Throngs of candidates and elected officials attend the AFL-CIO Labor Day breakfast

Top Row: Crowd of attendees & Bexar County Democratic Party Chair Carla Vela & Gubernatorial candidate Chris Bell
2nd Row: Balcones Heights Councilman Steve Walker and SA Councilwoman Elena Guajardo & her friend, Martha
3rd Row: Judge Al Alonzo and his wife, Maria Elena Torralva
4th Row: Bexar County Democratic Party Deputy Chair Vincent Garcia
5th Row: Judicial candidate Ina Castillo and her husband, Ed
6th Row: State Rep. candidate Larry Stallings

Scores of elected officals and candidates for the November election were a part of the three hundred who converged on the Granada Homes to celebrate the working family of Bexar County, Sunday September 3rd after a mass at San Fernado Cathederal.

They included: Congressman Charlie Gonzalez, Commissioner Tommy Adkisson, SA Council members Patti Radle, Delicia Herrera, Elena Guajardo & Balcones Heights Councilman Steve Walker.

Also attending the celebration included: Judges Martha Tanner, David Rodriguez, Karen Pozza, Monica Guerrero, Al Alonzo, Paul Canales, Barbara Nellermoe, Martha Tanner, Karen Pozza & District Clerk Margaret Montemayor.

State Reps. Mike Villarreal & Joquin Castro, Bexar County Democratic Party Chair Carla Vela and three of her deputy chairs; Diana Stallings, Rick Puente and Vincent Garcia, SDEC25 Committeewoman Zada True-Courage, along with Texas DemVets Chair Larry Romo were present.

Judicial candidates Milton Fagin, Peter Sakai, Gloria Saldana, Barbie Scharf-Zeldes, Ina Castillo and County Clerk candidate Tim Ybarra showed up.

State Rep. candidates Joe Farias and Larry Stallings rounded out the candidates who attended, along with Congressional District 23 candidates Albert Uresti, Ciro Rodriguez, & Congressional District 21 candidate John Courage & Texas Attorney General candidate David Van Os.

Democrats, union members swarm the Labor Day breakfast, Sunday, at Granada Homes

Top Row: State Senator Leticia van de Putte & Judy Hall, Gail Beagle & veteran Valerie Grace
2nd Row: SA Councilwoman Delicia Herrera & Commissioner Tommy Adkisson
3rd Row: State Rep. Mike Villarreal, former County Clerk Bob Green & County Clerk candidate Tim Ybarra
4th Row: Judicial candidate Barbie Scharf-Zeldes & Political Consultant JoAnn Ramon
5th Row: Judge David Rodriguez, District Clerk Margaret Montemayor and judicial candidate Peter Sakai
6th Row: CLC President Alicia Garza & CLC Secretary Katherine Thompson

Radnofsky & Bell draw nearly 300 Democrats to the AFL-CIO Labor Day breakfast-Sep. 3rd

Senatorial candidate Barbara Radnofsky (photo) and Gubernatorial candidate Chris Bell speak at the Labor Day breakfast.

A nearly standing-room-only crowd of labor members, Democratic elected officials and candidates swarmed the Granada Homes on Sunday, September 3rd for a Labor Day celebration.

Hosted by the AFL-CIO Central Labor Council, (CLC) at the Granada Homes, on N. St. Mary's, the packed house was entertained by union musicians while attendees visited, stood in line for a breakast buffet and talked to their elected officials.

Senatorial candidate Barbara Radnofsky was the Keynote Speaker, preceeded by Gubernatorial candidate Chris Bell.

Both Bell and Radnofsky brought the crowd to its feet more than once as they addressed issues and attacked their opponents for failing to represent the poor, disabled, disenfranchised and veterans.

Neither speaker disappointed the crowd. Bell began by telling the audience, "Texas needs to seriously address issues such as education, health care, parks and fighting toll roads."

He said, "We deserve better than what we have now under the Perry adminstration. Our budget is out of balance and we need new leadership."

According to Bell, "Rick Perry and Carole Strayhorn took from our children and left 100-thousand children without health care."

He posed the question to the audience, "Where is the money for education?" He pointed out that "The TAKs test is the tail wagging the dog. One test should not be the final say on our students future."

Bell receive a standing ovation for his remarks.

Radnofsky followed by claiming her opponent Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, "has sold out to the Chinese." She said, "Our Senator has for too long been scratching the back of big business and other parts of their anatomy!"

The crowd responded with a loud ovation. Radnofsky spoke at length about the veterans of the United States and related how her father, a WWII veteran spend time in a prisoner-of-war camp only to escape to England and back to the United States.

She lauded all those veterans who gave their life in defense of America and told the audience, "It is time to give back to those veterans."

Radnofsky touched on health care, senior care, raising minimum wage, education and supporting the working family.

She also received a standing ovation at the end of her speech.

"The election is in the bag," says NW Democrats

Joyce Dorrycott (photo)
Northwest's original Bag Lady

Northwest Democrat First Bagging Party A Smashing Success!!

Eighteen people showed up at Northwest Democrats headquarters Friday night to bag literature for twenty Democratic candidates. They filled 970 bags for walkers to deliver Saturday in Precinct 3037.

In addition, four Democratic candidates - Judge Barbara Nellermoe, judicial candidates Larry Noll and Peter Sakai, and 23rd Congressional District candidate, Lukin Gilliland, came by to meet and greet the volunteers.

Larry Noll and his wife stayed the entire evening, working side by side with Northwest campaign volunteers as did Adam Zeldes, husband of Barbara Scharf-Zeldes.

During break time, around 8:15, candidates Nellemoe, Noll, Sakai and Adam Zeldes thanked the volunteers for their support, encouraged them to take the message of the need for change to the voters between now and election day.

It was a very lively, productive evening for everyone involved.

Update:
653 houses were walked on Saturday in Pct. 3037 by 13 people. Ciro Rodriguez walked with us. Other candidates are encouraged to do so. In addition, two volunteers put together 225 more bags for delivery during the coming weeks. We plan to finish off Pct. 3037 on Labor Day.

Joe Farias rallies his troops for block walking

Joe Farias (Photo)
State Rep. District 118th candidate

Joe Farias, candidate for the District 118th State Rep. race gathered his supporters at his headquarters on Pleasanton Road, Saturday, September 1st to motivate and inspire them to block walk with him, passing out literature and securing votes for the election in November.

He reminded them that his opponent accepted big money from corporations and that "this race is about neighborhoods, not the big monied corporations that don't support the working man and woman."

He also reminded them that on Saturday, September 9th , the campaign would be selling plates to raise money for the campaign.

It was also announced that Cliff Walker, former constituent services director for Congressman Henry Cuellar was now the field coordinator for the Farias campaign.

Bexar County Tejano Democrats elect Jones, Chair

From L to R: Dan Barrett, (Treasurer) Alice Guerra, (Vice Chair) Charlie Jones, (Chair) and Gina Castaneda (Secretary)

Charlie Urbina Jones was re-elected as Bexar County Tejano Democrats Chair in an unanimous vote, along with first time Tejano Vice-Chair Alice Guerra, Secretary Gina Castaneda and Treasurer Dan Barrett.

Congressional District 23 Democratic candidates Lukin Gilliland and Albert Uresti also attended and spoke to the crowd about their campaigns. Both candidates agreed to only attack Congressman Henry Bonilla and not each other during the campaign.

Gina Castaneda, spokesman for Ciro Rodriguez and Larry Romo on behalf of Rick Bolanos pledged on behalf of their candidates that they would do the same. Augie Beltran, who was not present agreed to the same ground rules through one of the other candidates.

Elected officials who attended the Saturday, September 1st, meeting at Tito's Restaurant on South Alamo, included: Bexar County Democratic Chair Carla Vela, Deputy Chair, Pct. 4 Vincent Garcia and Balcones Heights Councilman Steve Walker.

Judicial candidates speak to Northeast Democrats

Judicial candidates Ray Olivarri, Judges Tessa Herr & David Rodriguez. (photo)




Judicial candidates addressed the Northeast Democrats, Saturday, September 1st, at the Luby's Cafeteria on Nachodoches Road at their monthly meeting.

Judge Al Alonzo spoke first to the crowd of activists. He pointed out that his court collected more fines than any other court. He also mentioned that his court addressed 25-thousand cases for school age kids.

Eddie De La Garza, candidate for the 4th Court of Appeals, followed Alonzo. De La Garza said, "The court should not be run by influential money. My opponent receives large amounts of money from the corporations. What does that say about her?"

Carlton Spears, who is running against the number one Judge who lawyers file appeals said, "My opponent has the most cases reversed. Lawyers who face her say that she is not fair and that she yells at lawyers in her court."

Judical candidate Larry Noll pointed out that there was a crisis in the courts. According to Noll, "93 percent of all cases that will go to the court I am seeking is family law."

Other judges and other judicial candidates who spoke include: Peter Sakai, Ray Olivarri, Dan Pozza, Judge Tessa Herr and Judge David Rodriguez.

Other elected officials who attended included: Judge Karen Pozza Le Lowry, advocate for the poor and Balcones Heights Councilman Steve Walker.

Congressional ballot sequence set for District 21

John Courage (photo)

Ballot sequence:
1. Tommy Calvert (I)
2. John Courage (D)
3. Lamar Smith (R)
4. Gene Kelly (D)
5. Mark Rossano (I)
6. James Strohm (I)

Congressional District 23 ballot sequence

From Left to Right: Albert Uresti, Lukin Gilliland, & Ciro Rodrgiguez

The ballot is now set with the order of candidates for the special election, November 7th.
1. Albert Uresti (D)
2. Craig Stephens (I)
3. Augie Beltran (D)
4. Henry Bonilla (R)
5. Adrian De Leon (D)
6. Lukin Gilliland (D)
7. Ciro Rodriguez (D)
8. Rick Bolanos (D)

Ciro Rodriguez says..."I am baack!!!!!

Top Row: Ciro Rodriguez, candidate for District 23, Carolina Rodriguez, Ciro's wife
2nd Row: Gina Castaneda, campaign manager and Rosa Rosales, LULAC National President
3rd Row: Carlos Guerra, SA Express-News columnist; Greg Jefferson, political reporter for the Express-News; & Keli Dailey, SA Current reporter
4th Row: Mike Board, WOAI Radio reporter

In an astounding turnabout, Congressional District 23 candidate Ciro Rodriguez experienced a change of heart after a huge backlash to his announcement at the Central Labor Council (CLC) Wednesday, August 30th that he was dropping out of the congressional race.

Rodriguez cited an overwhelming number of phone calls to his headquarters, crowds turning up at his headquarters and checks from $500 and larger in a 48-hour time frame that convinced him he needed to stay the course.

Introduced by Stella Pope, long time supporter, the crowd chanted, "Ciro, Ciro." According to the former Congressman, "We have turned this around and I have decided to do my darnest and stay in the race."

He continued, "We are going to make this happen if we do it together. We will go all the way to the December runoff."

Rodriguez told the enthusiastic crowd, " I will work hard and dedicate myself to the campaign and just do it."

SA Current Reporter Kellie Dailey asked him his reaction to being labeled a flip-flopper by his critics. Rodriguez replied, They can call me flip-flopper or whatever the hell they want, but I am in this race to win."

He also pointed out to the crowd that he knows the voters understand about this race. "It is not about me, but about the kids and the seniors who have been denied services, along with the veterans who have suffered under this administration."

Over 40 neighbors and long time friends suffered the heat of the afternoon sun to come out and support Rodriguez.