurance man and former New Braunfels mayor, in fundraising.

During the first three weeks of 2006, Macias raised $197,000, of which $182,000 came from Leininger. During the first three weeks of this year, he raised only about $8,900, leaving him with about $7,100 in his campaign account in late January. Miller had more than $75,000 in the bank then.

Speaker Tom Craddick or his surrogates may yet arrange for a large amount of cash to be plunked into Macias' campaign. Or Leininger may start writing checks again.

But without some late campaign help, Macias is nearing the end of his short legislative career, some political observers believe.

Adding to the lawmaker's woes, and independently of the Miller campaign, a pro-gambling committee has begun airing a TV commercial attacking Macias for "keeping his head in the sand" while the Legislature increased spending and allowed electric rates and college tuition to rise.

Coleman's opponent

In case anyone is wondering, former state Rep. Ron Wilson said he didn't make a $30,000 cash loan to LaRhonda Torry, who is challenging Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, in the Democratic primary.

Torry listed a $30,000 loan from Wilson on her recent campaign finance report, but Wilson said that represented the value of his legal services. He represented her in the successful fight to get her name on the ballot after the Harris County Democratic Party rejected her application.

Will the loan be repaid? "I hope so," he said.

Coleman still believes Wilson recruited Torry on behalf of Speaker Tom Craddick. Wilson still denies it. Although he is a Democrat, Wilson was part of Craddick's leadership team when he was in the House and signed on as a House parliamentarian last spring to help Craddick survive a late-session uprising.

Replacing Democrats

Coleman believes he has enough evidence to link Craddick to the Democratic primary challengers of at least six incumbent House members, including himself, who oppose Craddick's continued rule.

With the speakership on the line and few House districts likely to change partisan hands in November, Coleman said, Craddick's leadership "may rest in replacing good Democrats with new Craddick D's in the primary elections."

Besides what Coleman believes are Craddick's efforts to undermine his re-election, Coleman said the speaker and his allies are helping Democratic opponents of Democratic Reps. Juan Escobar of Kingsville, Rene Oliveira of Brownsville, Paul Moreno of El Paso and Jessica Farrar and Borris Miles of Houston.

Escobar's Democratic challenger, Tara Rios Ybarra of South Padre Island, has received more than $50,000 from Texans for Lawsuit Reform, which also is close to Craddick. Rios Ybarra and Oliveira's primary challenger also are using a consulting firm that has worked for other Craddick supporters in South Texas, Coleman said.

Former Rep. Al Edwards of Houston, a Democrat loyal to Craddick who is trying to reclaim the seat he lost to Miles two years ago, got $25,000 last month from home builder Bob Perry, a major Craddick supporter. Also in Houston, Farrar's Democratic challenger, Jose Medrano, is using a consultant previously hired by Ron Wilson and other Craddick allies, Coleman said.

Agreement on Obama

Coleman and Wilson may be enemies in legislative politics, but they both support Barack Obama's presidential bid.

Wilson jokes that Coleman's support is a "deathbed conversion." Coleman initially backed John Edwards and switched to Obama after Edwards quit the race.

Now that the presidential race has finally arrived in Texas, Wilson said he has offered to house Obama's young campaign staffers at his home in Austin.