Fwd: [DemocraticResearch] Bob Gammage for Governor

Source: Former judge decides to run for governor

Democratic race could be three-way fray
http://www.statesman.com/hp/content/metro/stories/12/6gammage.html

By W. Gardner Selby

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Here comes the judge: Former Texas Supreme Court Justice Bob Gammage has decided
to enter the 2006 Democratic gubernatorial primary, raising the possibility of
at least a three-person fray for a chance to chase the Republican nominee in
November.

Gammage, who filed paperwork with the Texas Ethics Commission designating
himself the treasurer of his gubernatorial campaign last month, intends to

announce next week, according to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity to
avoid pre-empting the kickoff.


"It's a go," the source said.

Gammage, 67, a Llano lawyer who has served on the state's highest court as well
as in the Texas House and Senate, the U.S. House and Austin-based 3rd Court of
Appeals, didn't confirm or deny the decision. He said he's fielded much
encouragement and it "looks real good, but I'm not ready to make my announcement
today."

Gammage's candidacy would expand the expected Democratic field from two to three
candidates. Former one-term U.S. Rep. Chris Bell of Houston has already
declared, and Fort Worth middle-school administrator Felix Alvarado has said he
intends to run.

On the Republican side, Gov. Rick Perry and Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn
seek the GOP nod. Kinky Friedman, the Kerrville author-singer, wants to land on
the general-election ballot as an
independent.

Bell spokesman Jason Stanford said Monday that Bell has no comment on
"cut-and-run Bob," a reference to Gammage resigning from the high court in 1995
to move to Llano and start a solo practice.

Gammage on Monday called the attempted nickname "silly. If he can't throw
anything better than that, he ought to save his pitching arm." Alvarado said:
"The more the better."

Todd Hill, a Tarrant County Democratic activist who has encouraged Gammage to
get in, said he hasn't heard of any decision.

Hill, 25, who currently supports Bell for governor, got to know Gammage when
they both volunteered for retired Gen. Wesley Clark's presidential campaign last
year.

Gammage "lights a fire under people," Hill said. "That excites me, and it
excites a lot of people in my generation."

Garry Mauro, a 1998 Democratic gubernatorial candidate and a past state land
commissioner, called Gammage and Bell
"good-hearted" but unlikely to succeed
unless they raise substantial sums enabling full-fledged campaigns.

"I just wish we could blend the two; we'd have someone with a lot of experience
both in Washington and state government who knew all the buttons to push (in
Gammage) and a guy making good speeches with a fresh face."

Bruce Buchanan, a government professor at the University of Texas, said a
three-way race could generate interest in candidates who would otherwise be
overshadowed by the high-powered GOP primary pitting Strayhorn against Perry.

"If they start chipping at each other, maybe somebody will notice," Buchanan
said.

Monday was the third day of a month-long filing period for candidates for state
office. The party primaries are March 7.

Two long-expected Democratic hopefuls filed paper work formalizing their
candidacies at Texas Democratic Party headquarters in Austin. David Van Os,
running for
attorney general, and Barbara Ann Radnofsky, a U.S. Senate
candidate, promised feisty, issues-focused efforts to overtake Attorney General
Greg Abbott and U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Among Republicans, Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs filed her candidacy to
succeed Strayhorn as state comptroller; state Sen. Todd Staples, R-Palestine,
filed his candidacy for agriculture commissioner; and Jerry Patterson filed
paperwork to seek a second term as land commissioner, the party said.



--
          Regards, TOM BLACKWELL, PO Box 25403, Dallas, Texas 75225
                   http://pages.sbcglobal.net/tom.blackwell/

---

YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS

•  Visit your group "DemocraticResearch" on the web.
   




•  To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
   escramble('DemocraticResearch-unsubscribe','yahoogroups.com');?subject=Unsubscribe">
   




•  Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

---