In a call to unify behind one candidate in the runoff between Domingo Garcia of Dallas and Marc Veasey of Fort Worth to be the Democratic Party’s nominee for the newly formed Congressional District 33, more than 30 local Latino, Anglo, and African-American civic leaders and racially diverse organizations, have thrown their support to Garcia, according to a press release from Garcia’s campaign.
The Rev. Kyev Tatum, who ran for the 33rd seat and lost, confirmed today that the Black, Brown and Tan Caucus that he helped found, has endorsed Garcia as well. The group is made up of a mix of racially diverse civil rights leaders, ministers and community activists who organized last year to come together as one to successfully lobby for the hiring of Walter Dansby, the first black superintendent in the Fort Worth schools history. Now they are throwing their weight behind Garcia, said Tatum, a civil rights activist for 26 years, because of Garcia’s long and positive record on civil rights.
Veasey, an African American who has been endorsed by a number of Dallas groups including the Dallas Morning News editorial board, has lost key supporters in his former Fort Worth state representative district 95, including Kathleen Hicks, former city council member and former state rep Glenn Lewis, whom Veasey unseated several years ago. Hicks was an also ran for 33, coming in third in a race that had 11 candidates. Both Hicks and Lewis, formidable black leaders, announced their support for Garcia today. Hicks called him a “champion of the individual, small business and laborers…the people who need a voice.”
The 29 local civic leaders listed on Garcia’s endorsement page include City Councilman Sal Espino, Fort Worth ISD trustees Juan Rangel and J.R. Martinez, Dorothy Scherr, Arlington ISD trustee Gloria Pena, Nancy Galvan, the Fort Worth Hispanic business woman of the year, Sergio and Susana De Leon Sr., Association of Texas Professional Educators president of the local chapter, Raul Duran, and the United Hispanic Council Redistricting Committee chair Fernando Florez. Many are also members of the BB&T Caucus.
For blacks to throw their support to an Hispanic candidate over an otherwise popular black candidate — who also has the support of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram editoral board — speaks volumes about the changing dynamics of Tarrant County politics. One of the BB&T caucus founders, Bishop Billy George, told Fort Worth Weekly that the group formed when key community leaders realized that working separately “we were always going to be a minority, together, we are a majority.”
That strategy worked in getting Dansby hired. Come July 31, election day, the results will tell us if it can work for Garcia.
So did Hicks and Tatum let down the African-American community? Since Domingo’s supporters are saying Hispanic leaders supporting Veasey let down the Hispanic community & Domingo has not publicly disavowed this stance, why is it OK for him to seek and receive African-American support but it’s not OK for Veasey to do the same? And it’s not OK for Hispanic leaders to do the same? This cuts both ways but not according to Domingo and his supporters. Hypocrisy at play? Another reason to question whether Domingo is the right man for CD-33.
There is an old saying: ‘ There are some of your COLOR and NOT of your KIND, and there are some of your KIND and NOT your COLOR.’
Democrat and Civil Rights leader for more than 26 years Mr. Kyev Tatum, Sr., said, “Domingo Garcia IS of OUR KIND and he has the experience we need in WASHINGTON.”
Wow! This is so wonderfully said.
Garcia -Where “
GARCIA – A true ADVOCATE and SUPPORTER of “ALL” people.
To Fort Worth Weekly
The article mentions an endorsement by president of the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE), Raul Duran. Mr. Duran is a member of ATPE, however, is not our statewide president as could be interpreted by this statement. Mr. Duran is our 2011-12 local Fort Worth ISD president, but if he made this endorsement it would be as an individual citizen. The article could be misconstrued to mean that our association is endorsing a candidate in this race. ATPE is a non-partisan education association that does not endorse candidates for election. Please retract the name of Association of Texas Professional Educators from this article to indicate that Mr. Duran in his capacity as a citizen has made this endorsement and not ATPE.
Thank You
Brock Gregg
Governmental Relations Director
Association of Texas Professional Educators
To Mr Brock,
I think your statement clarifies Mr.Duran’s position. I won’t retract the name of the teacher organization, but I will put in a note that clarifies that Mr. Duran is the president of the local chapter.
My endorsement for Domingo Garcia has always been listed as a personal endorsement and I never listed myself as the Fort Worth ATPE chapter president or president. I can only presume that a fellow supporter of Domingo who knows that I am the local chapter president, added that information without understanding that ATPE, as an organization, does not endorse political candidates.
I think that Ms. Brink’s addition/correction better defines my endorsement as being a personal one. Thank you, Betty.
It is wonderful to see people have a voice for themselves. Everyone should have a right to count as one!!
Another wonderful endorsement! Para Adelante con GARCIA! DG TO DC!
SE SE PUEDE! LA GENTE ESTA ESCUCHANDO!!!!
“That strategy worked in getting Dansby hired” and every employee in FWISD can see where THAT got us…..
2012- In the world in which we live today, an individual without any enemies is likely to be a COWARD and a SYCOPHANT (A person who attempts to gain advantage by flattering influential people or behaving in a submissive way).
An individual with the RIGHT enemies is often an ADVOCATE who has taken on POWERFUL INTERESTS and STOOD UP for the poor, disenfranchised, and the masses– not the few elite.
DOMINGO GARCIA HAS STOOD, CONTINUES TO STAND, AND WILL STAND for “ALL” PEOPLE ! DG TO DC!
It is a fact- Major interest do NOT truly want democracy since the start of history.
Garcia is PRO DEMOCRATIC society and the TRUE DEMOCRAT on the ballot.
Veasey TRANSFERRED parties. Why? Republican first and Democrat lastly. HHmmm????
— Garcia has genuinely been responsive and accountable to the public throughout his ENTIRE life in Dallas. His wife, Dr. Garcia, has also been an extremely effective public servant as well.
These individuals are SHOW and NOT TELL individuals.
The people of DALLAS and FT. WORTH are asking for a TRUE democracy (roughly translated as “government by the people.”)
Interest groups and major corporations seem to be more powerful than the government. These groups have been and will continue to be concerned about their STOCK holders and NOT their community as a whole.
Are we ALL born equal ??? Democracy???
__________________________________________________________
Dallas Business Journal
MBLA 2011 Business Owners Honorees
Minority Business
Tonya Veasey of Open Channels Group LLC
Tonya Veasey says one of the most important lessons she has learned in the communications business is to trust her own instincts.
“If something just doesn’t feel right, you need to listen to yourself,” the president and founder of Open Channels Group says.
She moved back into the political arena in 2003 as a registered Texas lobbyist with The Eppstein Group.
Texas PACs:
Texas Medical Association (TMA) PAC – TMA’s biggest payments, totaling $172,500, went to the Eppstein Group political consulting firm. It paid more than $45,000 apiece to Governor Perry and Speaker Straus. Its largest rank-and-file legislative contributions went to two Republican Primary losers. TMA contributed $35,000 to revolving-door lobbyist David Sibley, who made a failed bid to win back the Waco Senate seat he previously vacated. It also gave $30,000 to Susan Curling, who lost a nasty House race to Houston’s Dan Huberty.
A REGISTERED TEXAS LOBBYIST with who? Did they mention—The Eppstein Group????
Let’s get a clearer picture..,