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Volume IX Number 4 - February 14, 2010     RSS Feed
A Periodic Newsletter for Committed Texas Conservatives


In This Issue

TCR Endorsement Editorial

TCR's Ballot Recommendations

For Governor of Texas, TCR's Choice: Kay Bailey Hutchison

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Daniel Lemkuil For Judge

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What's Ahead

Hard Hitting
Conservative Commentary
 
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TCR 2010 Republican Primary Voter's Guide
Read the 28 page Edition Online at link above

TCR Endorsement Editorial

This is our fourth biannual Republican Primary Voter's Guide. Each guide has gotten larger and is more broadly mailed. The 2010 Texas Republican Primary ballot is large, diverse and of critical importance. In Harris County, we live in a new political world and it is a competitive one. The Democrats' success in 2008 means Republicans need to be very careful about the candidates we select to run in November. Are the candidates qualified? Can they run a winning campaign? Are they the most electable candidate? Do they share most of our core conservative values? In endorsing, TCR seriously looked at all the choices in contested races and did not endorse in every race – only in races where there is a clear conservative choice. Sometimes we did co-endorsements; for some races we will wait for the runoff. We also tell you what we think of the candidates so you can judge for yourself. It is also important that you vote the entire primary ballot. We have fine candidates from the top to the bottom, all working hard for your consideration.

TCR's Ballot Recommendations
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Office Candidate TCR Recommendation - Why
U.S. Rep., Dist. 10 Michael McCaul Incumbent Conservative from Austin – send him back to D.C.
U.S. Rep., Dist. 29 Eric Story A solid Conservative who has built a good organization within the district.
Governor Kay Bailey Hutchison Your Editor knows all three candidates well and respects all three, but feels Kay is the right choice (extended analysis in article below).
Railroad Commissioner Victor Carrillo Doing a good job we need to keep him.
Justice Supreme Court, Place 3 Jim Moseley
or
Jeff Brown
Lots of qualified choices here, but two stand out. Jim Moseley has a sterling background – a seasoned attorney, long-time conservative GOP activist (previously appointed to the bench by then-Governor George Bush), thirteen years on the Fifth District of Texas Court of Appeals, a proven talent. Jeff Brown has a similar distinguished background and served as a state district judge. Both are running fine campaigns and have what it takes to win in November.
Justice Supreme Court, Place 9 Eva Guzman Eva Guzman is a Houston area Judge who was recently appointed to the Supreme Court. Her opponent is a Justice on the Corpus Christi Court of Appeals. TCR has known Judge Guzman for 20 years and she is just terrific.
State Rep., District 127 Dan Huberty Dan Huberty is a great conservative and life-long Republican. He is Vice President of Clean Energy and serves as the President of the Humble Independent School District. He is married and has three children; a very exciting candidate who will serve us well in Austin.
State Rep., District 129 John Davis John Davis is the current state representative and is a thoughtful and committed conservative. We need him in Austin.
State Rep., District 134 Sarah Davis An exciting candidate with a strong background. She supports a lower appraisal cap, reduced state spending and opposes federal mandates.
State Rep., District 149 Bryan Le
or
Dianne Williams
Bryan Le is a new generation Republican. This young man has the energy and conservative vision to excite this district with it's significant Vietnamese population. Dianne Williams is a strong conservative and Republican activist (serving as a Republican Pct. Chair and on numerous Party Committees).
Justice, 1st Court Of Appeals, Place 4 Evelyn Keyes Justice Keyes has been on the job for 8 years and has a distinguished legal background. I could spend pages extolling her virtues. Simply said, we need to re-elect her.
1st Court Of Appeals, Place 8 Michael Massengale Incumbent with extensive litigation experience. He was a clerk for conservative stalwart Justice Hal DeMoss of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and was involved in the GOP as a precinct chairman.
Justice, 14th Court Of Appeals, Place 2 Leslie Brock Yates Incumbent, one of the few with both criminal and civil experience on the Court; she is the right choice here. She is the kind of appellate judge we wish all were like. Her reelection is critical for those who want a fair and unbiased court.
District Judge, 180th Danny Dexter
Emily Munoz
Marc Brown
All three are qualified. Most impressive campaign so far is Danny Dexter's. Both Dexter and Munoz have experience on both sides of the docket.
District Judge, 280th Lynn Bradshaw Hull Long serving Judge with extensive civil and family experience. With the courts new jurisdiction, she is ready to go on day one.
District Judge, 308th James Lombardino
Alice O'Neill
William Frazier
Rick Ramos
Interesting race with great choices – Lombardino is a longtime GOP activist, experienced family law attorney and former prosecutor. He is well-regarded by party leaders. Alice O'Neill is an experienced attorney with a unique background as a therapist before she became a family law lawyer. Frazier is a section head dealing with Child Protective Services, an important part of family court responsibility. Rick Ramos is an intriguing candidate. The youngest in the race, but has extensive family law experience and is of Hispanic heritage. He is running a high energy campaign and would bring this to the GOP ticket.
District Judge, 309th Meca Walker
or
Daniel Lemkuil
Longtime respected Judge Rynd is retiring and his Associate Judge Meca Walker is running. Strong background, relative political newcomer, she would add to our November ticket. The other choice TCR likes is Daniel Lemkuil. A former Associate Family Court Judge with extensive family law background – he is Board Certified in Family Law and has an MBA in finance.
District Judge, 310th Lisa Millard Judge Lisa Millard, the senior judge of the Family District Courts, is the clear choice in this race. Her experience, her commitment to families, commitment to faith and her commitment to fairness make her the only choice for this race. Judge Millard is a breast cancer survivor and a fighter. She is the judge you want fighting for our families.
District Judge, 311th Denise Pratt Several choices but Denise stands out, she is a long time family law practitioner and GOP activist–including attending the 2008 Republican National Convention as an Alternate Delegate. Her law practice is focused on children and families. She has served as a foster parent for children at risk. Her legal and political experience make her the obvious choice here. In fact, she has every major endorsement.
District Judge, 313th Glenn Devlin Devlin is the far superior choice here. He has served as Associate Judge in the Juvenile Courts and has extensive experience in all aspects of the court's work. In contrast, his opponent has zero experience in over half the docket and in the juvenile portion he has had no cases for over a decade. His opponent also has a prior criminal conviction. Not the best example for our children. Glenn Devlin is an easy choice and he gets every key endorsement.
County Criminal Court No. 1 Paula Goodhart An exciting candidate, former long-time outstanding prosecutor. She will be a great Judge. She has experience on both sides of the docket, and is respected by all.
County Criminal Court No. 3 Cary Hart
Joseph Licata
Natalie Fleming
Sharolyn Wood
Multiple choices here. TCR will endorse in the runoff. Cary Hart, 11 years Assistant District Attorney and now in private practice; she is well suited to fill the job. Joseph Licata is an experienced and seasoned attorney who is running a strong campaign. With extensive county court experience, he will be ready on day one. Natalie Fleming is a well-liked attorney who has experience as a former district attorney for five years and then as a part-time visiting judge in County Courts. She too has what it takes. Sharolyn Wood, long-time Civil Judge where she was well thought of, lost in the 2008 Democratic tsunami, now wants to be judge of a criminal court. Most of her extensive experience is in the civil area.
County Criminal Court No. 4 John Clinton
or
Janice Law
John Clinton is an intriguing option here and that's why we co-endorse. He has extensive private law practice, experience and insight in criminal cases due to his thirty years as an HPD Detective Sergeant. Janice Law is a former county Criminal Court Judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, and author who wants to serve again. She is well-qualified to do so.
County Criminal Court No. 13 Rachel Ann Palmer Rachel is an experienced prosecutor who has helped lead the District Attorney's Misdemeanor Division. She has the right temperament, attitude and experience to do the job. She has been an activist in the Republican Party and will be an asset to the GOP ticket in November. Don Smyth has spent his career as Assistant in the Harris County DA's office. He is certainly qualified for the job.
County Probate Court No. 1 Loyd Wright Loyd is an estate planning and probate law expert (it's been his practice for 23 years). He also has the diverse education needed, BBA, MBA and JD. He will make a fine addition to our probate bench. He is our choice here.
District Clerk Chris Daniel Chris has done a lot in a short time: Eagle Scout; University of Texas Engineering degree; law degree from South Texas; Community College Board member; delegate to the Republican National Convention; a part of the new generation of Republican activists and candidates. He is our choice to reclaim the District Clerk's office.
County Clerk Stan Stanart
or
Kevin Mauzy
Stan is a long-time (20 years) party leader and an engineer. He has held responsible GOP positions and served as Executive Director of CLOUT. He is the choice of GOP activists. Kevin Mauzy is Chief Assistant to current Clerk Beverly Kaufman and has been with the office for 29 years.
Tax Assessor-Collector Leo Vasquez Incumbent Vasquez has an MBA and strong business background to run the tax assessor's office, while still being an advocate for the taxpayers. He has ably filled the shoes of his predecessor, Paul Bettencourt. He called out Bill White regarding City of Houston overspending and has published his political vision on his website. It is a conservative manifesto for the 21st Century. He is part of the growing number of GOP Hispanic conservative office holders. We need to keep him on the job.
County Commissioner, Precinct 2 Dorothy Olmos Dorothy is the choice here. She is a Republican leader in the Hispanic community and a small business owner. She is a former National Convention Alternate Delegate in 2008 and has served in responsible party positions. She knows her community, is conservative and would make a fine County Commissioner.
Justice Of The Peace, Precinct 5, Place 2 George Huntoon New generation Republican, former Marine, Texas Tech graduate. He is part of the young GOP professional group the R Club and is running an energetic campaign. He is already working with Judge Yeoman and other former JP's to get a handle on the job.
Harris County Republican Party Chairman Jared Woodfill Jared Woodfill is the clear choice here. Jared has shown the vision, accessibility, and devotion to lead the party in 2010. We don't have time for on-the-job training in the critical 2010 election cycle. Jared has the experience and energy to get it done.

For Governor of Texas, TCR's Choice:
Kay Bailey Hutchison

Let's be clear, the next Governor of Texas must be a Republican for a myriad of reasons. In Vol. IX, No. 1 of TCR's e-mail newsletter we outline the five qualities we need for our candidates: ideology, electability, qualifications, a team player and vision. In the Governor's race, your Editor knows all three candidates well and respects all three. Reviewing the choices, TCR believes Kay Bailey Hutchison is the right choice. She is conservative; witness her strong conservative ratings: American Conservative Union 90%, NRA A+ Rating, Americans for Tax Reform 95%, National Right to Life 94%. She is the most electable candidate, which is critical this year, especially in the competitive Harris and Dallas Counties. This fact is confirmed by polls, going back as far as a year ago, KBH is a stronger November candidate than her opponents. KBH is also highly qualified with vast experience, from the state legislature, to her position as State Treasurer and then on to the U.S. Senate. KBH will also help draw independents into the Republican Party, where they will be voting for her and other Republicans in critical down ballot races. Finally, KBH shows vision with a platform that leads the way to lowering taxes, getting our economy going, fixing our broken executive branch, fixing our transportation system, improving education, securing our border, and on and on.

TCR Note: Kay is the strong conservative leader we need in Texas in 2010. And did TCR remind you Kay beats Bill White in November, not just in Texas, but also in Harris County, the key county for Texas Republicans.


TCR on the Air

Red, White & Blue, featuring TCR Editor Gary Polland and liberal commentator David Jones on Houston PBS Channel 8 at HoustonPBS.org. Next week: Democratic Lt Governor candidate Ronnie Earle, Kay Bailey Hutchison and Karl Rove. As a new fun feature, visit Red, White & Blue on the Houston PBS website, where you can see after-show commentary about the show and its guests by Gary and David.

About Your Editor

Gary Polland is a long-time conservative and Republican spokesman, fund-raiser, and leader who completed three terms as the Harris County Republican Chairman. During his three terms, Gary was described as the most successful county Chairman in America by Human Events - The National Conservative Weekly. He is in his thirteenth year of editing a newsletter dealing with key conservative and Republican issues. The last eight years he has edited Texas Conservative Review. Gary is a practicing attorney and strategic consultant. He can be reached at (713) 621-6335.

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