LABOR DAY EVENT A BIG SUCCESS:

Several hundred people had a great time at the DCDP's Annual Labor Day Picnic. (Since we didn't charge for it, we don't have an exact count.) They shared food -- much of it potluck dishes and desserts brought from attendees' homes, signed candidates' ballot petitions, heard from a very good young singer and a few speakers, and got to socialize with lots of other Democrats from around the county.


One of the fun tables (shown in the photo above -- taken from Dungeon
Diary) was that of the Stonewall Democrats, who were holding a straw poll. Participants got to vote by putting a donation (which will go to LifeWalk for AIDS services) in a jar labelled with the face of their favored Presidential candidate. (We don't have the official count yet.)

Other groups at the event (including tables for Presidential candidates Clinton, Obama, and Edwards, at least) included the Trinity Vote campaign against the toll road, the Lake Highlands White Rock Democrats, reminding people of their 13th Annual Chili Supper October 27, and the Democratic Grassroots Coalition, telling folks about their Grassroot Music Festival October 7.

One statewide candidate for the Democratic nomination in 2008 was present and spoke to the crowd: Thirteenth Court Of Appeals Justice Linda Yanez is seeking a seat on the Texas Supreme Court. Representatives of both candidates for U.S. Senate against John Cornyn were there: Mikal Watts and Rick Noriega.

Some of the many local Democratic elected officials that we think we saw present included State Senator Royce West (who led an opening prayer), State Representatives Terri Hodge and Barbara Mallory Caraway, Judges Don Adams, Lennox Bower, John Creuzot, Carl Ginsberg, David Hanschen (circulating petitions to run for a higher level court), Martin Hoffman, Jim Jordan, Martin Lowy, Sally Montgomery, Lorraine Raggio, Jeff Rosenfield, Doug Skemp, Ken Tapscott, Carter Thompson, Fred Tinsley, Emily Tobolowsky, Sheriff Lupe Valdez, County Judge Jim Foster, District Clerk Gary Fitzsimmons, County Clerk John Warren, County Treasurer Joe Wells, Justice of the Peace Juan Jasso, Constables Jaime Cortes and Derrick Evans, and Dallas County Democratic Party Chair Darlene Ewing. Other local elected officials included Dallas Councilman Dwaine Caraway, DISD Boardmember Adam Medrano, and Dallas County School Boardmembers Larry Duncan and Ann Hubener.

Among former local officials we believe we saw present were former State Representative Domingo Garcia, former Judges Eric Moye (now running for Judge of the 14th District) and Charles McGarry, former Dallas City Councilmember John Loza, former DISD Boardmember Robert Medrano, former Dallas County Democratic Party Chair Ken Molberg (now running for Judge of the 95th District), and former County Chairs Theresa Daniel and I.

There were also some other candidates present that are not incumbents or former elected officers. I picked up literature from Gracie Lewis (running for Judge of Criminal District Court #3), Robert Miklos (going for State Representative in District 101 - Mesquite), and two of the three candidates for Dallas County Tax Assessor-Collector, John R. Ames and Diana Lackey (our candidate in 2004). Also present was Baltasar Cruz (who lost in the primary to Judge Sally Montgomery two years ago, and this time is running against Ken Molberg in the primary). Emil Reichstadt, who had been aiming at the U.S. Senate, but now may be looking at State Representative District 108, was there, too.

Please forgive any errors or omissions -- not everyone signed in and we may have missed or mistaken someone across the big crowd. And tell us about campaign web sites as they go up!