Heartbreaker in AL#1
Karen Derr came up short in her quest to become the new CM of At-Large #1. I’m sure there will be some analysis as to where this race was lost. A quick look at Ft Bend County shows that her opponent did very well there; however, he also enjoyed crossover support from Democrats, including big names such as Chris Bell (he did a robocall for Derr’s opponent). That was a phenomenon that I didn’t quite understand, but we all know it happens in politics.
Sue Keeps 2
Sue Lovell showed that she has some loyal and consistent support; so much so, one has to wonder if her last-minute Fireman mailer was actually needed to secure some padding. She won with the largest margin of the at-large incumbents. I sure am glad that the newbies on Council will have her to provide some guidance.
It’s Jo in 5
Jolanda Jones used the 90% of support earned in Fort Bend County to come out the winner, while keeping the margin inside the City very close. What is most enjoyable is that she defeated a candidate with a right-wing record, and more so, an anti-immigrant message. With the new faces at the table, I am looking forward to some excitement at some of the Council meetings.
A & F
District A and F remain Republican-held and it is unfortunate, given the changing face of these districts. What did come out of are two candidates who remained consistent in their message and, I would hope, with a political future locally. Lane Lewis and Mike Laster were good candidates with sound ideas running in areas which refuse to let go of whatever the past was in their eyes. The struggle continues.
Houston ISD
In case you did not notice, I purposely stayed away from the Houston ISD races. It wasn’t until I heard that one candidate in District I had received funds from charter school management corporations that my ears opened up. By then, well, I didn’t want to mess with whatever message the other candidate had. Anyone who knows me or reads DC knows that I am not a fan of charter schools. That said, the charter school-supported candidate won, so, congrats to Anna Eastman and her team for pulling out a win. Since the race was quite even, whomever won was going to need to mend fences, become more pragmatic in their fact-finding and decision-making, and remain very accessible to all. So, good luck to Eastman. Both Eastman and Alma Lara had lines of communication open, and for school district candidates to do that for mere bloggers says a lot about the direction our school leaders are taking.
The other race, I must admit, I did not follow at all, nor was I approached or given information by the candidates. Oh well.
Turnout
16%? It is pretty obvious that turnout is going to be a major discussion for about a day or so. Then we will wait until early voting for the next election season to roll around and we will continue with the same ol’ formula of attempting to win with the fewest voters. As I have always said, voters must remain engaged throughout the year. Elected officials have a responsibility in this, as do political parties, and organizations which work at “Get Out The Vote Efforts.” Voters must be educated on the issues and the process by which to achieve some semblance of service and legislative support. And it just does not happen during early voting. It is a year-long practice, it could have a financial and political cost, and but I believe it would be worth it. If this is not done, then why complain for a day or so after elections? Let’s just keep electing our officials with less and less participation.
2010 Primaries
The 2010 Democratic Primary is coming up in less than three months. We have a full slate of candidates, and a bunch of contested races. According to Party leaders, as little as 35,000 voters may decide who will end up representing the Party in November; and if you are voting in a smaller area, like a Justice of the Peace precinct, we’re talking about 3,000 to 5,000 voters–tops! You have three months to learn and make decisions about whom to give your support.
DosCentavos.net will do its part to keep you informed (at times, I may even be a bit unfair as one or another may be a client). So, do your part and participate: Invite a candidates or candidates to a meet and greet at your home, pass out information to your neighborhood, and make an event out of voting. Have some fun with it!
