Candidate Profile: John McLeod

If John McLeod is elected to the Texas Legislature this fall, he will be among the youngest politicians in the statehouse. But don’t let his age fool you. McLeod’s interest in politics goes back to childhood, and he has volunteered on a variety of campaigns. These early experiences naturally led him to study government while at the University of Texas at Austin.

McLeod is running in the 64th District, which includes most of the city of Denton, Lake Dallas, Corinth, and The Colony. The seat is currently held by Republican Myra Crownover.

A fellow candidate describes him as “a true gentleman, in the old-fashioned sense of the word.” Talk to John, and on everything from his political priorities to even the way he criticizes his opponent reflects a certain decency. Of his opponent, Myra Crownover, he says, “Give her credit. She took over her seat under difficult circumstances, after the death of her husband. But her heart isn’t in it, and it shows.” In fact, the latest reports show McLeod’s fundraising efforts outraising Crownover by a two-to-one margin.

John’s wife, Carabeth, is a middle school teacher, and education reform is among his highest priorities. Despite the money and energy spent in recent special sessions, he doesn’t feel Texas has solved its educational crisis. Asked specifically what needs to be done, he states that funding is still an issue, and that we are still not allocating enough dollars to education to provide a first rate system. “Texas needs to adequately fund education, not just pretend to. I’m sick and tired of being first in all the wrong measures, and fiftieth in everything that counts.” A good education shouldn’t be “reserved for someone whose parents are crafty enough to figure out how to send them to private school.” Among his educational priorities, he sees a need to radically improve technology, upgrade textbooks, and increase teacher salaries to keep our school systems competitive.

Asked about the funding crisis for Texas parks, he replies, “This is an issue that resonates with everyone whenever it comes up. There is widespread support for increased funding.” He supports legislation to raise the cap on the amount of money directed to parks from the sporting goods tax.

Discussing one of his reasons for running for public office, he talks about the need for comprehensive campaign finance reform to stop lobbyists from picking the pocket of Texas tax payers. “We’ve created a system of government that is ‘pay to play’.” McLeod doesn’t feel public service should be about making money for himself or lobbyists. One of his heroes is Henry B. Gonzalez, the first Hispanic representative to Congress from Texas. “Henry left office poorer than he came in. That’s public service.”

www.mcleodfortexas.com

candidate profile: jody smith

Jody Smith is the incumbent Mayor of Flower Mound, Texas. Before that, she served on the Parks Board from 1991-1994 and the Flower Mound Planning and Zoning Comission. Since taking office in 2004, she has created a structural reorganization. "Projects were being completed by using reserve funds. We have a charter that says we have to legally stay at greater than 10 percent of our budget set aside as reserve. Our constituents feel that 10 percent is not enough. Numbers like 15 and 20 have been tossed around. But with items like 9/11 happening, and Katrina and Rita, we feel much more comfortable to have our reserves up to about 20 percent."

Mayor Smith's next concern is beautifying and modernizing the town. She wants to oversee the addition of new landscaping along Morriss Road, as well as flowers and land markers at the entrances to the town. She has pointed out that economic developers are now attracted to the area and will oversee the development responsibly. For example, Flower Mound is now anticipating the addition of a four-star hotel on Lake Grapevine as well as lakeside business and retail. Flower Mound can also expect a new JCPenney department store along the bustling end of FM 2499, near Target and Lowe's.

Mayor Smith is also a strong transportation advocate, citing her plan to provide nature trails that link schools, homes, and businesses. She notes that the new stretch of Flower Mound Road (FM 3040) was completed while she was in office. She will make certain that the planned extensions of FM 1171 and FM 2499 are completed with respect to Flower Mound neighborhoods.

Jim Lang, the former Director of Economic Development, is opposing Mayor Smith in the May 13 non-partisan election. Lang has proposed a new sales tax, which Mayor Smith thinks would be opposed by the town's constituents. As a real estate developer, Lang attempted to install an apartment complex in Flower Mound, but he admits that his plan failed. He believes that his becoming Mayor of Flower Mound is "God's plan" for his life.

Under Smith, Flower Mound has "cut costs, legal fees, and parts of the government that haven't worked, while continuing to finish park, infrastructure and road projects." She also plans to continue her fight against Lake Ralph Hall to secure fair water rates for Flower Mound citizens.

Early voting will continue through May 9. Election day is May 13. (For more information on the election, visit a local blog: Flower Mound Road.) Secure a strong Flower Mound by voting for incumbent Mayor Jody Smith. She provides the best path for the town of Flower Mound, as proven by her record of conservative spending while getting things done.

candidate profile: maría luisa alvarado

María Luisa Alvarado originally planned to serve Texas along with her brother. Felix Alvarado, however, was weeded out during the primary season when the check for his filing fee bounced and Chris Bell was selected as the Democratic nominee for Texas Governor. María Luisa continued to pursue the position of Lieutenant Governor despite her brother's exit from the gubernatorial race. After the primary, she was forced into a runoff with her nearest competitor, Benjamin Z. Grant. On April 11, she beat Grant by nearly twenty percentage points and secured her spot on the Democratic ticket for the November 7 election.

María Luisa was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. She is one of twelve children in a family with a strong history of serving the country: all eight of her brothers have served in the military, with four serving in Vietnam and her youngest brother serving currently in Uzbekistan as a part of the Iraq conflict. Her younger sister served in the Texas Air National Guard. María Luisa is herself a veteran of the Texas Air National Guard and the United States Air Force.

María Luisa earned her bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 1988. After graduation she began to work for the National Veterans Outreach Program until funding was cut and she resumed work in healthcare and social services, with special regard to substance abuse treatment and prevention. Because of her strong Texan roots and her outrage at the incumbent, María Luisa has decided to run for office.

It is due to her analyses and critical thinking about current issues affecting Texans and the lack of appropriate response by state leaders that has challenged her to run for elected office. María Luisa believes that all tax payers have a right to expect that their government work effectively and efficiently to serve all its citizens equally and fairly.

As Lieutenant Governor, Alvarado would promote better public education and safer schools, tax relief, protecting the environment, small businesses, safe communities, and "immigration reform without concrete fences." Alvarado also wants a better healthcare system that would extend to "children, elderly, indigent, underemployed, unemployed, [and] uninsured college students."

With your help, María Luisa can defeat the incumbent Republican Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst in the November general election. Please visit her campaign website to learn more about her and her positions on the issues. Just as importantly, please take the time to contribute to her campaign. She faces an uphill battle, but with our support and our vote, we can elect a strong Democrat like María Luisa Alvarado to be the next Lieutenant Governor of Texas.

candidate profile: eddie bernice johnson

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson is a proud Dallas Democrat. She currently represents the 30th District of Texas in the United States House of Representatives. Born in Waco, Johnson was educated in Texas at both Texas Christian University and Southern Methodist University.

Rep. Johnson was elected to the Texas State House of Representatives in 1972 and the Texas State Senate in 1986. She was later elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, a position she still holds, in 1992, when she became the first woman and the first African-American to represent the Dallas area in Washington, D.C. She is also the Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus. According to her official House website, "Congresswoman Johnson sits on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and serves as the Ranking Democratic Member of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. As the Ranking Texan on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, she has secured millions of dollars for Texas development, and has helped Dallas-Fort Worth become one of the fastest growing business areas in the country."

EBJ was a vocal critic of the Iraq War before it even began. In 2002, she made the following statement on the floor of the House:

"I am not convinced that giving the President the authority to launch a unilateral, first-strike attack on Iraq is the appropriate course of action at this time. While I believe that under international law and under the authority of our Constitution, the United States must maintain the option to act in its own self-defense, I strongly believe that the administration has not provided evidence of an imminent threat of attack on the United States that would justify a unilateral strike. I also believe that actions alone, without exhausting peaceful options, could seriously harm global support for our war on terrorism and distract our own resources from this cause."

Congresswoman Johnson is on top of things not only at a national level, but also when it comes to her constituency. She has been a key player in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina that devastated New Orleans. She has secured extra grants from FEMA for the city of Dallas as it housed (and still houses in many cases) the majority of the evacuees. She has also brought home grants for anti-gang intiatives and the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center. Her accomplishments are numerous and too many to detail here.

During her first seven terms, Johnson has received 100% rankings from NARAL, the Human Rights Campaign, the NAACP, Planned Parenthood, the Humane Society of America, the AFL-CIO, the American Bar Association, and countless other organizations and unions.

EBJ is a Dallas favorite. We have consistently re-elected her to Congress since 1992. Let's not stop now. Feel proud and confident as you cast your ballot for incumbent Democrat Eddie Bernice Johnson come November.

candidate profile: ken tapscott

"I am running for the bench because I believe that one way to restore civility in our society is to restore justice in the courtroom. To do so, I'm going to need help from good people like you."

I had the privilege of meeting the man that spoke those words at a rally at Lee Park in Dallas that was led by Senator Joe Biden, Senator Barack Obama, and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid. As someone that is very interested in the law and criminal justice, I am very concerned with electing Democrats to key positions in the courts, which is why I'll be supporting the campaign of Ken Tapscott.

Ken Tapscott is a Democrat running for Judge, Dallas County Court at Law No. 4. He has been a Senior Associate at the prestigious Baron & Budd law firm for the past nine years and has been named the Rising Legal Star for February 2006 by Texas Monthly. He is also a former staff attorney for the Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings and Appeals.

Tapscott earned his Bachelor of Science in Business, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Alabama-Huntsville and received his law degree from the University of Miami Law School.

He is most known for his social work and activities in the community. He was named Honorary Mayor of Fort Worth because of his work with the American Diabetes Association (he is a diabetic himself). He serves as a volunteer moot court judge for the Southern Methodist University Law School. He provided pro bono legal representation for victims of Hurricane Katrina. He is a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and contributes to countless charities, including the North Texas Food Bank, Doctors Without Borders, the SPCA, and Shriner's Hospital for Children.

You can learn more about Ken Tapscott at his campaign website. He is unopposed in the upcoming Democratic primary, so please think about supporting his campaign against incumbent W. Bruce Woody.