Paul Saldaña It might still be summer, but a marathon election season is underway in northern Travis County, where voters in Texas House District 50 might be asked to go to the polls as many as five times in the next 15 months before their next state representative ever takes a vote. When former state Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin, quit the Legislature earlier this summer, a collection of motivated candidates quickly lined up to take his place, and more could step in before the Sept. 4 filing deadline. The office seekers will be part of an extended election season that begins with a special election Nov. 5 and ends in November 2014 — with a primary and the possibility of two runoffs in between. The campaign to represent District 50 — which includes parts of Austin, Pflugerville, Manor, Elgin and Round Rock — features a field of three Democrats and a fourth one waiting in the wings, ready to run in the regular March primary. Meanwhile, the Republican Party is trying to find a qualified candidate in hopes of exploiting the turmoil of a special election — usually a low-turnout affair in which candidates from all parties run at the same time — to turn the dependably Democratic district into a Republican one. Business owner Jade Chang Sheppard, Realtor Celia Israel and lawyer Rico Reyes began campaigning after Strama said in February that he wouldn’t seek re-election next year. But when he announced earlier this summer that he was stepping down immediately to head up Google Fiber’s efforts in Austin and Perry called a special election to replace him, their efforts became more urgent. Only Israel, who ran unsuccessfully for Travis County commissioner in 2004, has ever tried for public office. The campaigning is just starting in earnest. Only a couple of forums have occurred, as the candidates are spending time block-walking and trying to raise money from family, friends and supporters. The Democrats have similar political outlooks, with each putting public education improvements on a short list of priorities. However, each insists he or she brings something unique to the race. Sheppard, 34, is a mother of young children, a former Dell Inc. employee and an entrepreneur. Born in Taiwan and raised in Connecticut, Sheppard moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas, where she was on the rowing team and was introduced to competitive weightlifting. Like many UT students, “Jade fell in love with Austin and never left,” her website says. “My life experience and background is a perfect match for the district,” she said. Forecasting the first bill she would file as a state representative, Sheppard said she wants to reintroduce the so-called Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which Perry vetoed and would have required that women be paid the same as similarly qualified men. A state law is needed to create the same protections in state court that already exist in federal law, she said. Reyes, 42, the valedictorian of Bastrop High School in 1989, is a graduate of Harvard University and an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. He has a law degree and a master’s in business administration from the University of Texas. He also has worked as a prosecutor in Travis County. Reyes’ father was a director of the Montopolis Neighborhood Center, and his mother was a VISTA volunteer. His parents’ community involvement provided him with the inspiration to run for office, he said. “It becomes part of your DNA,” he said. “A lot of it is my upbringing.” Reyes said health care is a priority. His wife, Natalie, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, though it is now in remission. The family had insurance, but he said he knows not everyone has the opportunity to get quality health care. On his website, Reyes says he “will fight for health care for all, regardless of one’s ability to pay.” Israel, 49, the only openly gay candidate in the race, often talks about her activism and political involvement. Israel worked for Gov. Ann Richards in her appointments division, where she vetted potential state commissioners and board members. She also has served on several local boards, including with a food bank in Austin and with GENaustin, which helps adolescent girls develop and maintain healthy self-esteem. “My record of service should distinguish me,” she said. Israel wants to “stop the right wing campaign that is trying to undermine the value of a college education” by preventing political appointees from abusing their positions, she says on her website. And, like Strama, she would like to expand the use of renewable energy. Jan Soifer, chair of the Travis County Democratic Party, said that the party will not endorse in the special election, as usual, but that all the candidates are qualified for the job. “They have all been heavily involved in the community,” she said. “They all have adept knowledge and understanding about the issues.” Another Democrat, lawyer Ramey Ko, cannot run in the special election. Caught short by Strama’s early resignation, Ko hasn’t lived in the district long enough to run this fall. But he will be eligible to run in the March primary. For Ko, a graduate of Yale University and the University of Chicago Law School, finding more money for public education is a priority, but he also wants to address water and transportation, he said. Even though he’s not running in November, he is still showing up at forums and raising money. In fact, he has out-raised everyone else, bringing in about $119,000. With his stout account, Ko is making the best of not being on the ballot. He has been trying to save cash, while the other candidates are forced to spend on the special election. Sheppard has raised about $81,000 and put in $100,000 of her own money. Reyes has collected about $68,000 and loaned the campaign another $25,000, and Israel has about $51,000 in contributions. Though a Republican candidate has yet to get into the race, Andy Hogue, a spokesman for the Travis County Republican Party, said someone will emerge soon as the party’s choice. Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University, said District 50 has been relatively safe for Democrats. Fifty-eight percent of its voters cast ballots for President Barack Obama last year. The special election offers an opportunity for Republicans because the Democratic vote will be spread out among three candidates. In the general election, a Republican would need a highly effective voter turnout effort and hope to take part in a larger wave of GOP support, like in 1994, when Republicans and their “Contract with America” gained them 54 congressional seats and many more in various state legislatures. “This will probably be the best chance Republicans will have,” Jones said. “If the Republicans don’t take the seat this cycle, they are unlikely to take it this decade.” But no matter who wins the special election, the newly seated incumbent will not be able to enjoy many of the advantages of incumbency. After all, there would be only five months between a special election runoff and the regularly scheduled primary. mystatesman/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/north-austin-house-district-faces-long-election-se/nZDg8/?icmp=statesman_internallink_textlink_apr2013_statesmanstubtomystatesman_launch
Posted on: Mon, 05 Aug 2013 16:32:52 +0000
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