ustxtxb_obs_1977_01_28_50_00018-00000_000.pdf

Dallasites Dan Weiser, Pat Hold away, and Betty McKool have played around with the statistics of the ’76 presidential election in Texas. and come up with these tallies: of 600,000 Mexican-American votes, eight out of ten went to Carter; of 373,000 black votes, nine out of ten went to Carter; of 3 million anglo votes, four out of ten went to Carter. The three also figure that Carter attracted 53 percent of the former Wallace vote and conclude surprisingly that “Gov. Dolph Briscoe’s extensive campaigning and an active unified Democratic Party had no significant regional effect [in Texas] compared with past elections.” Mexican-Arnerican, black, labor, and rural areas did not give Carter an appreciably greater vote than what Democratic presidential candidates can usually count on. On to 1978 John Rogers, the widely repected lobbyist and political director for Texas AFL-CIO, has hired on as campaign organizer for John Hill, who clearly is running for governor. Hill reportedly has $100,000 in the bag to start the ’78 race. Governor Briscoe says he can go Hill ten times better than thathe has confirmed he has pledges of $1 million for a re-election bid. There was a gathering of fat cats at a Uvalde County ranch Jan. 8, and the governor made a strong pitch to the assembled grandees about the wisdom of re-electing him. Bo Byers of the Houston Chronicle reported that “Those in attendance represented virtually every major special-interest group in Texas business. They included representatives of banking, insurance, contracting, airlines, oil and gas, realtors, and trucking.” This early move on big money and the governor’s surprise 18 The Texas Observer embrace of legislation to create a Texas commission on the status of women, suggest he’s out to cut off early financial and political support for Hill. There’s a host of folks lined up to run at U.S. Sen. John Tower in 1978. One whiff of the wind even has Briscoe interested in the seat, but that’s hardly likely. At the moment, two Democrats are certain candidates: State Insurance Board chairman Joe Christie and U.S. Rep. Bob Krueger. Other Democrats said to be studying it are U.S. Rep. Barbara Jordan of Houston, 1972 senatorial nominee Barefoot Sanders of Dallas, and Houston Mayor Fred Hofheinz, though the mayor says he probably will stay in Houston and run for a third term this coming fall. Then there’s chat that Liz Carpenter, recently returned to Texas, will get into the fray. Other shifting will go on as poten tial tial candidates decide which starting gate to enter. Secy. of State Mark White looks sure to run for attorney general, although he says he will seek Governor Briscoe’s advice first \(there’s a primary, for Price Daniel Jr. \(reis Rep. Sarah Weddington of Austin. Then there’s the state treasurer’s office, now occupied as it has been since Hoyt Purvis Attorney General John Hill about 1873 by Jesse James. He is not in the best of health these days, but chances are he’ll run if he can. He’s likely to face some tough opposition from such mentionables as Weddington \(if she doesn’t make the AG race inland, George Bristol \(who managed Lloyd Bentsen’s re-election campaign and, more recently, headed something called the Texas Democratic Inaugural of Jasper. And there are several floaters, such as Rep. Dan Kubiak of Rockdale, former Rep. Lane Denton of Waco, and Houston Controller Leonel Castillo, all of whom are available for as yet unspecified statewide offices. And what if Land Commissioner Bob Armstrong doesn’t get what he wants in Washington? What then? Meanwhile, out in Lubbock, there is a man who told Michael Patterson of UPI, “I believe that without bragging, I know more people personally in Texas than any man living.” His name is Preston Smith, and he says he hasn’t ruled out another race for the governorship. After 26 years If Texas farm chief John White goes to Washington as undersecre tary of agriculture, as is expected, who will replace him in the post that he has filled since 1952? Gov. Dolph Briscoe would appoint an interim commissioner to serve until one is elected on his own right in the 1978 general election, and speculation has centered on Rep. Joe House agriculture committee, and Bill Pieratt, a former legislator who has been White’s top aide for years. But neither could be called a sure bet to win statewide election, so look for a big field of entries for the 1978 race. A