The Texas Progressive Alliance has named Carolyn Boyle and Texas Parent PAC its "Texan of the Year" for 2006.
Which is to say we got smart this time and picked someone who couldn't get Leiningered in the next primary. Of course, given the thrashing that Boyle and ParentPAC handed out to Leininger candidates this year, perhaps we need't have worried. Their impact on the political landscape in 2006 was huge and positive. They focused on public education, and helped to rid the Lege of some of its biggest enemies while greatly increasing the ranks of its friends. And they did it in a truly bipartisan manner, something that is a lot easier to talk about than to actually do.
How much impact did ParentPAC have? Look at this list of people they helped get elected to the Legislature:
H.D. 32: Juan Garcia, D-Corpus Christi (defeated Rep. Gene Seaman)
H.D. 47: Valinda Bolton, D-Austin (open seat)
H.D. 48: Representative Donna Howard, D-Austin, (special election victory against Ben Bentzin in Feb.)
H.D. 54: Jimmie Don Aycock, R-Killeen (open seat)
H.D. 71: Susan King, R-Abilene (open seat)
H.D. 72: Drew Darby, R-San Angelo (defeated Rep. Scott Campbell in the primary)
H.D. 85: Joe Heflin, D-Crosbyton (open seat of former Speaker Pete Laney)
H.D. 94: Diane Patrick, R-Arlington (defeated Rep. Kent Grusendorf, the House Public Education Committee chair, in the primary)
H.D. 101: Thomas Latham, R-Sunnyvale (defeated Rep. Elvira Reyna in the primary)
H.D. 107: Allen Vaught, D-Dallas (defeated Rep. Bill Keffer, another House Public Education Committee member)
H.D. 118: Joe Farias, D-San Antonio (open seat)
H.D. 134: Ellen Cohen, D-Houston (defeated Rep. Martha Wong)
Given that no one had ever hear of ParentPAC at this time in 2005, that's pretty darned amazing. The Lege, and therefore the state of Texas, is a better place because of them. That makes them a very worthy awardwinner. Congratulations, Carolyn Boyle and Texas ParentPAC!
Vince has more, including the full press release.
Posted by Charles Kuffner on December 06, 2006 to Show Business for Ugly People | TrackBackThis is well-deserved and substantial. Other groups can spend their time congratulating themselves, but Boyle and her strategy team helped these candidates get the job done without much money and with a lot of smart campaigning.
Posted by: Cafe Tortoli on December 6, 2006 2:15 PMI still don't understand. If every one Parent PAC endorsed was Democratic than what was the significance to their endorsement.
Why didn't they just endorse every Democrat if that was the case if they were not going to be open to anyone of a different persuasion than theirs?
They are not bringing anyone to their side by only endorsing people already on their side, are they?
Posted by: burt levine on December 6, 2006 3:56 PMBurt, we've been over this before. Look at that list - Aycock, Darby, King, Patrick, and Latham are all Republicans. All but Latham had Democratic opponents in the general election. ParentPAC also endorsed numerous incumbents, of both parties. They're a bipartisan group, and they supported a bipartisan slate. I don't understand what your quibble is.
Posted by: Charles Kuffner on December 6, 2006 4:07 PMI seem to remember a mini uproar when a top consultant said the state party is "irrelevant." Turns out, his point was right on. It's about the middle, not the extremes.
Posted by: d on December 6, 2006 4:57 PMI agree with Richard Murray as quoted by Keir that politics should be about addition and not subtraction.
Posted by: Burt Levine on December 6, 2006 8:58 PM