Endorsement watch: Cohen, Ortiz, Garcia

Another day, another big endorsement for Ellen Cohen, as the Houston Police Officers Union (HPOU) gives her the nod. From the press release (Word doc):

"I am humbled and honored to receive the support of the men and women who help keep our streets safe," Cohen said. "I have been proud to work with the Houston Police Department as President and CEO of the Houston Area Women's Center, and I look forward to being an advocate for them in the Texas Legislature."

HPOU President Hans Marticiuc said of Cohen, "Ellen knows what it takes to bring people together. I know that she will represent the residents of District 134 as a consensus builder, and we look forward to seeing her serve in the Texas Legislature."

As President & CEO of the Houston Area Women's Center, Cohen as been a leader in the prevention of sexual and domestic violence in the Houston area. A $5.5 million organization with over 120 staff, HAWC has been honored as one of the most efficient and well run non-profit organizations in the country by the Houston Chronicle.

"A number of politicians like to talk about public safety, but very few have experience in working with law enforcement. Ellen has experience in working with HPD on the issues of sexual and domestic violence, and we look forward to working with her in Austin," Marticiuc said.

The Houston Police Officers' Union endorsement adds to a growing list for the Cohen Campaign, including the Houston Chronicle, the Houston Federation of Teachers, the Sierra Club, and the Houston GLBT Political Caucus.

Excellent. The one thing I'm not sure about is what the HPOU's endorsement history is. I've got a call in to find out who (or if) they've endorsed in HD134 in the past. I'll update this post when I hear back.

UPDATE: I have spoken to Mark Clark of HPOU. He informed me that they endorsed Wong in 2004 (they had endosed Debra Danburg in 2002; he said they generally favor incumbents). He told me that a number of their board members knew Cohen well from her time with the HAWC, and they called in to stump for her. There were no such calls in support of Wong. He also alluded to a perception that HPOU members got of antagonism in Wong's manner and tone when dealing with them. He said they couldn't put their finger on what it was exactly, but the feeling was common inside HPOU.

Meanwhile, via South Texas Chisme, Democrats Solomon Ortiz, Jr, and Juan Garcia picked up the nod from the Corpus Christi Caller Times.

[It's not an easy call] in District 33, where voters face a tough choice between Solomon Ortiz Jr., a Democrat, son of the congressman, and Joe McComb, a Republican. McComb is a former member of the Corpus Christi City Council and Nueces County Commissioners Court. He has a long record of involvement in community projects, including his "Operation Paintbrush."

Both have obvious strengths. McComb is committed to the progress of the area. Ortiz is knowledgeable about local issues and has shown leadership skills as chairman of the Nueces County Democratic Party. A key question is which candidate has the greatest potential to grow in office.

The Editorial Board recommends the election of Solomon Ortiz Jr. He is young and enthusiastic. He understands the key issues for this district are education, health care and economic development. He understands that when state funds have been ladled out, this area has been left with table scraps.

Voters should also vote for Ortiz in the special election to fill the two months remaining of Luna's unexpired term. With the Legislature not in session until January, this special election is a useless exercise, but it would not serve the district's interests to elect one interim representative to serve in name only for two months.

Voters also have a tough call in District 32, which in this election may be the best show in town. The incumbent Republican, Gene Seaman, has five terms in office. He has fought to pass a career technology bill, an issue he's passionate about, but the one time it passed it was vetoed. Despite the fact that his party has been in power, he has not been close to the leadership. No one questions his commitment, but questions can be raised about his effectiveness.

The Editorial Board believes a change is needed. Juan M. Garcia III, the Democratic challenger, is a former Naval aviator and a former White House Fellow, a program that provided him with the same leadership training once afforded Henry Cisneros and Colin Powell. Garcia knows the issues and district needs. A third candidate, Lenard Nelson, a Libertarian, is also in this race.

One factor weighs heavily in Garcia's favor. He is earnest about changing the way the House records votes. While Seaman says he supports recording all votes, he gives excuses for why it would be impractical. Yet 40 other state legislatures have no trouble recording all legislative votes. The attitude that the Texas House belongs to its members, rather than its citizens, must be changed. New leaders like Juan M. Garcia will help to bring that about.

Juan Garcia, I think you know about. I (and Muse) had the pleasure of meeting Ortiz last night, as he was in town for a fundraiser hosted by Reps. Ana Hernandez and Jessica Farrar. I was impressed - he was sharp, funny, and knowledgeable. He'd be a nice step up from Craddick-crat Vilma Luna, that's for sure. He has to overcome some lingering resentment from replacement wannabee Danny Noyola, who's running in the pointless special election, but anyone who can charm Paul Burka like that has got it going on. More about HD33 is here.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on October 19, 2006 to Election 2006 | TrackBack