Sunday, January 17, 2010

What It Means to Run as a Democrat in Fort Bend County

I got off to a premature start in endorsing the race of Rebecca Bell-Metereau for the State Board of Education District 5 spot, a race that is important but also one that lies outside the boundaries of Fort Bend County.

And I like to do that from time to time, but it is now 44 days until the March 2nd primary and it is now 30 days until Early Voting begins. It is time now to focus locally because as former Senator Tip O’Neill once declared “All politics is local.”

So I thought I would begin with an uncontested race in the Democratic Primary because the Democratic candidate-apparent, Korinthia Miller, is starting to experience what it is like to run for office as a Democrat in Fort Bend County.

Korinthia Miller will be running against Fort Bend County Clerk Dianne Wilson this November. Dianne Wilson has been County Clerk in Fort Bend County since 1983. That’s 27 years so far.

Now Dianne Wilson seems to be a nice person, a nice person who is also a Republican. And therein lies the rub. Because, you see, in Fort Bend County, Republicans have been in charge of nearly everything, have held nearly every county elected office, for years and years now. And that’s how Republicans like it. So when a Democrat dares to oppose one of their own, Fort Bend County Republicans close ranks.

And they have closed ranks on Korinthia Miller.

In essence, it is like it was in The South in bygone days, when there were places where Whites could go and eat, attend films, go to school and drink from drinking fountains – and places elsewhere where Blacks could do likewise.

Only now it’s a little different. When a Democrat wants to rent a facility to hold a fundraiser, doors are shut on them. Not because of their race (hopefully) but because of their political creed.

Miller revealed this everyday fact of life in a very frank statement in a speech she delivered yesterday to the Fort Bend Democrats. A passage from her speech is transcribed below:

“She [Dianne Wilson] has Fort Bend . . . a lot of friends in Fort Bend. I have tried to do fundraisers and have been turned away because they are her friends and they don’t want to rent space to me, they don’t want to be associated with her opponent, anything. So what I need, surprisingly enough, are spaces that you know will let me rent. A room, a restaurant, anything. Because that’s a problem I’m having right now.”

Here is the video that includes this statement and more.


Here is Korinthia Miller’s website. If you have a friend who owns or manages space that can be rented by her campaign contact them here.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ms. Miller's candidacy is refreshing. Whenever a political office holder maintains a political office unopposed for many years, it is often a sign that change is needed. Long term officer holders often become too comfortable in a position and may forget that their primary duty first and foremost is to the people and not to themselves and/or any other outside forces.

Additionally, whenever the political party attached to this long-term officer holder becomes too deeply entrenched as if it owns a particular elected position is never good.

Anonymous said...

Just ask the businesses that turned her away if they are corporations. If they are, they can't refuse to rent to her unless they refuse to rent to all candidates.