Craddick appoints panel to investigate contested elections

[WestHoustonDem]

Craddick appoints panel to investigate contested elections

http://www.kvue.com/news/local/stories/120604kvueElection-eh.175f828e.html (registration required)

06:22 PM CST on Monday, December 6, 2004

Associated Press

A nine-member panel of Republicans and Democrats has been appointed today to review three contested Texas House races.

The Select Committee on Election Contests will investigate three November second elections that resulted in wins for Democrats.

-- Houston Democrat Hubert Vo appeared to beat veteran GOP Representative Talmadge Heflin of Houston by 33 votes. Heflin is contesting the results.

-- Republican Representative Jack Stick is contesting his loss to Austin Democrat Mark Strama by 569 votes.

-- Another challenge comes from Eric Opiela, who's a defeated Republican legislative candidate from Karnes City.

Democrat Yvonne Gonzalez-Toureilles of Alice beat Opiela by 835 votes.

The House can either declare a winner in the elections or declare the election void and order a new one -- which is rare.

Here are the members:

-- Republican Speaker Tom Craddick named Republican Terry Keel of Austin as chairman, with Democrat Craig Eiland of Galveston serving as vice chairman.

Other members are Republicans Mary Denny of Aubrey, Suzanna Gratia Hupp of Lampasas, Phil King of Weatherford and Larry Phillips of Sherman, and Democrats Helen Giddings of Dallas, Ryan Guillen of Rio Grande City and Alan Ritter of Nederland.

[Merlot]

1. Democrats demand recounts in close election...

repubs appoint a pannel which can "either declare a winner, or declare the election void..."

[Justitia]

2. What an absolute crock of bullshit!

So, they are contesting those elections that ousted Repubs in favor of Dems?
And now the Speaker appoints a panel to investigate?
I bet 10 to 1 those bastards in Austin overturn the Dem victories, JUST BECAUSE THEY CAN.

[sonias]

3. The most partisan repukes in the House

Phil King was on the re-districting committee and was responsible for drawing those maps with Tom DeLay's goons. Yeah I'm sure he's going to be fair. Terry Keel is Jack Stick's best friend in the House supposedly. Sure I'm going to believe that he's not going to put the fix in for Stick.

Other than Helen Giddings of Dallas I'm not familiar with the Dems on the panel. Anyone know anything about how hard they will fight for us? Are some of these DINOs?

Sonia

[NoPasaran]

4. Let the Repukes know we will not stand for this

AN URGENT MESSAGE FROM TCDP CHAIR CHRIS ELLIOTT

As you should know by now, three Republican candidates for state representative that lost to Democrats in the most recent election have filed election contests, hoping that the Republican controlled House of Representatives will override the decision of the voters in those three districts. One of those challenges is in our own backyard and was filed by none other than Rep. Jack Stick. Even more disturbing is the fact that the member of the House of Representatives that Speaker Tom Craddick has appointed to head up the committee that will hear the election contests is none other than local Republican State Representative Terry Keel, one of Jack Stick's best friends in the Legislature.

I am asking all Democrats in Travis County, and all citizens in Travis County that care about democracy, to speak up on this subject. The Republicans need to know that we are watching and that we will not stand for partisan political powerplays overturning the will of voters. So I am asking each and every person that receives this email to write a letter to the editor of the Austin American Statesman expressing your concern over this issue. I am asking each and every one of you to write Rep. Terry Keel and explain to him that we are watching and that we will not stand for the will of voters being overturned by partisans in the Legislature, not only with respect to the Mark Strama/Jack Stick race, but with respect to the other two races as well. The other races that are being challenged by the Republican candidates are Talmadge Heflin (R) v. Hubert Vo (D) in Houston and Eric Opiela (R) v. Yvonne Toureilles (D) in South Texas.

It is important to note that Yvonne Toureilles won her race by more than 800 votes and that Jack Stick lost by 569 votes and his election challenge petition did not state a single valid ground for a challenge. In fact, he admits in his petition that he does not have any information leading him to suspect that there were any voting irregularities. It is abundantly clear that these losing Republican candidates simply want their Republican brethren in the Legislature to reverse their losses at the polls. There is no other logical conclusion.

It is easy to submit a letter to the editor. Go to [e-mail] and send a letter by email. You will need to give your name and address and a daytime phone number. You will receive an acknowledgment that the letter has been received and if they decide to publish it, you will likely receive an additional email cofirming that they are considering publishing. As for Rep. Terry Keel, you can either email him at [e-mail] or you can send a letter to the following address:

Rep. Terry Keel
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, Texas 78768-2910

I cannot stress how important this is. I hope each and every one of you will write letters and will forward this to others that you think would be so inclined. Our voices must be heard loud and clear on this subject. This is one of the greatest threats to our democracy that this state has seen in many years. We cannot sit idly by and have election results overturned on the basis of raw partisanship. Please act now.

Thank you.

Chris Elliott
Travis County Democratic Party Chair

I suggest that DUers in other parts of the state write letters to their local papers and legislators as well.

[sonias]

6. Everyone should write to Keel as well

No matter what part of the state you live in. Keel is the king pin on this one, and he has got to know we are watching. Write him a snail mail letter not just e-mail. Let's overwhelm his office with letters.

http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist47/keel.htm
Capitol Office
Room EXT E2.212
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768
[phone]
[phone] Fax

Sonia

[GOPisEvil]

5. Craddick should have told these sore losers to stop wasting time!

Toureilles and Stick don't even have any evidence of ANYTHING, except that they got their butts whipped legally. They just want their buddies to save their asses.

So, instead of doing the business of the people, these assholes are going to waste time - AGAIN!