Down to The Wire – Last Day to Early Vote October 31, 2008

The West Gray Multi-Service Center was so THE place to cast your ballot AND campaign on the last day of early voting.

2 on the Beat spotted several candidates standing on the sidewalk shaking hands and asking people for their votes. 

The  candidates included: Republican District Attorney candidate Pay Lykos. Democratic Candidate for Sheriff Adrian Garcia. Democratic state representative Ellen Cohen. Republican Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and his son. Republican State District Judge Martha Hill Jamison and her son.

Earlier in the week 2 on the Beat also ran into Harris County Incumbent Republican Sheriff Tommy Thomas who was campaigning in Tomball.

 

 

 

Mayor White defends Adrian Garcia October 29, 2008

2 on the Beat has reported about the nasty war of words being waged between republican incumbent Sheriff Tommy Thomas and democratic challenger Adrian Garcia.

Today, Mayor Bill White defended Garcia, who is a member of the Houston city council and a former Houston Police officer.

During his opening remarks at Wednesday’s city council meeting, the mayor said a new attack ad by Sheriff Thomas represented the “politics of personal destruction.”

As I’ve reported, Sheriff  Thomas has launched a new TV political ad accusing Garcia of using marijuana. The ad says Garcia also lost drug evidence and wrecked a police cruiser while he was on the force.

The sheriff says he is simply fighting back with the truth after weeks of being attacked by the democrats.

Garcia says he admitted smoking pot when he was sixteen, and says he was honest about it on his application to the police academy.

 

Will “Negative” Ads Shakeup Race for Sheriff? October 28, 2008

The gloves have come off in the race for Harris County Sheriff.

Do you think the incumbent republican Sheriff Tommy Thomas will be reelected?

Or do you think he is going to  be tossed out of office by voters who want new leadership?

Challenger Adrian Garcia, a Houston city council member and former police officer, believes that he is running ahead in the polls.

In a negative TV political ad, Garcia has tried to tie the 3 term sheriff to a “culture of corruption” that has tainted other countywide republican leaders.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Thomas on Monday released a new ad accusing Garcia of smoking marijuana and having a sloppy record as an HPD cop.

Garcia told 2 on the Beat that he admitted used marijuana when he was sixteen years old and was honest about it on his application to the police academy.

So what do you think about the war of words and controversial campaign  commercials?

Which candidate will they help, and which one will the ads hurt in the battle for Harris County Sheriff?

Will Sheriff Thomas Meet the Debate Deadline? September 30, 2008

UPDATE: Sheriff Thomas DID debate Council member Garcia.

Sources tell 2 on the Beat that Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas has until the close of business this Tuesday to decide whether he will participate in a televised debate.

The League of Women voters has tried to organize the debate between the Republican incumbent sheriff 

and his Democratic opponent Houston City council member Adrian Garcia.

Garcia has accepted,  but citing his busy schedule in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, Sheriff Thomas hasn’t committed to the debate.

Mary Easterly, the sheriff’s campaign manager, told 2 on the Beat that the Sheriff never committed to the debate.

“Sheriff Thomas is willing to debate Mr. Garcia, that’s not the issue,” said Easterly, “The issue is the Sheriff’s schedule. He and deputies are working twelve hour days as a result of the storm.”

She says they have proposed October 30 as an alternate date for the debate.

Meanwhile, the debate is scheduled to be taped on Wednesday, and broadcast this Thursday night, October 2, on Channel 8/PBS.

A source tells 2 on the Beat that if the Sheriff doesn’t show, Garcia will answer questions alone.

An empty chair will be left on stage to note the sheriff’s absence.