Houstonians - Rally for Hubert Vo tomorrow!

[WestHoustonDem]

There will be a massive rally in support of Democratic nominee and apparent State Representative-elect Hubert Vo on Monday morning, November 8, 2004, beginning promptly at NOON!

As most of you are aware, Hubert has apparently defeated one of the most important members of the Texas House of Representatives, Talmadge Heflin, Chair of the Appropriations Committee and close confidant of GOP Speaker Tom Craddick. At present, counting of suspiciously received mail in ballots and provisional ballots is taking place.....suspicious in that when the voting stopped on Tuesday night and complete totals were given to the Texas Secretary of State, Hubert had won the race. Since that time, mail ballots have suddenly appeared and the totals have changed several times since the totals were given to the Secretary of State. Speaker Craddick has been overheard saying that it didn't matter what the totals were, Heflin would be seated by the House in January.


WE MUST STOP THE THEFT OF ANOTHER ELECTION! Join us at Hubert's Houston Campaign Headquarters located at 11360 Bellaire Blvd on Monday and show that we are mad as hell and will not take the theft of another election. The office is located in the Universal Shopping Center between Beltway 8 and Kirkwood on Bellaire (next to the UHaul Center and across from Hong Kong Mall)

The media will be in attendance for this rally and we need a HUGE turnout in support of Hubert.

Karen Loper

[TriMetFan]

1. Good luck and stay safe out there in Texas.

[sonias]

2. Thank you lyn and Houston DU!

Those of us here in Austin salute you and we're with you in spirit. Most of us can not be with you but there are some things we can do.

For those not familiar with the situation here is a brief recap at the Burnt Orange Report. And you can at least contact Heflin and Kaufman.

http://www.burntorangereport.com/archives/002602.html
November 06, 2004
Republicans Trying to Steal Houston Election
If you thought the days of stealing elections after the votes had been
cast went away with Boss Parr and Richard Daley, you would be wrong.
Down in Houston right now we have a real effort to steal away the biggest Democratic victory in Texas right from under our feet.

This week, rookie candidate Hubert Vo knocked off 22-year incumbent Talmadge Heflin in a close race on Houston's southwest side. When Harris Co. Clerk Beverly Kaufman sent her staff home at 9:30 p.m. Election Night, Vo's margin of victory stood at 110 votes. When Wednesday morning dawned, that margin had been narrowed to 52. Now it stands at 38.

(snip)
Please contact the following people and tell them that in America we count every vote and we only count it once. That people decide elections, whether we like their judgment or not. Tell them to stand down and let the voters' will go forth- that Hubert Vo serve them in the Texas Legislature.

TALMADGE HEFLIN -- 281-530-1110 Campaign office
[e-mail]

BEVERLY KAUFMAN -- 713-755-6405 County office
[e-mail]
-------------------

Sonia

[sonias]

3. Any reports from the rally folks?

Nov. 8, 2004, 12:43PM
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2889311
Vote count in tight Texas House race continues
Officials began but didn't finish counting the county's 3,000 absentee ballots on Sunday. They planned to finish on Monday as well as count 4,000 provisional ballots.

Intermingled with all these ballots are about 189 provisional and 200 absentee ones from people who voted in the race between Heflin and Vo.

This process is usually without much fanfare but this time it had at least 24 poll watchers, half Democrat and half Republican, looking on and taking notes.
------------------
No retreat and no surrender. Hang in their Vo!

Sonia

[PDittie]

4. No news on the count

The officials barricaded themselves in. Significant police presence outside, considering there only about 30-40 folks like myself there in support of Hubert. A handful of GOP also. Both sides did some chanting and jeering at each other, otherwise peaceful.

Media present, but no reports on the 6 p.m. newscasts.

A lot of figureheads whined to the media:

While they waited, officials with Heflin's campaign and the Republican Party of Texas accused state Democrat Party representatives of harassing and criticizing Harris County election officials for how they conducted the ballot review.

"Our primary concern is to make sure every eligible vote is counted," said Republican Party of Texas Chairwoman Tina Benkiser. "The election officials are doing their job. It's completely uncalled for and casts a pall on the process when the process is working as state law dictates."

Craig Murphy, spokesman for the Heflin campaign, said such tactics have been employed by the Democrat Party throughout the campaign.

But Karen Loper, Vo's campaign manager, denied the accusations.

"If that is happening, and I don't know if that is happening, that has nothing to do with the campaign," she said. "We don't attack people. We believe in the process so we don't do that."

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/news/110804_APlocal_votes.html

[Brazosboomer]

5. This from Harvey Kronberg a 6:30

VO UP BY 26 VOTES, APPEARS TO BE 22 PROVISIONAL BALLOTS LEFT
Final results within the hour

[sonias]

9. Brazosboomer I am actually praying for Vo

May the force be with him.

Sonia

[sonias]

8. Loved how that story added the repuke family value angle

You know the value where you try to steal your maid's child.

"He made headlines this summer in a custody battle with his former African immigrant maid over her 20-month-old son. Heflin and his wife felt they were better parents for the boy, but a Houston judge ordered Heflin to return the boy to his mother."

A-hole Heflin!
:mad:

Sonia

[WestHoustonDem]

6. I was on the TV tonight!

I shook hands with Hubert Vo at the rally and they showed me on channel 13 news tonight!

Nothing official yet but our West Houston Democrats President called in tonight and Hubert was ahead by 28 with 22 absentee ballots left to count. So as long as no more ballots mysteriously appear, it looks good.....

[CitySky]

7. thanks for the update

Hubert Vo was one of our FEW pieces of good news last week -- glad they haven't managed to steal that too!!!