Houston Democrats

I am very happy to report to you that Democrats came in strongly to file for Republican-held seats all day long. Contrary to what the cynics of the embedded corporate media predicted, the Texas Democratic Party will be fielding a full statewide ticket in the general election. There are Democratic candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller, Land Commissioner, Railroad Commissioner, Texas Supreme Court, and Court of Criminal Appeals. The Democrat who came in to file for Comptroller caused a flurry of excitement - Fred Head, well-known as a champion of reform and ethics, who served in the Legislature for 14 years as an old-time populist East Texas Democrat, who was a member of the "Dirty Thirty" that rose in 1971 to put an end to the corruption of an earlier day, and whose East Texas support base is solid as a rock. Already Fred has made it known that he is campaigning fiercely against what Republican one-party rule has done to the people of Texas; as he put this afternoon, he is going to "light fires." There are 4 Democrats running for Governor, 3 for Lt. Governor, and 2 for Agriculture Commissioner.



The filings for U.S. House seats are equally encouraging and exciting. Democrats are running in 31 of the 32 U.S. House seats in Texas. In total, 39 Democrats are running for those 31 seats, due to more than one Democrat filing in some of them. The most telling sign of Democratic fires burning hot is that 20 of the 21 Republican incumbents in the U.S. House from Texas will have Democratic challengers in the general election. The fires are burning so hot in fact, that 25 Democrats filed for the opportunity to run against those 20 Republican incumbents.



The number of State Legislature filings are not yet assembled in one place because candidates for multi-county districts file with the State Democratic Party but candidates for single-county districts file with County Democratic Parties. From all indications it appears that the number of Democrats who filed for the State Legislature will turn out to be equally heavy.



The most exciting thing of all is that this outpouring of Democratic fire is not a top-down thing. The candidates are grassroots Democrats who came in from the bottom-up. This kind of Democrat is close to the people and has a finger on the community's pulse. The potential for big change is on the horizon.



For a grassroots campaign like ours, this is all incredibly good news. It means that all over the state local and regional Democratic candidates will be identifying and mobilizing Democratic voters to turn out. It means we're not climbing the mountain alone. It means we are part of a mutual support network above, below, and all around. And very importantly, based on the kind of Democrats who have filed all over the place, it means our ol'-time populist Democratic campaign message will be corroborated and reinforced by other Democratic candidates in every direction, just as we will be corroborating and reinforcing them. I've had the experience of running for statewide office without reinforcement from either above or below -- believe you me, this year is very clearly going to be a great contrast to those years. It will be a new and exciting experience for me. Folks, between us as friends, no "cheerleading" involved - we really, truly, seriously can defeat the incumbent Republican corporate mouthpiece Attorney General.



Finally, Strayhorn's move is a huge plus for us and the Texas Democratic Party because it graphically demonstrates serious division in the Texas Republican Party for all the world to see.



Please be on the lookout for a an upcoming Steering Commitee Round-Up from Sherry.



For Democracy!



David Van Os