Here's the Express News writeup of the debate between Ciro Rodriguez and Henry Cuellar. It was liveblogged here in greater depth. According to ActBlue, over $70K has been raised online for Ciro since the infamous Bush-Cuellar embrace photo was published.
Rodriguez got to debate Cuellar, but so far State Sen. Frank Madla has resisted Carlos Uresti's calls for the same thing. From his press release:
Texas Senate challenger Carlos Uresti today urged his opponent to reconsider his decision not to participate in public debates before the March 7 primary election, saying voters would like to hear his explanation of why a bill to strip 500,000 eligible children of their health benefits deserved a hearing on the Senate floor.
"My opponent says his vote has been misinterpreted and mischaracterized," Uresti said. "This is his opportunity to set the record straight."
Uresti also offered to hold the public forum at Frank Madla Elementary, the public school recently renamed for the incumbent in a controversial move by South San Independent School District board members.
"My opponent says he's concerned about debating me, so let's make sure the setting is as comfortable for him as possible," Uresti said.
Part One of the PolState interview with Chris Bell and Bob Gammage has been updated to reflect interviewer Vince Leibowitz's subsequent phone conversation with Gammage. Part Two is here. Gammage has announced the endorsement of State Rep. Marc Veasey, while Bell has collected nods from several groups plus Cameron County Judge Gilberto Hinojosa.
Matt reports on John Courage's first day in DC with the Band of Brothers.
David Harris is also in DC. He's got a Kos diary that lays out his case against Smokey Joe Barton, in case you still needed to be convinced.
Shane Sklar gets a short writeup in The Hill:
Rancher Shane Sklar (D), running for the 14th Congressional District in Texas, says he wants to bring a strong agricultural voice to Washington in 2006.Sklar said that the incumbent, ninth-term Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) is out of touch with the district and does not support agriculture interests. Before Hurricane Rita struck, Sklar said, Paul voted against hurricane-relief funding for a district that has nearly 170 miles of coastline.
Sklar, executive of the Independent Cattlemen’s Association of Texas, raised $50,000 last year and gained the endorsement of the Texas Farm Bureau’s Ag Fund, a political action committee that typically backs Republican candidates.
"Paul has alienated both parties," Sklar said. "He’s a libertarian army of one. I’ve got strong ties to the 14th District, and people are going to see a conservative Democrat win in Texas."
The ninth-term lawmaker was unchallenged in 2004.
The United Steelworkers of America, the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, the Farm Credit Council and Texas Pest Management Association have also endorsed Sklar.
At the end of 2005, Paul had nearly $237,000 cash on hand.
Jeff Deist, Paul’s spokesman, defended his boss’s votes: "He is going to maintain his stance, a stance for taxpayers."
Karen Felthauser, candidate for HD20 in Williamson County, writes about her DFA endorsement. Link via Eye on Williamson.
Finally, a couple of events on the local calendar. Chad Khan, running in HD126, is having an open house/birthday party for his 5-year-old twins on Sunday, February 12th, 2006 from 2:00-5:00 p.m, at 4503 EL Salvador, Houston. TX 77066. RSVP by Fed. 10th to [email protected] or call 713 643 3800.
Mark McDavid (no webpage yet), running in HD138, is having a Campaign Kickoff Party.
5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb., 12, 2006
Bravo's Mexican Restaurant
5101 Bingle Rd., Houston, TX 77092Please R.S.V.P. by Feb. 9 to:
McDavid for Texas House Committee
P.O. Box 924016, Houston, TX 77292
fax:(713) 680-0759
e-mail: [email protected]
call Elizabeth Hodges at (713) 436-2000 or Ginny Stogner McDavid at (713) 812-9368 for more information
URESTI URGES MADLA TO RECONSIDER NO-DEBATE DECISION
Suggests Forum at Recently Renamed School to Make Madla Feel at Ease
(SAN ANTONIO) Texas Senate challenger Carlos Uresti today urged his opponent to reconsider his decision not to participate in public debates before the March 7 primary election, saying voters would like to hear his explanation of why a bill to strip 500,000 eligible children of their health benefits deserved a hearing on the Senate floor.
"My opponent says his vote has been misinterpreted and mischaracterized," Uresti said. "This is his opportunity to set the record straight."
Uresti also offered to hold the public forum at Frank Madla Elementary, the public school recently renamed for the incumbent in a controversial move by South San Independent School District board members.
"My opponent says he's concerned about debating me, so let's make sure the setting is as comfortable for him as possible," Uresti said.
Uresti said a public debate would help voters understand where the candidates stand when it comes public schools, children's health, and water resource issues.
Madla in 2003 voted three times to let a now-infamous bill go forward that cut half-a-million eligible children of working parents from the popular Children's Health Insurance Program. Although some services were later restored, more than 180,000 children are still without health benefits, driving up costs to local taxpayers for emergency room visits for routine treatment.
In addition, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison has said the failure to provide coverage for the eligible children is costing Texas at least $600 million per year in forfeited federal revenue.
A former Marine, Uresti has served in the Texas House since 1997, where he led the effort to reform the state’s Child and Adult Protective Services. He co-founded the Bexar County Blue Ribbon Task Force against child abuse and neglect, and has served as chairman of the House Committee on Government Reform and Committee on Human Services, and is a member of the House Veterans Coalition, and the powerful House Committee on Local Ways and Means.
Uresti earned a B.A. in political science and teacher’s certificate from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, and received a National Achievement Medal as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. After four years of active duty, he returned to St. Mary’s and earned a law degree. He is currently a partner with the law firm of Gonzales
Hoblit Ferguson in San Antonio.
The Democratic primary election is March 7, 2006. The general election will take place on November 7, 2006.
Senate District 19 includes Bandera, Brewster, Crockett, Culberson, Edwards, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Kinney, Loving, Maverick, Medina, Pecos, Presidio, Real, Reeves, Sutton, Terrell, Uvalde, Val Verde, Ward, Winkler, and parts of Bexar and El Paso.