We have heard the commercials over the last year – Comptroller Carole Keeton Rylander Strayhorn [YOUR NAME HERE] (mother of former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan) calls herself “One Tough Grandma” in a series of campaign commercials she has run over the last year, attacking Gov. Rick Perry. Now she wants to run as “Grandma Strayhorn” on the November ballot as a way of boosting her independent bid for governor.

Independent Carole Keeton Strayhorn won political office under her two previous married names, but in this year's race for governor, voters apparently are saying: Strayhorn who?

Strayhorn told supporters in an e-mail this week that is why she wants to solve her name identification problem by appearing on the November ballot as "Grandma" Strayhorn. She has campaigned as "One Tough Grandma" since 1998.

Born Carole Keeton, she won the Austin mayor's office as Carole McClellan. She won statewide elections for railroad commissioner and state comptroller as Carole Keeton Rylander.

But she has remarried since her last election in 1992, exchanging vows with Eddie Strayhorn and picking up a new last name in the process.

"The name change from Rylander to Strayhorn has not completely sunk in with voters (She has never run as Strayhorn)," said the fundraising e-mail.

Strayhorn has six granddaughters. "Once voters are told that Strayhorn is 'One Tough Grandma,' she jumps 10 points in every poll we have taken, and (Gov. Rick) Perry drops," the e-mail said. "No public poll has tested her nickname 'Grandma,' only Strayhorn."

The e-mail says that is why she will appear on the November ballot as Carole Keeton "Grandma" Strayhorn.

Unfortunately, there are two obstacles facing her. The first is that she may not have enough signatures to qualify for the ballot – that has yet to be determined by the Secretary of State’s office. The second is that she doesn’t really meet the criteria for including the nickname.

State law allows the use of a nickname on the ballot if it is a name by which the candidate has been "commonly known for at least three years preceding the election."

"The law doesn't allow you to use a political slogan. So we weren't going to try that," said Strayhorn's campaign manager and son, Brad McClellan. "More people know her as 'grandma' than Strayhorn."

Robert Black, spokesman for Gov. James Richard Perry — aka Rick — said Strayhorn has never run on the ballot as "grandma." He called it a political slogan and a gimmick.

"She ain't my grandma," Black said. "If she was honestly looking for a moniker people would recognize she would put flip-flopper or multiple-party-switcher."

Strayhorn has not used this as a common nickname – you won’t find it in news articles or even her campaign literature. The only place you will find such a reference is in her “One Tough Grandma” ads. I’ve been involved in Texas GOP politics for a decade – I never heard her called that until folks made a derogatory reference to the ads. And it is not like the argument for my using “Greg” instead of “Gregory” on the ballot for precinct chair, or letting the Democrat R. Christopher Bell run as the more familiar Chris Bell or Richard Friedman use his longstanding professional name of Kinky Friedman. On the other hand, if you apply Strayhorn’s argument across the board, you may as well let someone run as John “The Taxpayer’s Friend” Smith.

My guess is that One Tough Grandma will only be permitted to use her legal name.

Posted by: Greg at 09:26 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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