TEXAS 34 Electoral Votes

Three of the 2004 presidential candidates hailed from Texas: President George W. Bush; the Libertarian, computer programmer Michael Badnarik who moved to Austin in 1997; and Green Party nominee David Cobb, who is originally from San Leon in Galveston County, graduated from the University of Houston and from University of Houston Law School in 1993, was a co-founder of the Green Party of Texas in 1999 and ran for Attorney General in Texas in 2002 before moving to Humbolt County, California.

Texas was also a significant source of money for the major candidates.  It was a place for President Bush to recharge; he managed to get to his ranch in Crawford at least once a month for the final eight months of the campaign.  And it was the scene of the controversial redistricting masterminded by Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Sugar Land).

Although the state was going to go to Bush there was a Democratic campaign.  Geronimo Rodriguez, who served as Kerry-Edwards state director before being redeployed to Colorado for the final month, described the campaign thusly after the election. "There was an organization and effort in Texas.  We focused on congressional seats, state representative seats and getting folks that wanted to go to other states organized to go, for example, to Colorado.  All of us were from Texas and you have to start one day at a time to become a blue state and we hope that to be the case soon."
 
Bush-Cheney '04 Kerry-Edwards 2004
Organization details...  details...
BC'04 General Chair

Texas Republican Party
State Chair
Deputy Chair

KE State Director: Jorge Herrera (Oct.); Geronimo Rodriguez (July-Sept.)

Texas Democratic Party
State Chair: Charles Soechting
Exec. Director

Travel
BUSH-CHENEY KERRY-EDWARDS
November 1-2, 2004
Nov. 2
-GWB and LB vote at the fire station in Crawford, TX. 
Nov. 1
-GWB and LB hold a late night Victory 2004 rally at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. 
Overnights at the ranch in Crawford, TX. 

October 9 to Crawford, TX
October 10, 2004
GWB in Crawford, TX.

September 25-26 2004
GWB and LB weekend at the ranch in Crawford, TX.   -including debate prep. 
GWB also overnighted on Sept. 27 and spent Sept. 28 at the ranch.

August 18-25, 2005
GWB at the ranch in Crawford, TX. (Aug. 23 meets with defense team incl. DC). 
August 18, 2004
-LB attends a RNC Victory 2004 event in Houston, TX.  (Raises $800,000)

August 10, 2004
GWB with McCain overnights in Crawford, TX. 

August 3, 2004
-GWB RNC Victory 2004 reception at a private residence in Dallas, TX. (Raises $1.6 million) 
-GWB addresses the 122nd Annual Knights of Columbus Convention at the Hyatt Regency Dallas in Dallas, TX. 
Overnights in Crawford, TX. 

August 2, 2004
-DC reception for Congressman Randy Neugabauer at Lubbock Memorial Civic Center in Lubbock, TX.  ($) 
-LC fundraising event for Congressman Pete Sessions in Dallas, TX.  ($) 

July 24-29, 2004
GWB at the ranch in Crawford, TX, no public events. 
July 23, 2004
-GWB does RNC Victory 2004 dinner at the Broken Spoke Ranch in Crawford, TX. ($)

June 12-13, 2004
GWB and LB spend the weekend in Texas. 

May 21 to the ranch in Crawford, TX. 
May 22, 2004
GWB and LB at the ranch in Crawford, TX.   -GWB fall from bicycle. 
GWB and LB celebrate daughter Jenna's graduation from the University of Texas with a dinner party at Moonshine in Austin, TX. 
May 23, 2004
GWB and LB at the ranch in Crawford, TX. 

May 21, 2004
-DC remarks at a breakfast for Congressional candidate Judge Ted Poe at the Houstonian Hotel in Houston, TX.  (Raises $220,000)
-DC remarks at a luncheon for Congressional candidate Arlene Wohlgemuth at the Waco Convention Center in Waco, TX. (Raises over $300,000)
-DC remarks at a reception for Congressional candidate Judge Louis Gohmert at the Maude Cobb Convention Center in Longview, TX.  ($) 

April 5 to Crawford, TX for Easter. 
April 6-12, 2004
GWB in Crawford, TX.  (April 6-trip to El Dorado, AR).  
April 11-Church service and meets with soldiers wounded in Iraq at Fort Hood, TX.
April 12-Meets with President Mubarak of Egypt.

April 2, 2004
-LB makes remarks at the Greater Texas Community Partners "Roundup" luncheon in Fort Worth, TX. 

March 26 to Crawford TX
March 27-28, 2004
GWB weekend in Crawford, TX

March 4 to Crawford, TX
March 5-6, 2004
GWB in Crawford, TX  with President Fox of Mexico.
March 8, 2004
-GWB participates in Bush-Cheney 2004 luncheon at The Fairmont Hotel in Dallas, TX.  (Raises $1,500,000)
-GWB attends Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at Reliant Arena in Houston, TX. 
-GWB participates in Bush-Cheney 2004 reception at Hilton Americas in Houston, TX.  (Raises $1,500,000)

March 5, 2004
-LB remarks at the Fort Hood Women's Conference at Comanche Chapel in Fort Hood, TX. 

[October 23, 2004
JK, in NM with Gov. Richardson and Lt. Gov. Denish, visits the Red Rooster Cafe in Anthony, TX]. 

October 10, 2004
-THK does a fundraiser at the home of developer Alonzo Cantu in McAllen, TX.  ($) 
-THK rallies at McAllen Civic Center in McAllen, TX. 

September 29, 2004
-THK speaks with volunteers at campaign headquarters in San Antonio, TX. 
-THK fundraiser at the home of Anthony Eugenio and Jane Schaefer Eugenio in Alamo Heights (San Antonio), TX.  ($)

September 12, 2004
-EE attends a Kerry-Edwards Victory 2004 fundraiser at the Warwick Hotel in Houston, TX.  ($) 

July 25, 2004
-JE fundraising brunch at Aldaco's Restaurant in Sunset Station in San Antonio.  (raises $600,000) 
-JE visits Antioch Missionary Baptist Church and meets there with teens building a gymnasium as part of the YouthBuild program, in San Antonio.

July 15, 2004
-JE attends Kerry/Edwards fundraiser reception at the Intercontinental Hotel in Houston, TX. ($) 

April 22, 2004
Flight to Houston, TX.  (Houston P. Hobby Airport--met by Houston area veterans). 
-JK Earth Day rally at University of Houston's Lynn Eusan Park (Main Campus) in Houston, TX. 
-JK attends John Kerry for President reception at the Houston Intercontinental Hotel in Houston, TX. ($) 
Overnight in Houston, TX.

March 6, 2004 (overnights March 5)   ...in advance of the March 9 primary
-JK rallies at Houston Community College campus in Houston, TX. 
-JK rallies at the Maury Maverick Plaza at La Villita in San Antonio, TX. 
 

Note: Above listing may not include all visits to Crawford, TX.

Newspaper Endorsements
BUSH
Houston Chronicle  (10/24/04) >
Austin American-Statesman  (10/24/04)
Dallas Morning News  (10/17/04)
San Antonio Express-News  (10/17/04)
El Paso Times  (10/17/04)
Fort Worth Star-Telegram  (10/17/04)
The Victoria Advocate  (10/16/04)
Amarillo Globe-News  (09/12/04)
KERRY
*Corpus Christi Caller Times  (10/24/04)
Waco Tribune-Herald  (10/24/04) >
Lufkin Daily News  (10/24/04)
Longview News-Journal  (10/24/04) >
The Baytown Sun  (10/17/04)
Citizen's Advocate Newspaper [Coppell]  (10/13/04)  ...weekly
Lone Star Iconoclast [Crawford]  (09/28/04)  ...weekly

Third Party and Independent
Ballot Access
Nader.  To qualify for the ballot as an Independent presidential candidate, Texas requires collection of 64,076 signatures in 60 days from people who did not vote in either major party primary (1% of the total votes cast for President in the most recent election); by comparison third party candidates must collect 45,540 signatures in 75 days (1% of the total votes cast for Governor in the most recent election).  Nader sought to qualify as an Independent, but his team fell a bit short, gathering more than 50,000 signatures by the May 10, 2004 deadline, at which time the campaign filed suit, Nader et al, v. Connor, in federal court in Austin pointing to the different standards required for Independent and third party candidates.  The Nader campaign then submitted its signatures on May 24.  A hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Lee Yeakel took place on July 22.  On September 1 Judge Yeakel ruled against Nader; on October 6 the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans upheld the ruling.  Nader qualified as a write-in candidate.

Badnarik.  LP supporters submitted a 9,398 page petition on May 24, 2004.  They needed 45,540 valid signatures; the Secretary of State reported they submitted 82,458 valid signatures.  The party reported that the effort cost about $150,000.
 

Coordinators
Nader - Debbie Russell
Badnarik - national campaign headquarters was at 6633 Highway 290 East, Suite 100 in Austin, TX
 
 

More Visits
NADER
August 27-28, 2004
Aug. 27 - Evening fundraiser at private home in Grand Prairie, TX
Aug. 28 - Speaks at Reform Party National Convention at DFW Airport South/Irving Courtyard by Marriott in Irving, TX.

April 22-23, 2004
April 22 (Dallas, Austin)
-Meeting with Arab-American and Muslim Community at Haveli Restaurant in Irving, TX.
Drive to Austin (196 miles; 4 hours)
-Speech at University of Texas Law School, then meets with volunteers and student leaders, in Austin, TX.
-Town meeting at Asian-American Cultural Center in Austin, TX.
April 23 (Austin, Houston)
-Press conference against Slots for Tots in Austin, TX.
Drive to Houston (162 miles; 3 hours)
-Speech at El Faroque Mosque in Houston, TX.
-Meeting with Palestinian activists and youth at James Haritas' place
-Meeting with Houston area volunteers.
-Arab-American and Muslim event at the home of Dr. Abdel Kader Fustok.
 

BADNARIK
November 2004
-Election night at Legends Sports Bar & Grill at the Holiday Inn in Austin, TX
October 7, 2004
-Debates David Cobb in the Texas Union Ballroom of the University of Texas (sponsored by the University of Texas student chapters of the Libertarian and Green Parties; moderator Ben Philpot of KUT Radio).
 

COBB
October 7, 2004
-Debates Michael Badnarik in the Texas Union Ballroom of the University of Texas (sponsored by the University of Texas student chapters of the Libertarian and Green Parties; moderator Ben Philpot of KUT Radio).
 
 
 

Copyright ©  2005  Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action.


The 2004 Campaign on the Web--Texas