pirate44
06-23-2006, 06:33 AM
Friedman, Strayhorn are in race
Both are on ballot after collecting needed signatures
By KELLEY SHANNON Associated Press
June 23, 2006
AUSTIN - Maverick candidates for governor Kinky Friedman and Carole Keeton Strayhorn got the news they'd been waiting for Thursday - that they each collected enough voter signatures to make the November election ballot.
The announcement by Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams sets up a crowded and historic race for the fall election with the two independents, Republican Gov. Rick Perry and Democrat Chris Bell.
The last independent candidate elected Texas governor was Sam Houston in 1859.
"It's very nice to actually have two of us on here. It's making Texas history," said Friedman, a quirky musician and author who never has held public office. "The Texas revolution, I think, is really rolling. I don't think anybody's going to stop this one."
Strayhorn, the state comptroller who calls herself "one tough grandma," was found to have fewer valid signatures than Friedman, but she again characterized the governor's race as a two-person contest between her and Perry.
"I say let the race begin," she said. "I want to debate Rick Perry anytime, anyplace, anywhere. He's been hiding behind 'if, if, if she's on the ballot.' Let me tell you, Rick Perry, we are on the ballot."
Both Strayhorn and Friedman turned in far more petition names than the 45,540 required by the May 11 deadline.
The signatures had to be from registered Texas voters who did not cast ballots in the Republican or Democratic primaries this spring. Strayhorn submitted about 223,000 signatures, and Friedman submitted about 170,000.
Williams said his agency's preliminary review shows Friedman's petitions contained more valid signatures than Strayhorn's. A total of 137,154 of Friedman's signatures met state requirements, while 108,512 of Strayhorn's did, he said.
Further checks will be made of the signatures deemed invalid, but the totals are not expected to change, according to the agency.
Perry's campaign seized on the Strayhorn signature total, saying the low percentage of signatures deemed valid shows that Texas voters are abandoning her.
"It is obvious that her shrill act is wearing thin with Texans because now even Kinky Friedman has more support than Carole Strayhorn," said Perry spokesman Robert Black.
Bell's campaign offered a similar view.
"She can't win this race, and getting fewer valid signatures than a novelty country singer is just the most recent example of why," said Bell's spokesman, Jason Stanford.
Strayhorn, whose campaign rivals Perry's with the most money to spend, said her political staff verified that 183,439 of her total signatures were valid under state law.
"The secretary of state can play any game he wants to play. It doesn't matter. We are on the ballot. We have the broad-based support of the people of Texas," she said.
Strayhorn wants to list her nickname on the Nov. 7 ballot as "Grandma," but state election officials haven't ruled yet on whether she can.
The Texas Secretary of State's Office, after the petition names were entered into an electronic database by a private firm, cross-checked to make sure none of the signatures were on both petitions. The names also were checked against voter registration rolls and the names of party primary voters.
Earlier this year, Strayhorn sued the secretary of state claiming that his plan for examining the signatures individually was discriminatory. Strayhorn's campaign wanted state election officials to do a faster statistical sampling of signatures, in which only a portion of the total names would have to be scrutinized.
But federal Judge Lee Yeakel rejected that request and said the state's method for examining the petitions was reasonable and not discriminatory.
"Our method of verifying every signature is the most accurate, has been upheld by the courts and was done faster than in years past," Williams said in a written statement.
All along, Strayhorn's campaign criticized Williams, who was appointed secretary of state by Perry, saying he was showing political favoritism toward the governor and that he should be replaced. Williams kept contending he was treating all candidates equally.
Libertarian James Werner also is running for governor.
Also on Thursday, Williams notified five lesser-known independent candidates in other races that they didn't make the ballot. One was former Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman, who was trying to run as an independent in the suburban Houston congressional race to replace former Republican U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay.
Williams also told the Green Party it failed to win ballot access because of too few voter signatures.
Both are on ballot after collecting needed signatures
By KELLEY SHANNON Associated Press
June 23, 2006
AUSTIN - Maverick candidates for governor Kinky Friedman and Carole Keeton Strayhorn got the news they'd been waiting for Thursday - that they each collected enough voter signatures to make the November election ballot.
The announcement by Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams sets up a crowded and historic race for the fall election with the two independents, Republican Gov. Rick Perry and Democrat Chris Bell.
The last independent candidate elected Texas governor was Sam Houston in 1859.
"It's very nice to actually have two of us on here. It's making Texas history," said Friedman, a quirky musician and author who never has held public office. "The Texas revolution, I think, is really rolling. I don't think anybody's going to stop this one."
Strayhorn, the state comptroller who calls herself "one tough grandma," was found to have fewer valid signatures than Friedman, but she again characterized the governor's race as a two-person contest between her and Perry.
"I say let the race begin," she said. "I want to debate Rick Perry anytime, anyplace, anywhere. He's been hiding behind 'if, if, if she's on the ballot.' Let me tell you, Rick Perry, we are on the ballot."
Both Strayhorn and Friedman turned in far more petition names than the 45,540 required by the May 11 deadline.
The signatures had to be from registered Texas voters who did not cast ballots in the Republican or Democratic primaries this spring. Strayhorn submitted about 223,000 signatures, and Friedman submitted about 170,000.
Williams said his agency's preliminary review shows Friedman's petitions contained more valid signatures than Strayhorn's. A total of 137,154 of Friedman's signatures met state requirements, while 108,512 of Strayhorn's did, he said.
Further checks will be made of the signatures deemed invalid, but the totals are not expected to change, according to the agency.
Perry's campaign seized on the Strayhorn signature total, saying the low percentage of signatures deemed valid shows that Texas voters are abandoning her.
"It is obvious that her shrill act is wearing thin with Texans because now even Kinky Friedman has more support than Carole Strayhorn," said Perry spokesman Robert Black.
Bell's campaign offered a similar view.
"She can't win this race, and getting fewer valid signatures than a novelty country singer is just the most recent example of why," said Bell's spokesman, Jason Stanford.
Strayhorn, whose campaign rivals Perry's with the most money to spend, said her political staff verified that 183,439 of her total signatures were valid under state law.
"The secretary of state can play any game he wants to play. It doesn't matter. We are on the ballot. We have the broad-based support of the people of Texas," she said.
Strayhorn wants to list her nickname on the Nov. 7 ballot as "Grandma," but state election officials haven't ruled yet on whether she can.
The Texas Secretary of State's Office, after the petition names were entered into an electronic database by a private firm, cross-checked to make sure none of the signatures were on both petitions. The names also were checked against voter registration rolls and the names of party primary voters.
Earlier this year, Strayhorn sued the secretary of state claiming that his plan for examining the signatures individually was discriminatory. Strayhorn's campaign wanted state election officials to do a faster statistical sampling of signatures, in which only a portion of the total names would have to be scrutinized.
But federal Judge Lee Yeakel rejected that request and said the state's method for examining the petitions was reasonable and not discriminatory.
"Our method of verifying every signature is the most accurate, has been upheld by the courts and was done faster than in years past," Williams said in a written statement.
All along, Strayhorn's campaign criticized Williams, who was appointed secretary of state by Perry, saying he was showing political favoritism toward the governor and that he should be replaced. Williams kept contending he was treating all candidates equally.
Libertarian James Werner also is running for governor.
Also on Thursday, Williams notified five lesser-known independent candidates in other races that they didn't make the ballot. One was former Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman, who was trying to run as an independent in the suburban Houston congressional race to replace former Republican U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay.
Williams also told the Green Party it failed to win ballot access because of too few voter signatures.