(Carole Keeton McClellen Rylander Your Ad Here) Strayhorn announces candidacy for (TX) governor

Houston Chronicle ^ | 6/18/05 | R.G. RATCLIFFE

[Diddle E. Squat]

AUSTIN — With the Capitol as a backdrop and a scorching sun beating down, Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn turned the political heat up on Gov. Rick Perry today, formally announcing as a challenger to his re-election.

Strayhorn, saying she will run against Perry in next year's Republican primary, wasted no time in attacking her new opponent.

"You know that Texans cannot afford another four years of a governor who promises tax relief and delivers nothing," she said.

"Now is time to replace this do-nothing drugstore cowboy with one tough grandma," Strayhorn told a cheering crowd.

Strayhorn specifically criticized Perry for his decision today to veto the state's $35 billion education budget and call a new special session without having a plan on how to overhaul public school finance.

"A leader does not call a fifth special session — costing taxpayers another $1.5 million dollars — when he does not have a plan," she said. "A leader does not hold our children's education hostage and certainly would never even allow a discussion about schools not opening on time."

Strayhorn offered two specific suggestions on what she would do as governor. One is to pass her proposed program to pay for two years of college for every high school graduate. And the other is to legalize video lottery terminals with the revenue going to pay for a teacher pay raise.

Strayhorn has been able to brag in her statewide elections in 1996 and 2002 that she was the top vote-getter among Republican candidates in the general election.

But both times Strayhorn has been on the Republican primary ballot at the same time as the governor, Perry has received more of the primary vote. When she was running for re-election in 2002 and Perry was seeking election as governor, Perry received 80,000 more GOP primary votes than Strayhorn.

The GOP primary race was clarified on Friday when U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison announced she would seek re-election rather than join the contest to unseat Perry.

Strayhorn, 65, has a political career that has grown from local Travis County politics to statewide office.

The daughter of University of Texas law school Dean Page Keeton, she grew up in a world of politics and powerful people.

Strayhorn was the first woman president of the Austin School Board. She also was the first woman mayor of Austin, serving from 1977 to 1983.

Like Perry, Strayhorn was once a Democrat. She was the state co-chair of Democrat Walter Mondale's unsuccessful challenge to President Reagan's re-election.

Democratic Gov. Mark White appointed Strayhorn as a member of the State Board of Insurance in 1983, and while serving there she switched to the Republican Party.

In 1986, Strayhorn ran an unsuccessful challenge to incumbent U.S. Rep. J.J. "Jake" Pickle, D-Austin.

Strayhorn also lost a 1992 GOP primary for Texas Railroad Commission. Two years later she won election to the office and was re-elected in 1996.

Strayhorn won her current position as comptroller in 1998 and was re-elected in 2002. The job is that of state tax collector and revenue estimator.

Strayhorn has been married three times and has been known politically as McClellan, Rylander and Strayhorn. Her current husband, Ed, runs a company that builds tennis courts.

She has four sons, two of whom work in the Bush presidential administration. Dr. Mark McClellan is the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Scott McClellan is President Bush's press secretary. Sons Brad and Dudley McClellan are both lawyers.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Former Democrat mayor of Austin, abrasive, opportunist RINO, starts off her campaign by promising gov't handouts. Finger to the wind politician who specializes in criticizing the GOP to gain media attention, aka Carole Keeton McClellen Rylander Strayhorn Chafee Hagel DeWine McCain....

Can't wait to vote against her in the primary.

[Jarhead1957]

Three choices this year in Texas:

Big Mouth

Spineless Jellyfish

Kinky Friedman

[DrewsDad]

Mr. Perry would more easily handle a challenge from Republican Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, defeating her 68 percent to 17 percent in a hypothetical election matchup, according to the poll.

This was from a 12/03 thread.

CK Whatever isn't going to win too much GOP support attacking the redistricting sessions. Someone should ask her if she would have backed down to the runaway democrat tactics.

[sinclair]

Wish I could move back to Texas just for a chance to vote for someone named "Kinky". 

just kidding

[ArmyBratproud]

She's gonna get smoked. The only folks that will vote for here are closet dems and people who are so stupid that they would vote for that idiot Kinky.

[ArmyBratproud]

Rylander can't gripe about the budget. Her key job is to help address those issues. Including School Finance.

It was up to her office to help come up with plans. She didn't have any. All she would do was be critical of every plan....so she could get media attention and run for gov.

HOW LONG DOES THAT DUMPY WENCH THINK SHE CAN KEEP PUSHING THAT "TOUGH TALKIN' GRANDMA" LINE????????

That is all Rylander is.....talk. Perry got us a start to tort reform (worked his tail off for it)......made Texas #1 on business lists. And has cut wastefull agencies.

Rylander will only get the vote of ambulance chasers.

[ArmyBratproud]

Let's see....

Long Time Democrap

Current RINO

Does more to help Dems.

Daughter of a dean of ambulance chasers.

Spoke against tort reform.

AND IT SEEMS NOBODY CAN STAND TO BE MARRIED TO HER!

I'd say she is just running to help democraps.

She knows she won't win the primary.....she just wants to help waste funds......and give her true partners...DEMOCRAPS...a helping boost.

[deport]

From the American Statesman... It may turn into an interesting primary.

As expected, Strayhorn announces for governor

Comptroller vows to topple 'do nothin' drugstore cowboy'

By W. Gardner Selby
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Saturday, June 18, 2005

Carole Keeton Strayhorn withstood mid-day heat today to declare her candidacy for governor, promising a white-hot campaign against Gov. Rick Perry leading to the March 7 Republican primary.

With the north entrance of the Capitol as a backdrop, Strayhorn spoke from a platform placed on Congress Avenue, saying: "Now is the time to replace this do nothin' drugstore cowboy with one tough grandma.

Harry Cabluck/ASSOCIATED PRESS

(enlarge photo)

Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn announces that she will seek the Republican nomination for Texas governor during a political rally outside the Capitol on Saturday.

 MORE ON THIS STORY

 

• Complete Legislature coverage

"Rick Perry has promised any challenger in his own words, and I quote, 'A bloody brutal campaign.' If that is the campaign he promises to wage, bring it on."

The second-term state comptroller, joined by her husband, Eddie, and family members, confirmed expectations with her declaration in front of some 500 cheering supporters. It came 18 hours after U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison released a statement revealing her intentions to seek re-election to the Senate rather than attempt a run for governor.

Strayhorn, 65, used her early political career in Austin — she was mayor and school board president — to climb to statewide office. Her political career has dipped and turned since she left the Texas Democratic Party to become a Republican in time to lose a U.S. House bid to Rep. J.J. "Jake" Pickle of Austin in 1986. The crowd observed a moment of silence as Pickle's death earlier today was announced.

Strayhorn subsequently lost to Barry Williamson, then of Dallas, in the 1992 GOP primary for the Texas Railroad Commission.

But the one-time schoolteacher whose father, Page Keeton, was the celebrated dean of the University of Texas School of Law, bounced back.

In 1998, the year Republicans took hold of all 29 statewide elected positions, Strayhorn narrowly bested Democratic nominee Paul Hobby of Houston to become comptroller. In her re-election bid four years later, she out-drew every other statewide candidate, winning 2.9 million votes to swamp Democratic challenger Marty Akins of Marble Falls.

If elected, Strayhorn would become the third woman to become governor. Miriam "Ma" Ferguson won two-year terms in 1924 and 1932, and Ann Richards, the former Travis County commissioner and state treasurer, served one term before losing re-election to George W. Bush in 1994.

Strayhorn will be trying to deny Perry a record 10 years as governor.

Perry had scheduled a press conference shortly before Strayhorn's, where he announced he was vetoing the public school finance budget and calling the Legislature back for a special session to address the issue. Asked about Strayhorn before her announcement, Perry said, "politics is just white noise in the background" of his call for a special session.

[Jedidah]

It is tempting, isn't it? ;-D

[COEXERJ145]

Perry might isn't perfect but he isn't a "spineless jellyfish" either. Tort reform and congressional redistricting are just two issues that come to mind where he stood up to the Dems and forced the issue to a good conclusion.

[Liberty Valance]

Carole Keeton Landrover

Governor "good hair" Perry

Richard "Kinky" Friedman

hmmmmmmm

[Dog Gone]

I will do everything I can to make sure this grandma goes home.

[MeekOneGOP]

Take a hike, Stray-Beech!!

[MeekOneGOP]

Strayhorn announces candidacy for Governor (TX)

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Full Texas Ping List

[deport]

I will do everything I can to make sure this grandma goes home.

---

I assume she want have far to travel as my guess is she lives in the Austin area....

I can't see her defeating Perry especially now that he has vetoed the School funding and called the legislature back into session to do something about it. Not much more he can do about it other than use the bully pulpit to publicize the legislature's actions or lack thereof.

[SwatTeam]

I will do everything I can to make sure this grandma goes home.

Me too

[TADSLOS]

Warmed up Ann Richards leftovers

[Flyer]

Sigh. . . everyone forgets about John Worldpeace.

http://www.johnworldpeaceforgovernoroftexas.com/


But maybe it's on purpose.

[bayourod]

Does anyone know her spokesman Mark Sanders? Was he on the SREC in the 1980s?

[deport]

Not a lot of help but from Strayhorn's web site release when she hired him.....

Sanders began his career with the Houston Post. He has worked for the Republican Party of Texas, Kent Hance, President George H. W. Bush, Rob Mosbacher, Jr., the 1996 GOP National Convention, Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions, three years as Special Assistant for Communications for Comptroller Strayhorn, and gubernatorial nominee Tony Sanchez.

[Tall_Texan]

Like Perry, Strayhorn was once a Democrat. She was the state co-chair of Democrat Walter Mondale's unsuccessful challenge to President Reagan's re-election.

Behold, Texas' own Judas McCain.

[tarawa]

I was hoping Kay Bailey was going to run, then we might have gotten someone a bit more effective into that Senate seat. Honestly right now, there's not a candidate for Gov that I can truly throw my support behind. I'm sure I'll support one or the other, but I'll be wishing someone competent would bother to run.

[Bigun]

I will do everything I can to make sure this grandma goes home.

And I will happily join you in that effort!

[Ditter]

>........ "I wish I could vote for someone named Kinky">>>>

You could satisfy that craving by buying one of his albums. If he sold more albums maybe he wouldn't need to look for a job as gov. He is too old for manual labor and he is too ugly to find a rich wife so he is trying politics. God help us!

[El Gato]

Behold, Texas' own Judas McCain.

Maybe, but Perry was once a Democrat too.

You can't hold that too much against either one of them. At the time, the winner of the Democratic primary was almost always the winner of the General election. She could just be one more southern Democrat who the party left behind when it turned hard, hard left.

Anybody know her position on gun rights? Perry just today signed a bunch of pro gun owner bills. Including one that will in effect allow all Texans, not just CHL holders, to have a loaded handgun in their car or other vehicle. You still have to be "traveling", but "traveling is now defined as "being in a privately owned vehicle", and not otherwise being ineligible and not committing a crime, other than a traffic violation. Previously it was up to the judge to define "traveling", and the "rule of thumb" about that progressed from "a journey crossing at least two county lines" to "a journey including an overnight stay" since '77 when I moved to Texas.

[writmeister]

Governor Perry should not harp too much on Strayhorn being an ex-Dem considering he did not switch parties until 1989 and he was the co-chair of Al Gore 1988 primary campaign.

He instead should point (1) how in her consistent criticism of him, she is often inconsistent; and (2) how she is continually office-hopping. Plus, I think Texas GOPers are "tough grandma"ed out.

[El Gato]

It was up to her office to help come up with plans.

No it wasn't. It was to tell the legislature and governor how much money they had to "play" with. That includes forecasting the effect of various tax schemes.

[El Gato]

Carole Keeton McClellen Rylander Strayhorn

President Bush's spokesman, Scot McClellen is her son. If the President and Senator Hutchinson weigh in on her side, she could win. Don't think both of those are likely though. I think the President will stay out of it.

OTOH, Perry has made a shambles of Governor Bush's education reforms, even before the Courts through out "Robin Hood". He's also PO'd several major constituencies that supported Bush.

[Tall_Texan]

I can hold being a Dem against her. She was Mayor when I was living in Austin. I think she's more of an opportunist than an ideologue. She strikes me as Zsa Zsa Huffington with a twang instead of an accent.

[bstein80]

Who are the Libertarians fielding in this election?

I'd vote for Leslie the transvestite before either Perry or Strayhorn.

[writmeister]

LOL!!!

You are absolutely right that Strayhorn is an opportunist. I just think, given Governor Perry's former Dem status, that is not the best way to show her opportunism.

[graycamel]

Strayhorn? Sounds like a breed of cow.

[barkeep]

I really ought to give up predicting, this mess has surprised me a couple of times already. I think I am safe on this one; no way does Bush jump in the primary race. Hutchison caught me looking. She had hired the likes of Terry Sullivan and former RPOT executive director Chad Wilbanks, just the sort of hired guns one wants for a "brutal" campaign. Then we have public criticism of Perry, all pointed to a challenge. Reelection to the Senate she can get in her sleep, why the heavy hitters?

Perry must think he has some sort of ace in the hole to call the session with no hint of a compromise between Craddick and Dewhurst. A lot will depend on whether he actually accomplishes anything beyond disrupting legislators' vacation plans to no good end.

Texas has survived worse governors than Kinky Friedman.

[harpu]

NOW - she needs to resign from her elected office and make her run for Governor...but she won't because her way lets her get paid by us Texans while she divides the administration with on-going attacks on Perry.

I for one, will be writing to every Texas newspaper 'letter's to the editor' board (and to my State Rep and State Senator) calling for her to step down during her run for Governor.

[sinclair]

"He is too old for manual labor and he is too ugly to find a rich wife..."

Just like me. Birds of a feather and all that.

[hadaclueonce]

I will vote for any Republican that is not an idiot. Guess that excludes Perry.

[Jarhead1957]

Yeah, and we are not going to have a special session after Perry said he would not call one.

[ArmyBratproud]

her job is to help advise with planning as well.

SHE HAS EVEN BRAGGED ABOUT HAVING THAT JOB.

[ArmyBratproud]

OK folks. Start digging to see what is behind what I heard on the radio today. Guessing that some web places might have a list of donors...but not sure about fundraisers/underwriters.

Just heard something on the radio...and heard the same from a political friend in Austin when I called to make sure I was not hearing things.

Word floating around is that Rylander/strayhorn/etc. Has an interesting donor/pal that helps raise money for her. At a large level.

Ben Barnes. (Big time lib...who was one of the bogus sources for Dan Rather's bogus National Guard/Bush hit piece) He was also part of the Sharpstown Bank Scandal.

[Dan from Michigan]

John Worldpeace.

Is that his actual name????

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[Flyer]

Is that his actual name????

Yep. All legal, done in the courts and everything.

[oldtimer]

Years ago I voted in the rat primary because there was no reason to vote in the Republican primary.

I voted against the rat that I hated the most which was usually pretty easy.

The rat driven Universities might send out a bunch of kids to vote for Strayhorn, and other rats will cross, along with some rinos, but Perry will win.

[outlawcam]

Perry might isn't perfect but he isn't a "spineless jellyfish" either. Tort reform and congressional redistricting are just two issues that come to mind where he stood up to the Dems and forced the issue to a good conclusion.

I'm not so certain I'd call what Perry did "standing up." He pays lip service now and again, but where something requires bite, Perry is stark raving tame.

What bothers me right now is Perry's "solution" to the "problem" of public school financing. In his commercial airing on AM 570 KLIF, he brags that he's going to be spending so much more money on public schools, and that he'd make businesses pay "their fair share" of the tax burden, as if he didn't know that businesses pay no tax that they don't pass on to the consumer. So the property tax burden would be reduced. The overall tax liability is not; it just gets hidden, so you really don't know how much you're actually paying. Throwing money at the schools is not going to improve them, and I resent being spoken to as if he expects me to believe it would.

At least Strayhorn has come out in favor of opening up the school system to competition (which I interpreted as "vouchers" or something like it). I'm afraid I don't know much more than that about her, other than that and what I've read in this article.