Endorsements

By the time the Texas primary election date arrives on March 14, who will run for president on the Republican and Democratic tickets will largely be determined. Although Texas' relatively late placement on the quadrennial primary calendar might seem like a convincing argument to stay home March 14, this year's primary ballot includes several local contests that -- while they lack the mud-spattered, blood-and-guts appeal of the presidential showdown between George W. Bush and John McCain -- should not be ignored by anyone who cares about Travis County in terms of growth, the environment, transportation, or criminal justice issues. The Chronicle makes no pretension to editorial objectivity in its coverage; and, given our ideology, we tend to endorse Democrats in most contested elections. For that reason, although both the Republican and Democratic primaries are being held March 14, our endorsements will be limited to Democrats running in contested primary elections. (Chronicle editor Louis Black recused himself from participating in the District 48 endorsement because he knows candidate Mandy Dealey on a social basis.)

Whomever you vote for, remember that early voting starts Feb. 28 and mobile voting Feb. 26; the last day to cast an early ballot is Friday, March 10. For more information on candidates running in the primaries, contact the Travis County Democratic Party, 477-7500; Travis County Republican Party, 478-9800; or the Travis County Elections, 473-9553.

State Representative, Dist. 48

Ann Kitchen

Southwest Austin residents should consider themselves lucky to have two candidates as qualified and committed as Ann Kitchen and Mandy Dealey vying to represent them in the District 48 seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Sherri Greenberg. Both boast a long record of community involvement and political activism, particularly in the fight for affordable health care. While Kitchen was working as a senior analyst for the Health and Human Services Commission and serving on the executive committee of SOS, Dealey was heading up the Austin chapter of Planned Parenthood and the Austin Area Mental Health Association. The candidates agree on virtually every substantive issue, from environmental protection and the SOS ordinance, to school vouchers, to the need for affordable health insurance.

That said, however, we're endorsing Kitchen to carry the torch for Greenberg. Why? Kitchen has Dealey beat in two key areas: her hands-on legislative experience and her ability to articulate her positions on crucial legislative issues. While Dealey's earnest, do-gooder attitude and consensus-building background are refreshing, Kitchen's poise and in-the-ring experience should make her the more viable candidate. Although Kitchen is hardly free of political baggage -- her tenure on the original SOS steering committee will make her an easy target for Austin-bashing colleagues, of which there will be plenty in the Lege -- she also has solid political experience and the temerity to stick her neck out on issues important to Austin. While both candidates show plenty of political promise, Kitchen's impressive background has earned her our endorsement.

State Representative, Dist. 50

Dawnna Dukes

As East Austin's representative since 1994, Dukes has proven her commitment to her community by taking strong (and sometimes unpopular) stands on issues including environmental justice, juvenile crime, and equity in education. Dukes came into her own last year both as a legislator and as a bona fide activist, fighting for stronger state oversight of city-owned landfills, full funding of the Children's Health Insurance Program, and greater parental involvement in education. In her brief political tenure, Dukes has not only proven herself an effective advocate, but has moved out of the shadow of her father Ben Dukes Sr.'s political legacy, which some critics claim was her one-way ticket to power.

Although Dukes' opponent, Stella Roland, has some political experience -- she has served on various state and county boards and commissions and was president of the LBJ High School PTA -- and the backing of several black East Austin ministers, lobbyist Cal Varner, and the rumored support of developer Gary Bradley, she hasn't demonstrated an ability to stand up under the kind of daily pressure she would face in the Lege. Dukes' impressive record -- including a trial by fire in the House Environmental Regulation Committee, where she's made a name for herself as a vocal counterpoint to Warren Chisum's laissez-faire, let-God-sort-'em-out leadership -- makes her the clear moral victor in this year's contentious struggle for power.

Judge, 53rd District Court

Scott Jenkins

This is the only judicial race with a wide-open seat, and Jenkins is our choice to fill the vacancy. A practicing lawyer for 21 years, Jenkins has the greatest depth of civil litigation experience, which should serve him well on the bench. We especially like the fact that Jenkins has already demonstrated his ability to switch gears from advocate to mediator, as he has devoted the better part of his practice in recent years to mediating a wide range of civil cases. Jenkins' opponent in the Democratic primary, Susan Haney, is also well-versed in civil litigation work. We believe, however, that Jenkins' experience and mediation background give him a clear edge.

Judge, County Court-at-Law No. 5

Gisela Triana

Of the 18 candidates who applied to fill the unexpected vacancy created in this court last year, Triana was the top choice of the Travis County Commissioners Court. Now Triana is seeking voter approval to continue doing the job she started last December. She has our vote. Triana's prior experience as a justice of the peace and a part-time municipal court judge has given her valuable hands-on experience that will help her as she weighs the various criminal misdemeanor cases that come before this court. And her active involvement in service organizations and professional groups demonstrates her commitment to her community.

Triana's challenger is Gus Garcia Jr., a criminal defense attorney who also sought the commissioners' appointment to the bench last year. Garcia has strong name identification, thanks to his father's long history as a public servant. Beyond his name, however, we know very little about Garcia as a person, because he has no track record of involvement in his community outside his profession and his family. While we like Garcia and believe he would make a good judge, we would prefer to see him earn this position from the ground up. Triana deserves to stay on the bench.

Constable, Pct. 1

Luke Mercer

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That pretty much sums up our feelings about this constable's race. Mercer has proved himself to be a competent, hard-working constable with a strong base of loyal support. Mercer was elected to this post in 1997 after working for 22 years as a Travis County Sheriff's deputy. Two other Democrats are also running for this seat: Flynn Lee, who until recently served as chief deputy under Mercer; and Michael Carter, a longtime Austin police officer. While either of these candidates would likely make a good constable, Mercer has our endorsement this time around.

Constable, Pct. 4

Maria Canchola

This race started attracting attention in January when Maria Canchola began collecting the lion's share of endorsements from local political groups. Why, we wondered, is incumbent Rocky Medrano being shut out? But the difference between the candidates is obvious: Canchola is progressive and forward-thinking, while Medrano appears to be stuck in a time warp. Canchola, a senior deputy constable in Pct. 5, promises to bring her technological skills to this office to create a more efficient, automated system for processing and serving civil papers and eviction notices and handling Class C misdemeanors.

While Medrano has worked hard on the truancy program and has volunteered countless hours of service to this precinct, we wonder about his ability to run his office effectively. In addition, a sexual harassment lawsuit filed a few years ago against one of his deputies was not only a needless expense for the county, it raised questions about Medrano's handling of the matter. It's time for new blood at Pct. 4. Canchola has our vote.