-- Charles notes that the new senator from the 6th won't be sworn in next week, after all.
You think that was just a coincidence? You don't think that the governor got some advice on how to proceed with the scheduling from some loyal flacks in the Texas AG's office, do you?
Update:
-- Harvey:
First: Alvarado is a current state representative, not a former one. TLR was the largest contributor to the Alvarado campaign by far, at $184,000, but Garcia got more than 2.5 times that much from Steve Mostyn and his activist network, Texas Organizing Project; nearly $475,000 in monetary and in-kind contributions. In some respects it is difficult to see this as a good thing (unless you are a bright blue partisan, of course).
-- Poor Campos. Another vivid demonstration of him not knowing how to win, and not getting things done. Clue to him: you can't take GOP money, GOP operatives, and GOP electeds and win in a predominantly Democratic district. I suppose you can make some pretty good commissions, however.
Why would any Democrat running for office hire him at this point unless they intended to use the same strategy -- attract Republican support to try to win a swing seat -- for example, on Houston city council? Try to keep this guy's M.O. in mind in the future, Democrats (those of you from the Democratic wing of the party, that is).
-- On the other hand, much of this effort on the part of Alvarado and the Republicans and Democrats who supported her has to be considered an investment in the future. She is 45 and remains a state representative in a safe district. She can hold that seat for the next 20 years or longer... when she will be the same age as Garcia.
Garcia is either 66 years old if you trust the Chronicle, or 62 by her own disclosure. How long does she realistically remain a state senator beyond this term (4 years) and the next one? By then she will be at least 70. Do you know how many septuagenarians there currently are in the Texas Senate? That would be none.
So whenever it might be that Sylvia Garcia is no longer a state senator -- and not far in the future it will be -- who is it that has not just the inside track, but obviously first claim?
Nice to know everything's all taken care of, isn't it?
Now here’s the bad news:
Harris County has 10 days to canvass the results after Saturday’s contest, and Gov. Rick Perry’s office of has an additional four days. The winner cannot take her oath until the governor’s canvass, which means the victor will not be able to file any bills after taking office.
Cripes. After all this time, we still have to wait another two weeks for SD06 to be represented. If Sen.-elect Garcia were able to file bills, I’d recommend that her first would be to amend the special election procedure to allow for an immediate swearing in when a special election to fill a vacancy occurs during a session and there’s no question of a recount or other challenge to the election to fill that vacancy. I mean seriously, in a just world Garcia would be sworn in on Monday. Maybe one of her colleagues-to-be can file this legislation on her behalf, or perhaps Rep. Alvarado can do it as a gesture of letting bygones be bygones.
You think that was just a coincidence? You don't think that the governor got some advice on how to proceed with the scheduling from some loyal flacks in the Texas AG's office, do you?
Update:
Though the formal March 8 deadline for filing bills will have passed when Garcia is sworn in, (Democratic political consultant Harold) Cook said, professional courtesy would allow her to introduce legislation.
-- Harvey:
IN WHAT BECOMES ANOTHER PROXY WAR, MOSTYN AND UNIONS TRUMP TLR AND ALLIES IN SD6 SPECIAL ELECTION BATTLE
Gallegos family endorsed Alvarado but union base backed Garcia
Texans for Lawsuit Reform took another trouncing tonight as former county commissioner Sylvia Garcia beat former Rep. Carol Alvarado in tonight’s run-off election for Senate District 6.
First: Alvarado is a current state representative, not a former one. TLR was the largest contributor to the Alvarado campaign by far, at $184,000, but Garcia got more than 2.5 times that much from Steve Mostyn and his activist network, Texas Organizing Project; nearly $475,000 in monetary and in-kind contributions. In some respects it is difficult to see this as a good thing (unless you are a bright blue partisan, of course).
-- Poor Campos. Another vivid demonstration of him not knowing how to win, and not getting things done. Clue to him: you can't take GOP money, GOP operatives, and GOP electeds and win in a predominantly Democratic district. I suppose you can make some pretty good commissions, however.
Why would any Democrat running for office hire him at this point unless they intended to use the same strategy -- attract Republican support to try to win a swing seat -- for example, on Houston city council? Try to keep this guy's M.O. in mind in the future, Democrats (those of you from the Democratic wing of the party, that is).
-- On the other hand, much of this effort on the part of Alvarado and the Republicans and Democrats who supported her has to be considered an investment in the future. She is 45 and remains a state representative in a safe district. She can hold that seat for the next 20 years or longer... when she will be the same age as Garcia.
Garcia is either 66 years old if you trust the Chronicle, or 62 by her own disclosure. How long does she realistically remain a state senator beyond this term (4 years) and the next one? By then she will be at least 70. Do you know how many septuagenarians there currently are in the Texas Senate? That would be none.
So whenever it might be that Sylvia Garcia is no longer a state senator -- and not far in the future it will be -- who is it that has not just the inside track, but obviously first claim?
Nice to know everything's all taken care of, isn't it?
2 comments:
Don't blame the governor for this problem -- blame the individual truly responsible. A selfish man chose to seek reelection to an office when it was clear that medically he would be unable to fulfill it. Had Mario Garcia had any concern for the people of his district, he would have stepped aside allowed the normal political process to determine his successor so that SD6 would have had a Senator from the beginning of the legislative session.
I don't disagree with your actual premise here: that Mario Gallegos probably shouldn't have been on the ballot. He might have even been successful at getting his wish w/r/t selecting the person he wanted to follow him. But he would have had to file for re-election no later than December of 2011, when his health had shown much improvement following the liver transplant. I'm guessing he and his family had those conversations, and their decisions should be respected (by all decent people, that is).
Rick Perry made certain this seat was neutered for as long as possible. Yes, he is to blame for the partisan bullshit that motivates his every action.
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