ustxtxb_obs_1994_01_14_50_00004-00000_000.pdf

increased almost 46 percent, to $71 billion. Get ready for 11 months of reading between the lines and “on the other hands …” Lieutenant Governor: Bob Bullock drew no Democratic primary challengers, but three Republicans screwed up their courage \(and may have screwed the Republican ticket by getting Bullock personally motivated in getting out the Democratic vote in the general business during the 1993 legislative session to make executives think long and hard about supporting the winner of the GOP primary, which features: H.J. “Tex” Lezar, a lawyer who worked in the Nixon and Reagan administrations, finished third in the 1990 primary for attorney general and now leads a conservative think tank in Dallas; Louis Podesta, a consultant from San Antonio; and Randy Staudt, a Leander City Councilman who actively opposed Apple Computer’s benefits for samesex domestic partners. Podesta and Staudt later withdrew, but Bullock spokesman Tony Proffitt said the Lieutenant Governor , only has two speeds: “On and Off.” Attorney General: Some Democrats have grumbled about the way Dan Morales has operated the Attorney General’s office, comparing his low-key, relatively nonpartisan style to that of his activist predecessor, Jim Mattox, but Morales did not draw Democratic primary opposition. Republican challengers include John McClellan Marshall, a district judge in Dallas; Pat Lykos, and Don Wittig, district judges in Houston; and Cameron County Judge Antonio “Tony” Garza of Brownsville, who supported imposing the death penalty on offenders as young as 13. Republicans have criticized Morales’ settlement of the 21-year-old Ruiz lawsuit on prison conditions and his child support collections, but it’s hard to believe Morales is on the left wing with his high profile in advocating imposition of the death penalty, after he took the position that the state has the right to execute capital murder convicts without hearing new evidence of possible innocence. Comptroller: John Sharp announced he will seek a second and what would be his final term as state Comptroller of Public Accounts. His only opponent is Teresa Doggett, an Austin accountant best known as the wife of John Doggett, who tried to discredit Anita Hill during the Senate hearings on Clarence Thomas. Doggett and Republican Chairman Fred Meyer, who said he talked her into the race did “Shrub” Bush no favors in engaging Sharp: The 43year-old former legislator from Placedo was elected Comptroller in 1990 with 63 percent of the vote; his performance audits, which helped identify billions in potential state budget cuts, drew admiring remarks from Republicans before they remembered that he would be up for election again. Sharp said his goal be to continue shaking up government, but he told reporters two terms would be enough: “I cannot imagine a scenario where I would run again.” Agriculture Commissioner: Marvin Gregory, 55, a Sulphur Springs farmer and former Hopkins County Republican chairman, filed as the Democratic nominee for Agriculture Commissioner. Gregory has said he switched to the Democratic Party in 1986 when it became clear to him that the Reagan Administration was not interested in helping family farmers. Governor Richards appointed Gregory to the Agriculture Finance Authority. Perry, a former Democrat, was recruited into the GOP in 1990 to unseat Jim Hightower. Gregory criticized Perry for supporting the North American Free Trade Agreement, which is expected to further undermine small farmers in Texas, and he accused Perry of spending too much time looking out for the interests of large corporate farmers, and not being in tune with family farmers. Land Commissioner: Garry Mauro, 45, is unopposed in the Democratic primary as he seeks a fourth term. His Republican opponent is Marta Greytok, a business consultant and former member of the Public Utility Commission. Railroad Commission: Railroad Commissioner Jim Nugent faces a Democratic primary challenge from Robert Earley, a legislator from Portland who attacked Nugent on intrastate trucking rates. Republican Charles Matthews, a former Garland mayor, also said Nugent has supported trucking regulations that have resulted in uncompetitive rates that have forced companies to set up shop in neighboring states to take advantage of more favorable interstate regulations. Nugent noted that Texas led the nation in new factories in 1992 and Austin, San Antonio and Dallas-Fort Worth were three of the top 10 growth markets that year. In the other seat up for election, Mary Scott Nabers, who was appointed to the Railroad Commission by Governor Ann Richards, is running for the unexpired term. She said she would initiate a study of transportation needs and safety as a result of the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement. She faces David Young of Austin in the Democratic primary while Carole Keeton Rylander, a business consultant and former Austin mayor, filed in the Republican primary. Treasurer: Martha Whitehead, the Democratic appointee to fill out Kay Bailey Hutchison’s term at the Treasury, surprised many people when she came out in favor of abolishing the office and placing its duties with the State Comptroller of Public Accounts. The former Longview mayor will face Grady Yarbrough, a Flint teacher, in the Democratic primary. The Republicans include David A. Hartman, an Austin banker; and Mike Wolfe, a Houston high school junior who paid his $3,000 filing fee from proceeds from his business of selling autographs of famous politicians. He would be 18, as the law requires, before he would take the oath of office in January 1995. Supreme Court: With the decision of Lloyd Doggett to seek an Austin Congressional seat vacated by Jake Pickle, the Texas Supreme Court loses its most liberal justice, but the high court’s most conservative justice, Nathan Hecht, also is in danger. He faces a Republican opponent in Charles Ben Howell, the former Dallas appeals judge who beat Hecht in a 1986 GOP primary. The Democratic primary for Hecht’ s Place 2 seat also offers a choice of two judges who could put up a credible general election challenge: Mike Westergren, a district judge from Corpus Christi, and Alice Oliver Parrot, chief justice of the 1st Court of Appeals in Houston. In the Democratic primary for Place 3 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin, faces Margaret Garner Mirabal of the 1st Court of Appeals in Houston. Priscilla Richman Owens, Houston lawyer, filed as a Republican. As Walter Borges of Texas Lawyer noted, victories by Carroll for Doggett’ s Place 3 and either Westergren or Oliver Parrot for Hecht’s Place 2 could put a centrist group of Democrats back in control of the court. Justice Raul Gonzalez, a conservative Democrat on the high court, also faces a credible Democratic primary opponent in Rene Haas, a former district judge from Corpus Christi, who said Gonzalez’ s “judicial philosophy in the areas of women and families is of particular concern …” Haas promised to bring moderation, balance and stability to the court. Seeking to deflect criticism of her decision to take on the first statewide Mexican-American elected official, Haas has enlisted the aid of senators Gonzalo Barrientos of Austin, Greg Luna of San Antonio and Carlos Truan of Corpus Christi and Texas Employment Commission Chairman Eddie Cavazos of Corpus Christi. Her husband is David Perry, a former president of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, and her campaign manager is Phyllis Dunham, former director of the Texas Abortion Rights Action League. Also in the Democratic primary is Bill Yarborough, nephew of former Sen. Ralph Yarborough. In the Republican primary for Place 1, District Judge Oliver Kitzman of Brookshire filed to run against George Busch, 64, an Azle lawyer and municipal judge. Busch described himself as “the real George Busch” when he filed, prompting GOP Executive Director Karen Hughes to tell reporters, “I don’t know if people will confuse him for the president or the beer.” Kitzman said he would pursue the race in the general election only if Gonzalez is defeated in the Democratic primary. Court of Criminal Appeals: Controversy over implementation of the death penalty may focus attention on the Court of Criminal Appeals this year, although the three incumbents who are up for election this year are among the court’s moderates. 4 JANUARY 14, 1994