State certifies Democrat Vo's House victory

Nov. 19, 2004, 1:16AM
State certifies Democrat Vo's House victory
Heflin's lawyer says the campaign still has options
By JANET ELLIOTT
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau


AUSTIN -- Democrat Hubert Vo officially defeated veteran Republican state Rep. Talmadge Heflin by 32 votes in the closely watched House District 149 race, the secretary of state's office announced Thursday.

The official certification of the Nov. 2 election gave Vo one more vote than the 31-vote margin he had after the final ballot tally last week in Harris County.

The secretary of state's office said the canvassed vote was 20,694 for Vo and 20,662 for Heflin.

"The voters have spoken and we're excited," said Mustafa Tameez, a consultant to Vo's campaign. "We're grateful that this process has come to a conclusion."

But Heflin's lawyer, Andy Taylor, said the extra vote "came out of thin air with no explanation why it wasn't counted earlier."

"Why does the number keeping changing?" Taylor asked. "It raises serious doubts about the accuracy of the count and underscores the importance of knowing what really happened."

Taylor said that Monday is the deadline for Heflin to request a recount from the secretary of state, and Nov. 29 is the deadline to file for an election contest.

"We're still considering our options right now," he said.

Taylor said the recount doesn't have to be completed before Nov. 29 and is not a prerequisite to filing for an election contest.

There have been several election contests in the Texas House in recent years, but none has reversed an election result. Most were withdrawn after they were filed.

Political newcomer Vo's narrow upset of Heflin, the powerful House Appropriations Committee chairman, surprised many in Austin.

Tameez said that Vo, a real estate developer, has been invited to attend an orientation at the Capitol for freshmen lawmakers.

Vo's victory is the first Democratic gain in the House since 1972, when Democrats still had a strong majority. Republicans won a majority in 2002.

So far, only one House race is officially headed for a recount. Kelly White, an Austin Democrat who lost a challenge to Rep. Todd Baxter by 147 votes in District 148, has requested a recount.

Hopefully, some momentum for dems can come from this.

efforts are still underway (as far as i know) to steal this election:

tx. repug leaders are so upset over this surprise dem victory that they are contemplating utilizing a rarely used method: getting the legislature to simply rule the election invalid! They want do-overs!

on the radio this morning. Good grief!

Well, that's the repug way, right? If you can't WIN the election, STEAL it!

that would be a dark day for democracy. Thanks for the reminder. We haeve to make sure they don't even think about doing this.

Peter

Can be downloaded as PDF from:

http://bigpath.net/politics/Local/Texas/Hubert_Vo_Challenge2.pdf

..and again now. Congratulations to Vo!!

(snip)
But Heflin's lawyer, Andy Taylor, said the extra vote "came out of thin air with no explanation why it wasn't counted earlier."

"Why does the number keeping changing?" Taylor asked. "It raises serious doubts about the accuracy of the count and underscores the importance of knowing what really happened."
(/snip)

I love that part - Andy Taylor should take his concerns nationally where we need that kind of support for our election process at the federal election level too. How in the hell does he think we (Dems) stole the Vo election when repukes control every frigging statewide office. Well imagine what can happen when your is the party outside power in these states like Ohio and FL, Andy. Want to make some commercials for BlackBoxVoting.org? Get behind some serious election reform and support verifiable paper ballots repukes!

Let's not forget however that Andy Taylor is the lawyer that helped repukes redistrict the state and your tax dollars went to line his pockets. The Attorney Generals offcice paid him $200 an hour to defend the state due to lawsuits on re-redistricting. Bastard! :mad:

Sonia

The Rethugs had some pretty strong inroads into the Vietnamese community and they don't want to lose any of it. There is only one other elected Vietnamese person in the country, at that high a level and that person is a California Rethug. If they want to try to save what they have here, they'll let this go. There are already two Rethugs lobbying for Heflin's committee chair and they are drawing their supporters together. Those supporters won't be that thrilled to support Heflin in a steal and in the process offend the reps they threw support to, plus piss off the Asian comminities across the country and that will include the Chinese.

They've already lost a lot of Middle Eastern, Iranian and Pakistani support here, due to Muslims anti-Bushco feelings. Also those people supported Vo, so the Muslim support the Rethugs still have is hanging by a very thin thread.

Mary

"There are already two Rethugs lobbying for Heflin's committee chair and they are drawing their supporters together."

If their own infighting stops 'em from booting Vo, so much the better!

on a side note -- South Asian (Indian & Pakistani) community is also big here in Houston. I'm pretty new here, but was able to attend the Harris County Dem Party's big gala dinner -- was delighted by the BIGGEST block there, filling 5 or 6 tables: the South Asian Democrats. :) They rocked the house.

we are making inroads in the Pakistani and Indian communities, too.

If you were to look at the precinct committee chairs that went in last spring, in Harris, spots that had been empty for years were being filled by people of Middle Eastern and SW Asian heritage. In many cases, there were actually two running against each other to be a Democratic precinct chair. Also, the number that turned out as delegates in the 7th senate district convention was wonderful!!

I've never checked, but if we had that in the 7th, which is all within Harris county, I can only imagine what happened in Ft. Bend county.

Mary

his Appropriations Committee chair has been handed to Pitts.

Turn out the lights, Talmadge. The party's over.

it doesn't preclude Heflin asking for a recount. He still has til Dec. 8 to ask for that. Unless of course, the Rethug party talks him out of it, since it looks like they moved VERY fast to replace him. The house doesn't meet until January, so why the speed in replacing him? I think this is the Rethug's way to hold on to whatever Asian vote they had in the Bush race, which was pretty heavy in that district. They voted Bush and then they voted Vo.

Remember, not just Asians wanted Vo in, Blacks wanted Heflin out. His much publized attempt to steal a baby boy from his Nigerian "houseguest" using the excuse that it was good for the baby to be raised by Whites, since Black males have a high percentage rate of ending up in jail. YIKES!

Supporting Heflin will work against the Rethugs trying to make any inroads with Blacks, too. Just a lose-lose for them. I think as long as it didn't tip the balance of the house, they probably feel a sense of relief to have him gone.

All the city races come up in 2005 and many will be term limited. Then in 2006, again the house and all the state wide races. Harris county Dems will be mobilized and the Rethugs know it. They can't take the gamble for someone like Heflin whose pretty much a do-nothing has-been for years.

Cutting across SW Houston state rep districts, we have a strong Scott Hochberg and now Vo with only Joe Nixon's seat sitting between them. That's our district and my husband and I have spent this last week crunching numbers and will learn more in the morning WHDC meeting and take all our notes to the afternoon strategy session. We're good to go!!

Mary

To be replaced by someone named Pitts? boo hoo Talmadge Heflin, go cry in your beer.
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Craddick appoints Pitts as appropriations chair
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/metro/11/20pitts_me.html
(snip)
House Speaker Tom Craddick today appointed Rep. Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, to lead the powerful House Appropriations Committee.
(/snip)

Wierd tidbit - Pitts is the guy who lost his wife in a car accident this past June in Dallas.

http://www.elliscountypress.com/archive%202004/061004.htm#STATE
State Rep’s wife dies following collision

JOEY DAUBEN
Staff Reporter
DALLAS – Evelyn Pitts, the wife of Republican state Rep. Jim Pitts, died Sunday as a result of brain damage suffered in a car accident involving a drunk driver Friday, June 4.

Chris Thornton, 32, the alleged drunk driver, is currently hospitalized under police observation and was charged with intoxication manslaughter earlier this week.

Pitts’ 17-year-old son, Ryan, was driving the late-model Mercedes Benz in the Greenville Avenue section of Dallas, near Central Expressway and Southwestern Boulevard, police said.

Ryan was taken to the hospital and later released.

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Sonia

I hear Rep. Pitts will take Heflin's place as chairman of the apporpriations committee.