As early voting soars here in Texas, I figure it is time for me to make public my endorsements on various races in Harris County.

PRESIDENT

Mitt Romney

Yes, I know that I’ve been talking for a while about the importance of supporting John McCain in November – but the primary is in March. Stopping McCain isn’t an option, but expressing a conservative vision is. I’m therefore going to cast my vote for the candidate I supported through this nominating process, as my way of supporting a conservative future for the GOP. I urge my fellow Republicans to do the same.

US SENATE

John Cornyn

John Cornyn is a competent Senator with conservative principles and rising star of the GOP. His opponent is running on a platform of secession and independence for Texas.

CONGRESS – CD22

Shelly Sekula Gibbs

Tom DeLay screwed the voters of CD22 in 2006 when he withdrew from the race for Congress after winning the primary. I quickly got behind Houston City Councilwoman Shelley Sekula Gibbs as she sought DeLayÂ’s spot on the ballot. After a federal court ruled that DeLayÂ’s spot could not be filled under Texas election law, she was the endorsed candidate for both the special election to fill out the remaining weeks of DeLayÂ’s term AND as a write-in candidate for the general election. She won the special election handily, and made a strong showing against a Democrat whose name was actually on the ballot. She spent her short time in Congress highlighting conservative principles and issues in a series of speeches and press releases.

Fast-forward to 2008. Ten candidates seek the Republican nomination to take on Nick Lampson. Four are irrelevant no-names. Two, former Judge Jim Squier and former Pasadena Mayor John Manlove gave up secure posts for longshot congressional bids that have simply not ignited much passion. That leaves four serious candidates, who I will talk about in a moment. Ultimately, there will be a run-off in this race – with 10 candidates in the race it is extremely unlikely that any candidate can break 50%. It is a safe bet that the two candidates in the run-off are on the list below.

1) Pete Olson, a former staffer for Phil Gramm and John Cornyn comes highly recommended by Washington insiders and heavily funded by Washington insiders and lobbyists. While he does have roots in the district, he has been away for many years and did not even have a Texas drivers license a year ago. HeÂ’s conservative, but is he just as much a carpetbagger as Nick Lampson?

2) Robert Talton has a great record in the Texas Legislature, but is often perceived as extreme and volatile in his temperament. He was the favorite of most precinct chairman to take Tom DeLay’s place on the ballot during the 2006 fiasco – but he wouldn’t give up his safe legislative seat to make a write-in run. He wouldn’t put it on the line for us two years ago to help us keep CD22 Republican – why should we support him now?

3) Dean Hrbacek is a former mayor of Sugar Land, and compiled a great record in that position. He was strangely absent from the 2006 scramble for the seat, which is too bad – he would have made a great candidate and drawn many votes from the western half of the district. His experience and character would serve him well were he to be elected – but I think he missed his best chance in 2006.

4) Shelley Sekula Gibbs, as recounted above, hit the ground running in 2006 and hasnÂ’t stopped running since. After her brief time in Washington was over, she began an immediate effort to take the seat she held for those few weeks after winning the special election. She has clearly and consistently enunciated a conservative platform during that time. She has high name identification and has raised significant funds for the race. I believe her to be the best choice for us in 2008.

I therefore urge my fellow Republicans to once again cast their ballot for Shelley Sekula Gibbs.

HARRIS COUNTY JUDGE

Charles Bacarisse

Ed Emmett became Harris County judge through a corrupt bargain between former County Judge Robert Eckels and the rest of the Commissioners Court. Rather than selecting a replacement who had the faith of the voters, they chose an Eckels crony who had not stood for office in two decades. This did not inspire confidence in the people of Harris County – and Ed Emmett has done nothing to earn that confidence since then. Charles Bacarisse has a solid record of accomplishment in his years as District Clerk, and has put forth solid conservative plans for dealing with ethics in county government and unpaid bills from both legal and illegal aliens treated by the Harris County Hospital District at taxpayer expense. He is not merely the best choice – he is the only choice.

HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY

Jim Leitner

I wonÂ’t recount the recent scandal that led to Chuck RosenthalÂ’s decision not to seek reelection as DA and his eventual resignation. Suffice it to say that IÂ’m pleased he is gone. Of the four candidates to succeed him in that office, three are clearly qualified and two have experience as prosecutors. In an ordinary year IÂ’d be inclined to support Kelly Siegler, the best prosecutor on a staff of highly regarded prosecutors. However, SieglerÂ’s husband is intimately connected with the scandal that brought down Rosenthal, and so I donÂ’t believe she will be able to escape that shadow. Jim Leitner, on the other hand, is a defense attorney with who was also 1st Assistant DA in the office some years ago. He is highly regarded by the Harris County Bar, and has laid out a plan for restoring public confidence in the DAs office. I believe he is our best choice.

TEXAS HOUSE DISTRICT 129

Jon Keeney

There is a serious problem in District 129, and it is the incumbent Republican, John Davis. IÂ’ve already made it clear that I believe he needs to be removed from office due to his ineffectiveness, unresponsiveness, and ethical lapses. Fortunately, retired businessman Jon Keeney has stepped forward to offer us a choice in the primary. He is running on a platform that supports high ethical standards and economic development in the region. Keeney is not only the best choice, he is the only choice.

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, PRECINCT 8, PLACE 1

Holly Williamson

We have the good fortune of having three excellent candidates in this race. Indeed, I struggled with this one before deciding on Holly Williamson. Of the three candidates, Williamson strikes me as the one who is best suited to the position. Long active in the community in the Clear Lake area, Holly is a respected attorney with strong support form the grassroots Republican activists in the area.

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