Texas early voting and SocraticGadfly endorsements

The Texas Secretary of State’s office has a full list of candidates statewide.

Information about top Dallas County races is here and on the Dallas County Elections is website; sample ballot here (PDF).

For President/Vice President:
• Cynthia McKinney/Rosa Clemente. They are NOT listed on the ballot by name, but YES, you can write them in. Ask an election clerk for help.

Federal races?
• Rick Noriega for U.S. Senate. He’ll be better than John Cornyn, and has looked somewhat better as a candidate himself in recent days.
• Libertarian Jarrett Woods in U.S. House District 30. Eddie Bernice Johnson was a timid Johnny-come-lately on Iraq War progressive issues. Within her district, she long opposed phase-out of the Wright Amendment for personal reasons — her bookstores at D/FW Airport — against the interests of one of the largest corporate taxpayers and employers in her district, Southwest Airlines. She needs to go. Unfortunately, there’s no Green third-party opponent and I’m not endorsing a Republican.
Also, at least here in the ’burbs, EBJ has a customer service problem of sorts. I don’t know how things are in the Dallas portion of her district, but I never once saw here in Lancaster in six-plus years as community newspaper editor there. In contrast, I’ve seen Kenny Marchant multiple times at Cedar Hill or join south suburban Dallas events in just 13 months.

State office races?
• State Senate District 23? Royce West continues to get things done in a bipartisan fashion without selling out core principals.
• In State House District 109, Libertarian Kevin Jackson over incumbent Democrat Helen Giddings. This “Craddick Democrat” needs the boot for that reason alone.
• I don’t like Texas’ method of electing state judges in partisan races, and therefore refuse to endorse anybody.

Local races
• Lupe Valdez in the Dallas County Sheriff’s race. This is as much an endorsement against Lowell Cannaday, although I have nothing against him as a person and also abhor the idea of electing sheriffs. But, first, Cannaday is 71; is he old enough to bring new thinking to the department. And, I think that, if for no other reason than to push back against some of the recent sexual orientation smear, Valdez deserves four more years.
• John Ames of DeSoto for tax assessor-collector. Another office I’m not sure should be elected, but it is, and Ames is a local. South of the Trinity needs a few more countywide offices.