Travis Co. Vote

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What happened to Lance's cancer proposition in Travis County?

Really, we hate to focus on the negative. So let's give supporters of Proposition 15 – the state constitutional amendment creating the Cancer Prevention and Research Insti­tute of Texas – their due: The amendment enjoyed a solid win, getting the support of 61% of the Nov. 6 voters. And yes, Prop. 15 passed here in Travis Co., as well (along with, predictably, all the other propositions).

But the former is the statistical curiosity we just can't get over – it barely passed in Travis, which is the home turf of Lance Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France winner, cancer survivor, and Austin hero. A mere 50.29% of Travis voters supported it. If this election had been only countywide instead of statewide, Prop. 15 supporters might have been sweating as they watched Travis' largest boxes roll in – of the 10 biggest (all of which, interestingly, are in Republican County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty's Precinct 3), Prop. 15 won only three, including thrashings in box 373 (Lago Vista and Jonestown) and 334 (Spicewood, near Cedar Park). Fortunately for Lance and Co., that trend was counterbalanced by wins in the two largest county boxes, 376 (Steiner Ranch) and 342 (Barton Hills), as well as in politically active Central Austin, generally.

Both sides in the Prop. 15 debate agree: The difference was organized political opposition in Travis Co. "One thing different about Travis County is that there was organized opposition that peaked during early voting," said Kirsten Voinis of Texans Curing Cancer. "One of the leaders of that opposition had worked on several other issue campaigns so was working with an established base. That opposition also tapped into some of the student groups at the University of Texas, the largest campus in the state."

Still, Voinis was happy to point out: "Regard­less of the margin, at the end of the day, Prop­o­sition 15 still won in Travis County. Voters got it – Proposition 15 is a historic opportunity to save lives, both now and in the future."

Another big supporter was Austin state Sen. Kirk Watson, also a cancer survivor. "This was really the only place with organized opposition," Watson said. "That makes a difference, particularly in a low-turnout election like this. Even if the organized opposition is late, it makes a difference. ... You get a higher proportion of 'no' voters." Also, he added: "The ballot language and the amendment itself aren't specific enough, particularly for voters in Travis County and Austin, where people really think about these things and want more specifics. It makes a difference to all voters but particularly to a place that pays this much attention to these sorts of things."

Watson also mentioned two other factors: Gov. Rick Perry was a strong supporter of the amendment, so some voters could have been reflexively anti-Perry, and "there's no truth in taxation right now" – with gas taxes that don't necessarily fund highways or sporting-goods taxes that don't go to Parks and Wildlife, voters might not trust state leaders to put this money into fighting cancer.

"We had $3,500 bucks to work with," said Don Zimmerman, one of the leaders of the organized opposition. "And the media, to their credit ... did a few stories on it. Man, I tell you, if we had anything like the resources, if we had $100,000 like the American Cancer Society chipped in – with $100,000 we could have destroyed that thing statewide. We would have annihilated them statewide with $100,000."

Prop. 15 Results in Key Boxes

Of the 10 boxes with the highest turnout in the recent election, only three went for Proposition 15. And, like many Austin elections, this vote reflected a central city vs. the suburbs division.

Most/least support (by %)

Precincts with the most votes