HTPS Straw Poll Results!
Before we get to the results, a huge THANK YOU to all who attended, voted, campaigned, volunteered and otherwise made the straw poll a huge success!
People we need to thank, who are the amazing heroes of the day (and I’m sure I’m leaving some out, so kick me if I do):
Natalie Arceneaux – HTPS and The Civil Right
Jennifer Heiden – Katy Tea
Renee Herath – Katy Tea and HTPS
Mike and Sandra Hawkins – HTPS NW Group
Jeana and Dan Blackford (and Courtland and Emily) – San Jacinto Tea
Terrence Boggs – HTPS and HTPS Inner Loop Group
Joe Pelati – HTPS Activism and Neighborhood Group Coordinator
Kelly Horsley (and hubby) – Katy Mommy Patriots
Josh Parker – HTPS Co-Founder
James Yaklin – HTPS and Katy Tea and Convention 101 instructor
Neal Meyer – HTPS and HTPS Inner Loop Group
Tom & Paula Bazan – HTPS – Every Possible Event We’ve Ever Held
Ira Winsten- who e-mailed asking to help and then showed up and jumped right in and managed voting almost the whole evening
If I missed anyone, it’s because it’s so late. I’ll add them, though!
Events like this never come together like they did today without an entire team pulling together, and the amazing people who jump in to support HTPS should be lauded in a far more elaborate way than I can offer in a blog post. Thank you to all who labored to make this event the fantastic evening that it was. You are the people who are going to change the world!
UPDATE: If you are a candidate, or worked for a candidate at the Straw Poll yesterday and did not remove your signs, be forewarned HTPS will bill you for any charges coming from the Crowne Plaza for failure to remove the signs. When we left there were quite a few signs in the grassy areas around the entrance.
And now, without further ado, the results of the HTPS Harris County Straw Poll:
United States Representative, District 9
Steve Mueller – 8
Dave Bannen – 5
United States Representative, District 10
Michael McCaul – 9
Rick Martin – 0
Joe Petronis – 14
United States Representative, District 18
Brenda Page – 11
John Faulk – 16
Tex Christopher – 11
United States Representative, District 29
Roy Morales – 6
Tom Stevens -0
Frank ‘Mazz’ Mazzapica -5
Eric Story – 5
George A. Young – 0
Governor
Rick Perry – 114
Debra Medina – 79
Kay Bailey Hutchison – 80
Railroad Commissioner
David Porter – 50
Victor G. Carrillo – 95
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 3
Rebecca Simmons – 4
Jim Moseley -13
Debra Lehrmann -7
Rick Strange – 21
Rick Green – 67
Jeff Brown – 115
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 9
Rose Vela – 45
Eva Guzman – 171
State Representative, District 127
Susan Curling – 3
Martin Basaldua – 1
Dan Huberty – 1
Addie Wiseman – 5
State Representative, District 129
John E. Davis – 8
Mary Huls – 3
State Representative, District 134
Bonnie Parker – 7
Sarah Davis – 26
State Representative, District 148
Howard H. Gano Jr. – 1
Fernando Herrera – 8
State Representative, District 149
Jack O’Connor – 3
Bryan Le – 3
Dianne Williams – 2
Justice, 1st Court Appeals District, Place 4
Don Self – 47
Evelyn Keyes – 124
Justice, 1st Court Appeals District, Place 8
Gael Harrison – 25
Michael Massengale – 158
Justice, 14th Court Appeals District, Place 2
Sharon McCally – 49
Leslie Brock Yates – 123
District Judge, 180th Judicial District
Danny Dexter – 44
Emily Munoz – 85
Marc Brown – 80
District Judge, 280th Judicial District
Angelina Gooden – 67
Lynn Bradshaw Hull – 133
Family District Judge, 308th Judicial District
Rick Ramos – 84
Alice J. O’Neill – 58
James Lombardino – 62
William ‘Sumpter’ Frazier – 22
Family District Judge, 309th Judicial District
Clint Lawson – 8
Meca Walker – 88
Daniel J. Lemkuil – 29
Sheri Y. Dean – 79
Family District Judge, 311th Judicial District
Donna Detamore – 71
Lorraine Cervantes – 32
Denise Pratt – 22
Anthony Magdaleno – 58
Joel A. Grandstaff – 42
Family District Judge, 313th Judicial District
Fred Wilson – 110
Glenn Devlin – 58
Judge, County Criminal Court No. 1
Peyton Peebles – 59
Paula Goodhart – 124
Mike Wilkinson – 27
Judge, County Criminal Court No. 3
Cary Hart – 86
Joseph Licata – 11
Natalie Fleming – 80
Sharolyn Wood – 28
Judge, County Criminal Court No. 4
Jackie Gifford – 16
John Clinton – 165
Janice Law – 26
Judge, County Criminal Court No. 13
Don Smyth – 130
Rachel Ann Palmer – 82
Judge, County Probate Court No. 1
Charles Coussons – 19
Loyd Wright – 128
Justice of the Peace, Pct 5, Place 2
Jeff Williams – 11
George Huntoon – 21
Virginia S. Pittman – 8
Ed Seale – 18
District Clerk
Paul Dwight – 90
Chris Daniel – 126
County Clerk
Stan Stanart – 130
Kevin Mauzy – 97
County Tax Assessor-Collector, Unexpired Term
Don Sumners – 54
Leo Vasquez – 185
County Commissioner, Precinct 2
Dorothy Olmos
Jack Morman
Harris County Republican Party Chairman
Ed Hubbard – 88
Don Large – 7
Jared Woodfill – 55
Paul Simpson – 97
I am a member of another TEA party out here in the middle of Texas, but I used to live in Houston. Glad to see Perry with the commanding lead, but I wish the Medina supporters would think long and hard about what a strong showing by a 9/11 truther would say about the Republican Party. Do we really stand for truther conspiracies, or are we about limited government, states rights, personal responsibility, individual liberty, freedom of speech, free enterprise, and freedom of religion?
Perry has done a great job, and it is now that time to rally around him against progressive liberal Bill White, who supports Obamacare, cap and trade, and all those other far-left Democratic ideas in vogue right now.
First Debra is not a 9/11 truther. She has said that many times.
Second what would it say about the Republican party if we support Rick Perry, who tried to medicate or young ladies by governor mandate, and tried to take away the property of our fellow Texans with the TrnaTexas Corridor.
Perry supports term limits for everyone but himself.
It’s time for him to earn a living like the rest of us do, by working. Being governor should not be a career.
Anyone still trying to use the truther label on Medina is very uninformed. Try looking into what she has said when not being ambushed.
http://www.texastribune.org/stories/2010/feb/12/my-day-medina/
To those who didn’t do as well, as with any poll, this is *DATA*, a snapshot of the people that showed up at that point in time. Use it to find your strengths and weaknesses and reform your strategy accordingly. Those who did well… don’t get cocky!
I don’t understand how anyone who is conservative can vote for someone who signed into law a new tax unless it removes another at the same time. PERIOD. Rick is a Progressive.
But Perry reduced taxes. The same tax he rammed through the legislature. Go Medina
This is a letter I saw posted on another forum. I think it sums everything up perfectly. I couldn’t make it yesterday, but if I would have been there, I would have voted Medina!
Dear Pat,
An intelligent conversation with a candidate was derailed before addressing the most important issues facing TX.
I heard the exchange between Medina and Beck on the radio. What I heard from her in tone as well as words is that she was trying to get a grip on where Glenn was coming from, answering truthfully that she had questions about 9/11, that she did not know the position regarding the truther status of any of her staff, that she is not the thought police, and would not make it her business unless it got in the way of the other talents they brought to their jobs.
Beck refused to focus on the important issues that have an enormous impact on the citizens of TX: repealing property taxes, protecting the right of citizens to bear arms, and enforcing immigration law. Instead, he diverted attention from these issues.
The interview with Medina was a huge disappointment. She answered his questions regarding the 9/11 rumors, stating that she didn’t have all of the information available to her to arrive at a conclusion. That was a forthright, honest answer. Medina stands by her right to question the government. I agree wholeheartedly. As a US Citizen, the subject matter is secondary to the right to question.
For example, I really would like to have the Fed audited and question the Fed about their decisions and authority to make those decisions. As long as questioning our government (or quasi-government entities) is frowned upon; it makes it rather difficult to protect ourselves, being mere citizens and all.
Why is Beck, or anyone else for that matter, threatened by anyone verbalizing their desire to find out more about any subject that affects citizens? The corner she was trying to avoid being put into by Beck in the interview was her refusal to state any black and white answer because, as she said, there are valid questions out there. Glenn used the typical bully tactic fraudsters use when they are trying to attain their own ends. He could care less what she truly believed, as shown by his inability to let her answer any one question fully.
There are many who have questioned the government on both of those issues as well as a multitude of other issues, and the lack of transparency has not put their questions to rest. Apparently Beck believes that those who have any doubts or questions regarding a topic he has framed in an inflammatory way are inappropriate choices for public office. Interesting. And revealing.
She didn’t get a chance to clarify whether her questions were in regard to the gov being behind 9/11 or covering up the results of the 9/11 investigation.
Unfortunately, too many scoundrels insist on diverting focus onto the wrong issues, creating drama or stating that their intention or goal is for one purpose when it is truly for another. The Bail Outs, National Health Care, AGW, Cap and Trade, etc. all are attempts to foist an expensive “fix” on the American people while they each have, or will, cost the American people dearly through higher taxes, lost jobs, higher prices and contraction of our personal liberty for the purpose of benefiting the “haves”. They fix nothing.
Beck has shown his true colors. He has shown himself to be amongst the many unprincipled people we are contending with today who are using their position to manipulate, obfuscate, and mislead.
He is like the rest of the fakes out there, all the lying scum that pretend to be one thing yet do the opposite. I have no respect for him, and question his true agenda for each and every topic he chooses to discuss on his show.
I will no longer watch or listen to Glenn Beck. He is part of the problem. He needs to get out of the way of people like Debra Medina, who want to SAVE our country from the hypocrites like Glenn Beck.
What is your part in this set up? What is your agenda? Are you ashamed of yourself? Do you feel embarrassed that your set up of Debra Medina has backfired?
Sincerely,
SA
US Citizen living in California watching what’s happening in Texas
What a great success this was; we should all be indebted to Felicia Cravens, her counterparts and the great volunteers for making it happen. A couple of observations:
1. Governor Perry received 42% of the vote – very close to today’s poll released by the Houston Chronicle (conducted Feb 2-10 before the Medina gaff). Debra Medina (who did not appear in person), virtually tied (at 29%) Kay Bailey Hutchison our incumbent US Senator who (to her credit) appeared in person and was well represented by her enthusiastic activists who worked hard for those votes. I sense that the final chapter of the Debra Medina story is far from being written.
2. As Josh mentions above, more than anything, this should have been a good learning experience for candidates. In the down ballot races, I attribute some surprising successes to the assertiveness of certain candidates and their activists. Being the better candidate is not enough – you have to ask for a vote. Some of the down ballot candidates who stood at the door of the voting room (the polling place) did better than expected, while some who worked the door of the main room (while discussions took place inside) did not do as well. That reinforces the value of both engaging voters at their level before election day (not just putting out glossy flyers and signs), and being represented at the polling place on election day. It all comes down to networking and actively developing your own base of supporters and activists.
You can also see some strategies that might have really worked to help some stand out. Don Smyth brought a book and magazine about cases he had worked on and touted his heavy experience. Meca Walker’s campaign material talked about having a high positive approval rating.
The reason Kay’s supporters were so enthusiastic is that she is the one true conservative who will lead on the important issues of property taxes, public education and transportation. Perry has had 9 years and what do we have to show for it – a new business tax, no resolution to the public school finance mess, a dead(?) trans texas corridor and continuous infighting among Lt. Gov. and Speaker. A true leader would have resolved these issues particularly given the good economic times he has had to work with. It is time for new leadership.
I suspect Glenn Beck intended to do whatever possible to take down Debra Medina. His best friend is another radio personality, Pat Gray, formerly of houston. Pat and his buddies, Ed Hendee (radio host) and Dan Patrick (former radio host, now a state senator) have made it very clear they have not liked Medina from the very beginning. I’m sure they became concerned after the debates when Medina’s popularity surged.
I am part of the Katy Tea Party Patriots. I don’t believe that Debra Medina was ambushed by Beck. He was doing what we all wish that the “mainstream media” would do with those in the current administration in DC, asking about rumors that are out there.
Medina showed her inexperience in dealing with the press. That is typical to someone new to politics. She needs an “old hand advisor” not that she would have to agree with but someone who would anticipate the problems ahead.
Houston Tea Party Society Straw Poll results for the only two candidates in contention for the HCRP Chairman’s position:
Paul Simpson: 97 – (39%)
Ed Hubbard: 88 – (36%)
One of you will be the next Miss Harris County.
You will get a big leather chair to sit in on Richmond Ave., and the prestigious opportunity to keep Harris County RED.
And the first place winner goes to…
Looks like I have some real work to do in convincing Republican judical candidates, that having the “grass roots, Tea Party candidate for Tax Assessor-Collector on the November ballot is important to their success.
The rank and file voters overwhelmingly elected and re-elected Paul Bettencourt as their Tax Assessor-Collector because they knew he would stand up against higher taxes, support them in the fight for fair appraisals at HCAD, and oppose wasteful use of taxes.
ATTN: ALL WALMART SHOPPERS
RE: THEFT OF SERVICES AT STRAW POLL
It has come to the attention of Harris County citizens that some welfare candidates did not prepay their fees for services rendered at the Houston Tea Party Straw Poll. In an effort to limit the time and resources of the non-profit you committed “THEFT OF SERVICES” against, it is highly advised you “DON” your pants and wallet, and clear up your open invoice immediately, before this “SUMMER”, in order to save yourself from further embarrassment.
GAMBINO COLLECTION AGENCY
Johnny “Break Your Leg” Gambino
CHIEF COLLECTOR
Re: “Kay is the one true conservative” … I’m not particularly fond of Perry (TTC, HPV vaccine), but KBH is *hardly* a conservative. Among other things, she:
a) FAILED at the border (i.e. she acted to not fund the Border Fence — securing the border is NOT the job of the Governor, it’s the job of the Federal Government, of which she is a part),
b) was wrong on the TARP (i.e. she attacked Perry for turning down the very stimulus money she believed would do nothing for the economy),
c) was absent on the ACORN vote,
d) is wrong on the Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST), and
e) her awareness of the impact of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (see http://www.parentalrights.org/) is wishy-washy at best.
Oh, and does anyone else see the hypocracy of the Porker-of-the-Year runner-up (for her role in requesting 149 earmark projects worth $1.6 billion) trying to wear the “fiscal conservative” mantle?
Grassroots at work! This is a good event to understand. Felicia and Team did theirselves proud. Sorry that Don did not want to pay and play. I am sorry that Kay did not do better on this but I can say she will have to work harder – with the rest of us. I hope Dianne Williams improves in the District 149 election. I am glad George Huntoon came out the winner and I do hope Paul Dwight gains a better showing.
I am sorry that Jared Woodfill did so well in the straw poll. Had he performed better as a Chairmen, he may have done better in the straw poll. But what do you expect when the Chairman allows someone to stay in the race when the candidate did not even designate a party, and Jared knew he had not designated a Party for the court the candidate is running in.
The party and State rules are made to be observed and followed. When the Chairman knowingly allows and condones the rules to be broken, it reflects badly on the office holder.
Good Luck to Hubbard, Simpson and Large, since I am sure any of these candidates will be more ethical.
Glenn “Jerry Springer” Beck has been in Perry’s corner for a long time. Medina should have expected the unexpected. Beck is not a political analyst, he’s just an entertainer. If you question the government in any capacity; you are bad (according to beck/perry).
Big hair gives illegals drivers liscense, in state tuition, tried to take our land for a super highway to mexico. Where is the lottery money that was going to fix our education system? Where is the money from the extra taxes on cigarettes? Answer: in perry’s pockets. Just like state wide toll road money will be. No to perry.
Kay bailout is another career politican who misses too many important votes or votes progressive. Then she lies about it.
Don’t trust her. Where is kbh or rp when nasa loses billions and government contracts are leaving Texas; heading north. Not a word from either.
I do not like politics. Bickering, lying, cheating, say anything to get the vote while not caring what the American people want and need to live comfortable for tomorrow. Too much under handed, behind closed doors dealings, buying and selling of votes for bills that will affect our entire country. 2009 will go down in history with dirty politics; more than 2008.
God bless America. God bless Texas. I wish you all health, happiness and success in life.
Vote and live your life. Treat other people the way that you want to be treated.
Rick Perry has done a good job for TX. Kay BH voted for BO’s army or what the lib’s label as a volunteer service organization. She also voted for the stimulas package and is a huge pork barrel advocate. The tax payer is not an ATM for the States to withdraw from. States should stand on their own and if a State has a short fall it should float a bond issue not look for handout’s from the Fed’s.
Go Rick not perfect but has assisted TX in being the number one State in the Union.
There really is no “ideal” candidate on the ballot for Governor of Texas. We have to decide who is the best of the worst. Perry has experience and now is not the time to bring in a “newbie”. It’ll take way too much time for Medina to figure out how to be Governor and at this point we can’t afford to have someone who doesn’t have experience. KBH can stay in Washington (for now). Hopefully a good contender will emerge and give her a run for the money. Perry is not the best candiate but he is the best out of the three on the ballot.
Medina is the only way to go here in TX. Incumbents have proven to be incapable of correcting the situation that we are currently in, they only seem to make the problem worse by NOT standing up to the Feds. Perry has proven to be a Big Gov. supporter as well as KBH. We can continue down the path we are currently going (which most of us can agree is NOT good) by voting for Perry & KBH or we can elect somone who owes loyalty to no one but the state of Texas & Texans. Perry has more then proven to me that he cannot be trusted. I refuse to vote for anyone who wants to steal land from my fellow Texans & who wants to force our children to be given harmful vaccines. Texans have to look out for one another, that is why my vote went to Debra Medina. She may be new to the game but, it is this reason that I feel she can be trusted more so than the others. Her loyalty will lie with us, because she is one of us.
Awesome, that’s just what I was looking for! You just saved me alot of searching around
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