SD-17 runoff (Chris Bell!) early voting info

[PDittie]

Monday, Dec. 8, through Friday, Dec. 12 at these locations:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=101587056492386529095.00045c9efa1f390c694d8&ll=29.597342,-94.954834&spn=2.163573,3.537598&z=8

Brazoria County, Fort Bend County, Galveston County and Jefferson County locations:
Monday, Dec. 8 through Wednesday, Dec. 10, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 11 and Friday, Dec. 12, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Harris County locations:
Monday, Dec. 8 through Wednesday, Dec. 10, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Thursday Dec. 11 and Friday, December 12, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Let's finish the job and get another Democrat elected to the Texas Senate!

http://www.chrisbell.com

[PDittie]

1. Bell out-polled Huffman 3-2 on election day...

... but a December runoff election is a daunting proposition. The Republicans have done everything in their power to suppress support for Chris Bell. They recruited, got on the ballot at the very last minute, and even funded a stalking horse, carpetbagging, pretend-to-be Democrat candidate in the November 4 general election in order to siphon off enough Democratic votes to require a runoff. The governor purposely scheduled the runoff on a Tuesday in mid-December, when it will be hardest for many Democrats to vote AND to eliminate any weekend early voting, which typically provides the greatest opportunity for Democratic, working-class voters to cast their ballots.

So it is crucial that all Democrats participate actively in this runoff election. If every single Democrat who voted in the November 4 election will return to the polls on December 16, Chris Bell will win and become the State Senator from Senate District 17. If Democrats can just turn out our core, base voters in the district, we will have one more Democrat –- and a great one at that –- representing us in the Texas Senate.

Please urge every Democrat you know in Senate District 17 to vote in this runoff election -- and be sure to do so yourself if you live in the district.

[sonias]

2. Fabulous news

There should be a lot more people familiar with Bell since he was a U.S. Congressman and he ran for Governor. No one can say Chris Bell hasn't been active.

One more vote for reform - Women for Chris Bell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xewy2yABOcY

Link:
http://chrisbell.com/women

:dem:


Sonia

[tbyg52]

3. I do and I will! nt

[PDittie]

4. Events this weekend

-- Galveston County luncheon/fundraiser: 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 6, 2008, at the Steelworkers Union Hall, 2327 Texas Ave. in Texas City.

A chili dinner by Don Criss and sponsored by Sheriff-elect Freddie Poor will be served at 11:00 a.m. State Representative Craig Eiland will be the principal speaker beginning at 11:30 a.m. He will address the U.T.M.B. jobs situation, the future of our Windstorm Insurance Program and the Chris Bell for Texas Senate campaign and run off election.

Donations of $10 per person requested to help fund the GCDP’s GOTV effort in the Senate runoff campaign.

Harris County -- Braeswood area: Join State Representative Ellen Cohen on Saturday, December 6 (afternoon) to knock on doors the last weekend before early voting. The morning team will meet at 4019 S. Braeswood Blvd. at 10 a.m. The afternoon team will meet at 2 p.m. Think you can help? Contact John at [e-mail] or call 713-667-8990.

Katy: Come blockwalk with Chris! We will be meeting at the Westside Office located at 13316 Westheimer Rd, Suite 100 (corner of Westheimer and Eldridge) at 10am. After a few words from Chris, we will leave to knock on doors throughout West Houston and Katy! RSVP by calling Tarin at 817-995-5628!

Fort Bend County: Blockwalk for Chris Bell in Fort Bend on Saturday. Second shift starts at 2pm! The address is 869 Dulles Ave., Ste. E, Stafford, TX 77477. Please RSVP to Mili at [e-mail], or call 281-208-1990.

And on Sunday December 7, come join Chris for an Asian American Get-Out-The-Vote rally at his Fort Bend office! Attend the rally,then blockwalk or make phone calls to voters afterward. 869 Dulles Ave., Ste. E, Stafford, TX 77477. RSVP to Mili, at 281-208-1990 or [e-mail].

[PDittie]

5. Kicking for EV this week

:dem: :kick: :dem: :kick: :dem:

[PDittie]

6. Online candidate forum at noon today

Thanks Alan Bernstein and the Chronicle:

Visit this blog at noon Tuesday for a live "chat" between Republican Joan Huffman and Democrat Chris Bell, candidates for the District 17 state Senate seat on the Dec. 16 runoff ballot.

You get to write some of the questions. They'll write their answers. The words will be posted on this blog in real time. Call it a keyboard debate. If you'd like, eat lunch as you follow the remarks.

Early voting in this race runs through Friday. Bone up for the discussion here.

[PDittie]

7. Politicker suggests EV is going Huffman's way

Numbers are out from the first day of early voting for the state Senate District 17 runoff, and they appear to point to a more competitive race between Republican Joan Huffman and Democrat Chris Bell. ...

Early voting, which began Monday and runs through Friday, brought 3,822 voters to the polls on Monday in the five district counties — obviously a far cry from the 223,295 total votes in the initial election. But on a percentage basis, Bell strongholds aren't voting as much, while Huffman's strongholds are becoming an increasingly larger proportion of the electorate.

For example, in Harris County, which includes Houston, Bell won the Nov. 4 race, 38 percent to 21 percent. However, Harris County voters made up 53.6 percent of the vote in the initial election. On Monday, they accounted for only 41.1 percent. After Harris, the second-largest county in the district is Fort Bend, which represented 27.8 percent of the Nov. 4 vote and went to Bell, 39-36. On Monday, Fort Bend accounted for only 19.7 percent of the vote.

Huffman's biggest strength was in Brazoria County, which she carried, 37-27, on Nov. 4. However, Brazoria County voters were only 9.5 percent of the electorate in the special election. On the first day of early voting for the run-off, they made up 19 percent of all voters.

http://www.politickertx.com/bendubose/737/sd-17-early-voting-numbers-could-be-good-news-huffman

Tuesday' EV numbers jumped up a little, but yesterday's were way down due to the cold weather. Huffman has raised more money for the runoff and is spending it on teevee advertising.

Please, people: now is the time to help in this race. You can phonebank from your own home if you can't do anything else.

Huffman is a Perry/Craddick clone.She'll do whatever they tell her to do. Dewhurst will wind up the key in her back and off she will go. Voter ID, SCHIP, tuition deregulation ... you name it.

Help. Now. Please.