State Representative-Elect Tara Rios Ybarra - District 43 (South Padre Island)
State Representative-Elect Diana Maldonado - District 52 (Round Rock)
State Representative-Elect Marisa Marquez - District 77(El Paso)
State Representative-Elect Joseph E. Moody - District 78 (El Paso)
State Representative-Elect Chris Turner - District 96 (Fort Worth)
State Representative-Elect Robert Miklos - District 101 (Dallas)
State Representative-Elect Carol Kent - District 102 (Dallas)
State Representative-Elect Kristi Thibaut - District 133 (Houston)
State Representative-Elect Armando Walle - District 140 (Houston)
State Representative-Elect Carol Alvarado - District 145 (Houston)
State Representative-Elect Al Edwards - District 146 (Houston)

Also: congratulations to all our Democratic candidates in county wide races in Harris County. To those who weren’t victorious, thank you for running spirited campaigns. To those who were, I look forward to being of assistance in whatever way I can. Below is a list of newly elected officials elected countywide in Harris County.

Justice-Elect Jim Sharp - First Court of Appeals
Judge-Elect Mike Miller - District Judge, 11th Judicial District
Judge-Elect Dion Ramos - District Judge, 55th Judicial District
Judge-Elect Al Bennett - District Judge, 61st Judicial District
Judge-Elect Larry Weiman - District Judge, 80th Judicial District
Judge-Elect Kyle Carter - District Judge, 125th Judicial District
Judge-Elect R.K. Sandill - District Judge, 127th Judicial District
Judge-Elect Michael Gomez - District Judge, 129th Judicial District
Judge-Elect Jaclanel McFarland - District Judge, 133rd Judicial District
Judge-Elect Mike Engelhart - District Judge, 151st Judicial District
Judge-Elect Robert Schaffer - District Judge, 152nd Judicial District
Judge-Elect Alexandra Smoots-Hogan - District Judge, 164th Judicial District
Judge-Elect Josefina Muniz Rendon - District Judge, 165th Judicial District
Judge-Elect Ruben Guerrero - District Judge, 174th Judicial District
Judge-Elect Shawna L. Reagin - District Judge, 176th Judicial District
Judge-Elect Kevin Fine - District Judge, 177th Judicial District
Judge-Elect David Mendoza - District Judge, 178th Judicial District
Judge-Elect Randy Roll - District Judge, 179th Judicial District
Judge-Elect Steven E. Kirkland - District Judge, 215th Judicial District
Judge-Elect Herb Ritchie - District Judge, 337th Judicial District
Judge-Elect Hazel B. Jones - District Judge, 338th Judicial District
Judge-Elect Maria T. “Terri” Jackson - District Judge, 339th Judicial District
Judge-Elect Robert Hinojosa - Family District Judge, 312th Judicial District
Judge-Elect Kathy Stone - County Probate Court No. 1

County Attorney-Elect Vince Ryan
District Clerk-Elect Loren Jackson
County Sheriff-Elect Adrian Garcia

County School Trustee-Elect Debra Kerner - Position 5, At Large
County School Trustee-Elect Jim Henley - Position 7, At Large

This is our time. The tide has turned in Harris County!  Not only did we elect a new President in an historic election, but together, we elected Democratic candidates up and down the ballot.  Voters were open to our Democratic message of change.

Democrats made significant gains in Harris County — from our new Sheriff, Adrian Garcia, who was the highest vote getter of anyone in Harris County  and will do a terrific job of running the Harris County Sheriff’s department to the 24 new Democratic judges who will bring balance and diversity to the previously all Republican Harris County countywide judiciary to the new Democratic state legislator, Kristi Thibaut, replacing a Republican incumbent.

This is not just a victory for Democrats.  It is a victory for all the people of Harris County.

None of this would’ve been possible without your help. You gave your time and your money and most importantly, your vote.  And we appreciate all that you have done to turn Harris County blue.

Of course, our job is not over.  Chris Bell is in a runoff in Texas Senate District 17, and he needs our help support to put another Democrat in the Texas Senate. You can visit www.chrisbell.com to find out how you can help send him to Austin.

And the work to complete the job we have made such strides to accomplish, by putting more Democrats in positions of leadership in this county and this state in 2010, must begin right away. We trust you will be with us on this journey as you have been to this point in time. Thank you once again for your dedication and support to our Party.

Sincerely,
Gerry Birnberg

And if you want to help with setup for the party, contact bill@hcdp.org.

The choice is up to us. Democrats are in a position to sweep Harris County, but we need your help right up through the election if we want to make it happen.

We’ve seen an unprecedented wave of Democratic enthusiasm and momentum this year, but we can’t rest until we get every last Democratic voter to the polls by November 4. If we make sure that every Democrat in Harris County votes, we will win. And victory starts with you.

All it takes is two hours. Will you give us two hours of your time over the next six days to make personal phone calls or distribute literature? Your contribution to our GOTV effort will make the difference on November 4.

Get involved at the office nearest you:

Hundreds of fired-up and ready-to-go Democrats poured into Discovery Green downtown for the Harris County Democratic Party’s Early Vote Rally, and soon park echoed with their cheers and calls for change. In fact, Harris County Democrats provided the largest crowd for an event at Discovery Green since the park opened last April.

Supporters heard from U.S. Senate candidate Rick Noriega, who is running against Bush’s rubber-stamp John Cornyn, Congressman Nick Lampson, who is running in a tight race to keep Tom DeLay’s old seat, and County Sheriff Candidate Adrian Garcia, who is running against scandal-plagued incumbent Tommy Thomas. They all urged the crowd to vote early and vote Democratic — Democrats got 48% of the vote in 2006, and if we all vote this year, we will finally take back the county.

Between speakers the party showed some videos we produced for the occasion: “Beat It,” a video which goes through the unbelievable scandals and ethical problems of the Republican county government, and “Know the Facts,” a video to clear up misconceptions about the voting process and urge the importance of voting straight ticket. If you’ve missed the event, you can catch all our videos here.

The enthusiasm shown by Democratic supporters at the rally is just the tip of the iceberg of the Democratic surge happening in Harris County. We’re going to turn the county blue, and before long, Texas Democrats will be turning more than a few heads.

Everyone there had a great time, and special thanks go out to all of our volunteers and candidates for making the event such a success.

It’s become painfully obvious to everybody in Harris County that Republican leadership has given us a corrupt county government. County Judge Ed Emmett makes excuses and refuses to take responsibility, propose ethics reforms with no teeth and no chance of passing, and then lies on his resumé about being a lobbyist. County Sheriff Tommy Thomas sends racist and pornographic e-mails, spies illegally on citizens, and is under federal investigation for deaths in our jails. County Attorney Mike Stafford has had an inappropriate personal and financial relationship with one of his staffers, and District Clerk Theresa Chang is under tax forfeiture. The list goes on and on.

Is it possible, then, that Harris County’s biggest mistake has been Paul Bettencourt?

The Tax Assessor’s office in Harris County is trusted with one of the most important functions served by our government: the registration of voters. One would think that Bettencourt would be bound by honor and civic duty to ensure that he does a good job. Instead, he works as a partisan hack for voter suppression laws while failing to properly process valid applications.
Ask any volunteer voter registrar about their experience with Bettencourt’s office and odds are you’ll hear the same story: the only thing consistent about Paul Bettencourt’s office is its inconsistency with changing deadlines, changing rules, and changing interpretations. He rejects applications and takes too long to inform the voter — making the real loser is the voting public.

Recently Bettencourt’s actions are becoming public because some voters are showing up to the polls and finding out they aren’t registered. KHOU-11 showed up at Bettencourt’s office with a stack of improperly invalidated voter forms, and asked him to explain himself. Amid his stammering, all Bettencourt could manage to say was that the forms represent “a mistake” and claimed a “fantastic” relationship with the local League of Women Voters.

The local League of Women Voters refutes this claim.

So not only does Bettencourt lie on camera, but there is a mounting wave of anecdotal evidence accusing his office of improper and incompetent behavior. Neither of these help his case.

With new voter registrations greatly favoring Democrats, we can’t help but wonder if Mr. Bettencourt is just another of the many Republicans nationwide trying to stem the Democratic tide by putting politics before governance. If KHOU’s report is any indication, there are some important questions that need to be asked before November 4.

By the way, his Democratic opponent is — really — an ethics teacher.

It’s time for a lesson.

It’s the unprecedented level of enthusiasm and momentum you see every day in our campaign offices and in your neighborhoods.

If you haven’t volunteered yet, now is your chance to join our momentum and help us to work to victory these next two weeks. We need your help more than ever to blast through the finish line, turn out Democrats, and make the difference in November.

Our eight county-wide campaign offices are open from early in the morning to late at night, and are filled with supporters like you working tirelessly to bring change to Harris County.

Call 713-802-0085 or click here to find an office near you. Give us a call today. Only with your help can we defeat decades of entrenched Republican corruption, and turn Harris County Blue.

“How can we trust Theresa Change to be chief record keeper for the third largest county in America if she can’t keep her own records straight?” said Loren Jackson, Democratic candidate for District Clerk. “Certainly supporting the educational pursuits of outstanding women is of the utmost importance, but Theresa Chang needs to explain to the people of Harris County how she can accurately and efficiently keep up with the records and documents of their lives, while dropping the ball in her own.”

Theresa Chang has had nine years to contact the Secretary of State and the Comptroller’s office and submit the proper paperwork to be in good standing and legally reinstate her foundation before funding any scholarships.  Not only does this question her competency as District Clerk, but it also questions her own ethical standards.

“Theresa Chang needs to explain to Harris County voters why, like many of her Republican colleagues — including her former boss Mike Stafford — she doesn’t think the rules apply to her,” said Jackson.  “And her inability to keep her own records straight is reflected in the antiquated way in which her office is maintaining county records.”

The District Clerk’s Office is responsible for maintaining all court records for 59 District Courts and 15 County Criminal Courts in Harris County.  The office also issues jury summons, helps manage child support accounts and monies paid on civil cases.

“The activities of the District Clerk’s office can affect each of our lives — from child support payments that might mean school supplies or doctor visits for a child to the filing of civil suits and divorce cases,” said Jackson.  “Harris County needs a District Clerk who will be a good steward of taxpayer dollars and manage the Clerk’s office in an efficient and timely manner, rather than lagging nine years behind.”