Posted on 01/02/2002 4:21:58 PM PST by Dan from Michigan
Former Texas attorney general, Dan Morales, makes surprise entry into governor's race
The Associated Press
1/2/02 7:56 PM
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- A former state attorney general made a surprise jump into the race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination Wednesday, the final filing day for 2002 elections.
Dan Morales, who had repeatedly said he was considering a bid for U.S. Senate, sent in his candidacy for governor less than an hour before the deadline.
Morales faces Laredo businessman Tony Sanchez, a multimillionaire who had been considered the party's front-runner, and two others in the Democratic primary on March 12.
Sanchez did not know Morales was going to run for governor, said campaign spokeswoman Michelle Kucera.
"This doesn't change the course of the campaign at all," she said. "We're looking forward to a lively and spirited debate."
Republican Gov. Rick Perry did not draw a GOP primary challenger.
They'll bloody each other up... and in keeping with Hispanic tribal politics, one "tribe" will be sufficiently alienated to sit out the race. Either that, or Morales wants to be bribed by this millionaire to drop out of the race.
At first blush, this might increase the primary turnout of hispanics voting for governor, resulting in more hispanic voters in the November election.
But realistically, neither will draw a majority against Perry in the November election. Both of these Democrat candidates have strong scents of scandal in their background and Texas is not a majority hispanic state. Perry is a lock for re-election.
Morales running for governor
American-Statesman Staff
Thursday, January 3, 2002
Former Texas Attorney General Dan Morales, who had announced plans to run for the U.S. Senate, stunned Democratic Party officials today by filing instead for governor.
Morales sent someone to file paperwork at Democratic Party headquarters less than an hour before the 6 p.m. filing deadline. He could not be reached for comment.
Morales will face Laredo businessman Tony Sanchez, who had been the party front-runner, Waxahachie businessman Bill Lyon and Houston lawyer John WorldPeace.
"I'd heard that rumor, but it surprises me," said Molly Beth Malcolm, executive director of the Democratic Party.
She predicted that there would be a lively primary contest in both the governor's race and the U.S. Senate but the Democrats would unite after March 12.
"It's all in the family. Once it's over, we'll give the Republicans the boot."
The trial lawyers that Morales is in bed with must've figured he could do them more good as governor than as Senator.
Though it is kinda academic. Morales has as much chance of winning either office as Lubbock has of hosting the Winter Olympics...
I LOVE watching Dimocrats here in Texas these days!
This means that Ron Kirk, former mayor Dallas, might have a better chance, though only minimally.
As your article from Bud Kennedy pointed out yesterday, the Democrat Party is virtually dead at the state level in Texas.
Cornyn will the next Senator, and Perry will be re-elected governor in a walk.
Bye bye to my banana trees....
Bye bye to my banana trees....
Think positive. Imagine what it will do for your mosquitos...
April 20, 2001, 7:45PM
Gov. Sanchez or Clayton Williams II?
By CLAY ROBISON
AUSTIN -- One of the great things, supposedly, about our system of government is that just about anybody who is old enough and meets certain other minimal requirements can run for governor.
One reality, however, is that anybody with a ghost of a chance of actually getting elected governor has to be wealthy or able to raise a lot of money.
Another reality is that he or she doesn't have to have a clue about how to govern.
The two realities sometimes collide to produce some highly entertaining moments and near-disasters in gubernatorial politics. And some people are beginning to wonder if Texas Democrats are setting themselves up for an electoral disaster that may rival the Clayton Williams fiasco.
Williams, you may recall, was a multimillionaire West Texas businessman who dug deep into his own pockets to swamp three opponents for the 1990 Republican gubernatorial nomination. With an effective television ad campaign that showed him riding horseback in cowboy duds across his ranch, Williams created an image of an independent, successful businessman who would mount a no-nonsense attack on statehouse problems.
But he self-destructed under increasing media attention after the primary, when it became obvious that he knew little about state government and was too rough around the edges for most Texans' tastes. Consequently, he lost the general election to Democrat Ann Richards.
In 1994, Texas Republicans nominated another gubernatorial candidate with no experience in state government, and he not only unseated Richards but, six years later, also was elected president of the United States.
But unlike Williams, George W. Bush had a politically popular family name and the discipline to curry friendships and seek help from more seasoned hands, Democrats and Republicans alike.
Now, some Texas Democrats, desperate to reclaim the governor's office, are turning to still another rich guy with a short political resume to rescue them from their electoral doldrums.
Their would-be savior, Laredo businessman A.R. "Tony" Sanchez Jr., is being wooed by, among others, John Sharp, who narrowly lost a race for lieutenant governor in 1998 and wants to run again. The idea is to have a gubernatorial candidate who can largely fund his own race and is also Hispanic, thus presumably being able to turn out large numbers of Hispanic voters for the entire Democratic ticket.
If he does run, Sanchez may have what it takes to lead Texas Democrats back to statewide competitiveness and lead state government as well.
But he still has a lot to prove, beginning with his party loyalty.
Sanchez joined the Young Democrats in 1968 and during that same era worked as an aide to Democratic Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes.
But, more recently, he has been better known as a major backer of the country's most prominent Republican. Personally or through his businesses, he gave more than $350,000 to the National Republican Party and to Bush's successful races for governor and president.
Sanchez' business dealings also invite scrutiny. He once owned a savings and loan, for example, that was used for laundering almost $13 million by Mexican drug dealers.
Sanchez also has to demonstrate that he can run a competent campaign. Without even announcing for governor yet, he already has committed a major political blunder by allowing his lawyer to sic private investigators on Secretary of State Henry Cuellar, a Democratic appointee of Republican Gov. Rick Perry.
While investigating an anonymous, threatening letter to Sanchez, which Cuellar denied sending, the detectives told Cuellar's friends that they believed the secretary of state is gay, a claim that Cuellar also denies.
After the investigators' tactics blew up in his face, Sanchez apologized to Cuellar, but the incident has left the would-be governor open to charges of under-handed tactics and raised questions about his leadership capabilities.
It also makes hypocrites of Democratic gay and lesbian activists who mostly looked the other way.
Sanchez still has time to turn things around, but he already is the butt of the first joke of the 2002 campaign season.
"What's Spanish for Clayton Williams?" some amused observers have begun to ask.
The punch line? "Tony Sanchez."
The punch line? "Tony Sanchez."
So, instead, we now have "What's Spanish for Bill Clinton?"
The punch line? "Dan Morales".
Morales married a stripper from Abilene after knowing her for TEN DAYS. He's also up to his neck in trying to shakedown attorneys who argued the tobacco settlement in Texas.
Sanchez is gaffe-prone and scandal-ridden.
The Republicans' secret weapon, however, is Molly Beth Malcolm, head of the Dems in Texas.
While not wholly unattractive, she's got a mouth like a running toilet and gives dumb blondes a bad name.
Heading the Democrat Party in Texas is a suicide mission.
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