Wednesday, December 11, 2013

The 2014 Democratic statewide ballot

This first in a series reveals a decent ticket for the Blue team. Not bad at all; just a few warts.  Where the candidate's name is hot-linked, you will find additional information, which may be a post of mine, their website or Facebook page, or some other online news.

First, the good...

US Senate
David Alameel
Maxey Scherr
Michael “Fjet” Fjetland

Kesha Rogers
Harry Kim

I think that list is representative, at least for today, of how the order of finish will be in March.  Alameel will put a substantial amount of his $50 million fortune into the race; Scherr will run a progressive populist campaign (she is already), Fjetland will stress his international experience and moderate Democrat background, and the other two candidates (appearing in 'ugly' and 'bad', respectively) will do whatever they will.

Any of these three should be able to acquit themselves honorably in November, and if Steve Stockman pulls off an upset of John Cornyn in the GOP primary, could actually have a hell of a chance to be the next senator from the Great State.  Wouldn't that be something.

Update: Be sure and read Ted at jobsanger's post: "Texas Democrats have 1 Progressive, 1 Unknown, 2 Blue Dogs, & 1 Nutcase Running For Senate".

Governor
Wendy Davis
Reynaldo “Ray” Madrigal


Lieutenant Governor
Leticia Van de Putte

Attorney General

Land Commissioner
John Cook

Agriculture Commissioner
Hugh Fitzsimons
Jim Hogan
Richard “Kinky’ Friedman


Railroad Commissioner
Steve Brown
Dale Henry


Supreme Court, Chief Justice
William Moody

Supreme Court, Place 6
Lawrence “Larry” Meyers

Supreme Court, Place 7
Gina Benavides

Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 3
John Granberg

This likewise is a reasonably strong slate.  With the non-filing of Maria Luisa Alvarado in the lite guv race, only Collier and Granberg have no prior experience as an elected official* (a qualification possessed even by gubernatorial challenger Madrigal, who is mentioned here as a magistrate judge from Sea Drift, near Corpus Christi).  The ticket is unfortunately bereft of African American candidates, save Ms. Rogers and Mr. Brown. From BOR, this with regard to Fitzsimons.

Hugh A. Fitzsimons has filed to run for Texas Agricultural Commissioner. He is from Carrizo Springs, Texas and is a fifth generation rancher. He currently raises bison with Thunderheart Bison. Mr. Fitsimmons (sic) currently sits on the Wintergarden Water Conservation District and has said water and responsible environmental protection will be some of the main issues behind his campaign. You can read more about Mr. Fitzsimmons (sic) in the following New York Times article on water fracking in Texas.

... and this on Granberg.

He is a lawyer from El Paso who practices criminal law at the state and federal level. He is licensed to practice in both Texas and New Mexico. Mr. Granberg had previously run for a Justice of the Peace position in El Paso many years ago. 

One of the things that stands out to me is that El Paso is ably represented on this slate, with Scherr, Moody, Cook, and Granberg.  More to come about candidates down the Harris County ballot, and other parts of Texas after that.

*Not quite. Some corrections appear in the comments.

Update: And read this also from Battleground Texas about Judge Meyers: The Switch.

6 comments:

Noah Horwitz said...

I don't think Sam Houston has any elected experience.

Gadfly said...

Re: "With the non-filing of Maria Luisa Alvarado in the lite guv race, only Collier and Granberg have no prior experience as an elected official (a qualification possessed even by gubernatorial challenger Madrigal, who is mentioned here as a magistrate judge from Sea Drift, near Corpus Christi)." ...

Has Kinky ever been elected for anything besides Dogcatcher of Utopia?

Also, I'm not really sanguine about the desirability of Alameel winning the Senate nod, given his past, which looks in some ways even more conservative than Fjetland's.

PDiddie said...

Sam Houston and Dale Henry have won primary elections in the past, but have not held elective office. Kinky is, alas for me, elective office-free, but so are the other two ag commissioner candidates.

Not well-vetted by me, that particular (and now asterisked in the OP) statement. Thanks for pointing out the corrections.

Greg said...

Once again, the Left goes after a black woman who dares think for herself -- Keisha Rogers. When will you folks get over your racism and sexism?

PDiddie said...

You like her? You vote for her.

She's the perfect Republican candidate, and she could probably win.

Gadfly said...

Yeah, Greg, because we of the capital-L Left all think alike, march in lockstep with goosesteps, etc.

I'm sorry, I guess "Left" is spelled R-I-G-H-T.