Posts Tagged ‘Roger Williams’

Shotgun Texas Race Updates

Thursday, March 5th, 2020

Didn’t have time for these yesterday, but here are a few interesting results from the Texas primary on Tuesday:

  • In Texas, being endorsed by Alexandria Ocasio Cortez is a one-way ticket to Palookaville:

    The two far-left candidates backed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez lost their primary elections in Texas on Tuesday.

    Ocasio-Cortez announced last month that she would be supporting the primary contests of several democratic socialists running against establishment candidates. The New York Democrat endorsed Texas hopefuls Cristina Tzintzun Ramirez, a candidate for Senate, and Jessica Cisneros, a primary challenger to Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar.

    Ramirez lost to the establishment-backed Senate candidate M.J. Hegar. Hegar, an Air Force veteran, was endorsed by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to take on Republican Sen. John Cornyn. Ramirez came in third place in the primary with 13.3% of the vote. The divisive primary featured seven candidates who all received 5% or more of the vote.

    Cisneros, a 26-year-old attorney, was gunning for the seat held by Cuellar, one of the moderate Democrats Ocasio-Cortez targeted for his pro-gun policy preferences and “A” rating from the National Rifle Association. Cuellar defeated Cisneros by 4 percentage points, carrying 52% of the vote compared to her 48%.

    (Hat tip: Instapundit.)

  • Evidently Hegar is going to face state senator Royce West in the runoff. I got half that bracket right, predicting West to make the runoff, but I was badly wrong on Hegar’s chances. I didn’t realize that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee would endorse Hegar just five days after my roundup. Why the DSCC choose a candidate whose biggest achievement was losing a congressional race to John Carter in the Year of Beto is a mystery to me, but she’s in the runoff, albeit with only 22% of the vote.
  • Pierce Bush lost. That’s the sort of thing that happens when you run a carpetbagger bid in a Republican primary but go out of your way to alienate Republican voters. Instead Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls and conservative Kathaleen Wall will meet in the runoff for the retiring Pete Olson’s seat.
  • I hope the Texas has a solid, well-funded get out the vote effort for this fall, as there are a lot of incumbent Republican congressmen in seats where Democratic votes exceeded Republican votes, including the 2nd (Dan Crenshaw), 3rd (Van Taylor), the 10th (Mike McCaul), the 21st (Chip Roy), the 25th (Roger Williams), and the 31st (John Carter),
  • Did Commie Losers Assault Austin Democrat?

    Tuesday, January 14th, 2020

    According to a Democratic congressional candidate, Austin “Red Guard” communists assaulted her:

    An Austin congressional candidate said she was assaulted on Sunday by a member of a self-described Maoist group that calls for boycotting elections and for “revolutionary change.”

    Heidi Sloan, running for the Democratic nomination for the 25th Congressional District, which includes parts of Austin and western Travis County, wrote on Facebook that a member of a group called the Red Guards Austin shoved her and smashed eggs filled with red paint on her head and on her car after a political canvassing effort in East Austin.

    The 25th Congressional District ising stretches all the way up to Ft. Worth and is currently held by Republican Roger Williams. Sloan is one of two Democrats running for the seat, the other being one Julie Oliver.

    Sloan said the incident occurred after masked members of the group “ambushed me from an alley, circled me, and physically prevented me from returning to my vehicle to leave.”

    Sloan, a self-described Democratic Socialist who has worked at Community First Village as a farmer and service provider with people who formerly experienced homelessness, told the American-Statesman that people wearing masks and identifying themselves as being associated with the Red Guards first tried to intimidate her and her volunteers as they gathered late Sunday morning at Givens Park on East 12th Street preparing to block-walk in the neighborhood.

    Using de-escalation techniques she has learned as a community organizer, she said she and the volunteers made a circle and turned inward to sing songs. She said members of the Red Guards dispersed.

    So this is what passes for self defense among Democrats now: Singing songs to the commies assaulting you.

    Later Sunday afternoon, after the canvassing was finished, Sloan, 34, said she drove to an East Austin bar to meet up with some volunteers. She was alone and had parked her car about a block from the bar when she said about five people she recognized as members of the Red Guards from earlier in the day confronted her.

    “They called out my name and said things about how people shouldn’t run for office and how I shouldn’t be in East Austin,” she told the Statesman. “I told them I didn’t want to do this and that I wanted to leave. Instead of letting me leave, they ran in front of me. I was able to open my car door, but one of them blocked me from getting in. I yelled at him to not touch me and to get out of my way. He did not do that. After a few minutes, my partner arrived. I tried to move people away from me, but the person blocking me from my car starting shoving me. He got out eggs filled with red paint and smashed them on me and inside my car. And then he took off running.”

    Now we have to ask ourselves: Did this actually happen?

    On the one hand, commies are scumbags and the “Austin Red Guards” have assaulted people before. Plus commies are known for attacking other leftwing factions, so it’s totally plausible they would attack a “Democratic Socialist” for right-wing deviationism.

    On the other hand, Democrats commit hate crime hoaxes all the time, so we can’t take it for granted that the assault actually happened. Of course, such hoaxes usually involve self-drawn swastikas and imaginary attackers in MAGA hats. I haven’t heard of a fake hate crime hoax involving commies before (but there’s always a first time).

    Sloan’s opponent Oliver says in the Statesman piece that Red Guards harassed her workers as well. “This group tried to intimidate our campaign for organizing in East Austin in 2018.”

    It’s certainly possible that this is yet another example of the disorder Mayor Steve Adler has permitted to infect Austin during his tenure, and drug-addicted transients aren’t the only ones taking advantage of it.

    Be careful out there…

    (Hat tip: Paul Martin.)

    Blake Farenthold Withdraws From Primary

    Thursday, December 14th, 2017

    Breaking news:

    U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, under fire over a sexual harassment lawsuit, will withdraw from the March 6 Republican primary.

    Mike Bergsma, chairman of the Nueces County Republican Party, told the Caller-Times he was told this morning by Farenthold’s campaign team he will not seek re-election next year.

    “It’s a damn shame,” he said. “He’s been an excellent congressman, and I’m sorry this has happened.

    “One wonders whether anyone could have survived scrutiny that intense.”

    A statement from Farenthold’s camp was expected later this morning.

    News of Farenthold’s decision comes as two prominent Texas Republicans, one a sitting member of Congress and the other a former congressman and presidential hopeful, are supporting challengers to Farenthold in the primary.

    Former Congressman Ron Paul, who retired after seeking the 2012 presidential nomination, said he is backing longtime Victoria Republican activist Michael Cloud.

    “I know him to be a man of his word, principled, trustworthy and hardworking,” Paul said in a statement distributed by the Cloud campaign. “I hope my former supporters will get behind him because our country desperately needs leaders with integrity, courage and moral character. Michael Cloud is that kind of leader.”

    U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, meanwhile, announced his support for Bech Bruun, the Corpus Christi native who last week resigned as chairman of the Texas Water Development Board to challenge Farenthold. Williams is the first member of the Texas GOP delegation in Washington to publicly break with the incumbent.

    “Bech is exactly the kind of person I would be proud to call a colleague in the United States Congress,” Williams, R-Weatherford, said in a news release distributed by Bruun. “Bech knows what it means to be a good steward of your hard-earned tax dollars.”

    Farenthold, who is seeking a fifth term representing the Coastal Bend, has been under intense fire since it was disclosed that he settled a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a former aide with $84,000 in taxpayers’ money. He has said the settlement was a strategic decision to put the matter to rest even though he insists the charges are untrue.

    It would have been better had Farenthold resigned ahead of the primary filing deadline, but since there were already six Republicans and three Democrats gunning for his seat, voters will not lack for choices…

    Congressional Republicans Shot By Bernie Bro

    Wednesday, June 14th, 2017

    The big news this morning is that several Republican congressmen and staffers, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA), were shot during baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia. As of this writing at least five people appear to have been shot, but there are apparently (thankfully) no fatalities. One of those shot was identified as Zack Barth, a staffer for Texas Rep. Roger Williams. Early reports that Williams himself was shot appear to be erroneous.

    Police have identified the shooter as James T. Hodgkinson, who reportedly asked whether the congressmen were Republicans or Democrats before opening fire.

    I bet you can guess Hodgkinson’s political affiliation:

    “Hodgkinson Wrote on Facebook, ‘Trump is a Traitor. Trump Has Destroyed Our Democracy. It’s Time to Destroy Trump & Co.'”

    His Facebook page also includes rants against congressional Republicans (or what a police detective would call “motive”), and he was arrested for battery in 2006. (The charges were later dismissed.)

    Hodgkinson is what the Hillary team dismissively referred to as a “Bernie Bro”:

    Here’s the photo everyone seems to be using of him:

    Is it bad of me that the first thing that comes to mind is Walter Sobchak from The Big Lebowski?


    “League game, Smokey!”

    Democrats are reacting with their usual grace and tact:

    Developing…

    Update: Shooter Hodgkinson has reportedly died from wounds inflicted by capitol police.

    Update 2: Senator Sanders has properly condemned the shooting.

    Update 3: President Trump uses occasion to praise capitol police. Virginia Governor and Clinton crony Terry McAuliffe uses the occasion to push for gun control.

    Update 4: More class from the left:

    Random Texas Runoff Tidbits

    Wednesday, August 1st, 2012

    I intend to do a comprehensive roundup of why Ted Cruz won the Senate race, and why David Dewhurst lost, but it’s such a big subject I’m having trouble getting started. There’s entirely too much to talk about, and I’m still digesting all the ramifications.

    So instead, here are a few other random observations from last night’s runoff:

  • Republicans now have two Hispanic candidates running for statewide office: Ted Cruz at the top of the ballot (just below President) for United States Senate, and Elsa Alcala for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8. Number of Democrats nominated for statewide office in Texas in 2012: Zero. (Even the Libertarians have more statewide Hispanic candidates than the Democrats this year, which is to say they have one.)
  • Actually, the Libertarians have more candidates running statewide than the Democratic Party does. And the Greens (five) have just as many.
  • Donna Campbell stomped Jeff Wentworth, taking two-thirds of the vote against a long-time incumbent which (absent a serious scandal) is almost unheard of. However, the result isn’t the “upset” some newspapers are proclaiming it, since Elizabeth Ames Jones split the anti-Wentworth vote in the primary, indicating deep dissatisfaction with the very establishment incumbent.
  • Tom Maynard edged Rebecca Osbourne in the State Board of Education District 10 race, 36,099 votes to 35,120. I’m sure that Holly Hansen will be pleased.
  • As expected, Paul Sadler beat Grady Yarbrough for the Democratic Senate nomination. Sadler is about to find out that when members of the national Democratic Party promised him adequate funding if he won the primary, they were engaged in what is commonly known as “lying.”
  • Republican U.S. Congressional Race runoffs: Ron Paul-endorsed Randy Weber beat Felicia Harris in CD14, Roger Williams beats Wes Riddle in CD25 (Last Williams Standing, and I think the only Senate race dropout to win their new race), once and future congressman Steve Stockman (part of the Gingrich wave in 1994) beat Stephen Takach in CD36. Plus longshots in two heavily Democratic districts: Dale A. Brueggemann over Eddie Zamora in CD15 to face incumbent Ruben Hinojosa, and Jessica Puente Bradshaw over Adela Garza to take on Filemon Vela in new “minority opportunity” CD34.
  • Pete Gallego beat former congressman Ciro B. Rodriguez for the chance to take on Republican incumbent Francisco “Quico” Canseco in CD23. Canseco took the seat away from Rodriguez in 2010, and CD23 is essentially the only realistic opportunity Democrats have to flip a Texas U.S. congressional seat this election.
  • The Tea Party is alive and well not only in Texas, but also in Georgia, where voters rejected a consultant pocket-lining mass transportation tax hike supported by the Republican governor.
  • July 19: Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson announces he’s supporting Dewhurst. July 31, 7:52 PM (just minutes after Dewhurst’s concession speech to Cruz): announces he’s running for Dewhurst’s current office: “I have great respect for Lt. Gov. Dewhurst. However, I’m running for LtGov in 2014.” And his campaign website is already up.
  • Oh Deer

    Friday, July 27th, 2012

    Ted Cruz staffer Joshua Perry recently tweeted that he had hit a deer. (Both his car and the deer were fine.) I quipped that he should hope it was a Dewhurst-voting deer. He replied he thought it was for Sadler. But there are so many other possibilities:

  • It was a Grady Yarbrough deer, disoriented from suddenly being thrust from the safety of obscurity, out into the bright onrushing headlights.
  • It was a Sean Hubbard deer, which had spent the last two months wandering around despondently without purpose, before finally deciding to put itself out of its misery.
  • It was a Craig James deer, sure it could make it across the road, but only made in 3% of the way before it got hit.
  • It was a Ricardo Sanchez deer, which just stepped out into the road before realizing that it didn’t have the energy to get to the other side.
  • It was a Joe Agris deer, who felt its mission was accomplished simply by stepping out onto the road.
  • It was a Michael Williams deer, which suddenly decided it wanted to be on another road.
  • It was a Roger Williams deer, which was just following the Michael Williams deer.
  • In summary: I’ve been following the Texas Senate race too damn long!

    Williams Switches from CD33 to CD25 Race. No, the OTHER Williams.

    Thursday, March 8th, 2012

    I wonder if Michael Williams is thinking about swearing out a stalking complaint against Roger Williams.

    First Michael Williams dropped out of the Senate race to run for the newly created Congressional District 33 on June 17th. Then, a week later, Roger Williams did the same. Then at the end of July, Michael Williams switched from the District 33 race to the District 25 race. Now, in the wake of the redistricting decision, ensuring that 33 is going to be a “minority opportunity” district, Roger Williams is following Michael’s lead again, announcing that he’s switching from the District 33 to District 25 as well, which means we’re finally going to get that Williams vs. Williams showdown.

    I’ve made my feelings about district-shopping and carpetbagger bids clear before. Roger Williams’ home of Weatherford is smack dab in District 12, currently represented by Republican incumbent Kay Granger. I can certainly understand not wanting to take on an entrenched Republican incumbent, but that still doesn’t justify district shopping.

    That said, I think either Williams would make a solid Republican Representative.

    Michael Williams Switches Races (Again)

    Saturday, July 30th, 2011

    First Michael Williams announced he was dropping out of the Senate race to run for the newly created House District 33. Then, a few weeks after that, Roger Williams announces he’s doing the same, setting up a Williams vs. Williams showdown for House District 33. Yesterday, Michael Williams announced he was switching races to District 25, currently held by Lloyd Doggett, but which has been redistricted to be a mostly rural/suburban district running from just south of Ft. Worth all the way down to incorporate parts of Travis and Hayes counties.

    Here’s an interactive map of the new Texas congressional districts for 2012.

    Not sure how I feel about the switch. Certainly both Williamses struck me as conservative enough to represent Texas, and there would be lots of benefits to having another bright, articulate black conservative in the House. But I’m not wild about carpetbagger bids; no one should move to a new district just to get elected (legislators specifically gerrymandered out of their old districts just to get rid of them excepted).

    Williams Switches from Senate to District 33 Congressional Race. No, the OTHER Williams.

    Tuesday, June 28th, 2011

    Last week it was Michael Williams. This week it’s Roger Williams switching from running for the Senate to running for House District 33. I don’t know if Joe Barton’s decision to stick to the sixth had any effect on his decision or not, but it sets up a Williams vs. Williams showdown for District 33. (Although unlike Michael Williams, Roger Williams has already managed to update his website the day the switch was announced.)

    The favorite for District 33? Michael Williams is the one with the heaviest conservative movement credentials, and having an outspoken, articulate black conservative in congress would be a big benefit at the national level. But Roger Williams has some significant endorsement firepower, including George H. W. and Barbara Bush, sitting Congresswoman Kay Granger, and Nolan and Ruth Ryan.

    In the Senate race, I suspect Roger Williams decision will probably benefit Cruz and Leppert about equally, with Cruz picking up more of Williams voters, but potentially freeing up more donors in Leppert’s natural Metroplex base to donate to his campaign.

    Now, with the Special Session adjourning, all eyes on the Senate race turn to see whether David Dewhurst jumps in or not…

    Ted Cruz Picks Up Two More Endorsements

    Tuesday, June 21st, 2011

    The Ted Cruz winning streak continues, with two more key endorsements, namely Peggy Venable, Texas State Director for Americans for Prosperity, and Ernie Angelo, former RNC Committeeman.

    Cruz has easily lapped his opponents in the endorsement race. Other than Roger Williams’ endorsement by former President George H. W. Bush, and the departed Michael Williams’ endorsement by Jim DeMint, I can’t think of a single high-profile endorsement for any other candidate. I don’t think Tom Leppert’s handful of pastors really counts (though getting a max donation from Roger Staubach certainly didn’t hurt).

    Key endorsements aren’t worth as much winning the fundraising race, but they’re not chopped liver either. The fact that the Cruz campaign has rolled these out at a regular rate of a couple every week suggests to me that he has a fair number in his pocket, and wants to pace them out.