Thread: Supporters of illegal-immigration crackdowns leading in Irvi

http://www.star-telegram.com/news/story/635238.html



Supporters of illegal-immigration crackdowns leading in Irving and Farmers Branch
By Star-Telegram
Supporters of crackdowns against illegal immigration in Irving and Farmers Branch are leading in their races for political office.

Farmers Branch City Councilman Tim O’Hare, 38, the champion of an effort to ban illegal immigrants from renting apartments in his city, is leading the mayoral race with 68 percent of the vote with five of 19 precincts reporting. His opponent, Gene Bledsoe, has 32 percent of the vote. Bledsoe said the city is spending too much money legally defending a rental ban doomed to be struck down in the courts.

Irving Mayor Herbert Gears, 45, whose reelection campaign included support for the city’s Criminal Alien Program, is leading with 53 percent percent of the early vote. CAP refers suspected illegal immigrants in the city’s jail to federal immigration officials and has resulted in the deportation of more than 2,700 people since it started in September 2006.

Gears' opponents Roland Jeter, who advocated a tougher crackdown, has 38 percent of the vote; Rigo Reza, who supported easing the crackdown, has 8 percent of the vote.

This is good news for Farmers Branch and Irving!!

And there are still those who claim that the majority of Americans are all on the side of illegals You would think that all of these "small" elections would give them sort of clue as to just how very wrong they are.

every illegal he gets deported from irving is one less illegal ballot cast against him come november

PRECINCTS REPORTING: 19 Of 19 100%
*TIM O'HARE 2,918 64%
GENE BLEDSOE 1,669 36%



PRECINCTS REPORTING: 69 Of 69 100%
*HERBERT GEARS 5,319 54%
ROLAND JETER 3,737 38%
RIGO REZA 781 8%

Hahahaha.........and the MSM says the illegal immigration issue is dead.

Related:

Challenger upsets Carrollton mayor with surge in election-day support
12:00 AM CDT on Sunday, May 11, 2008

By STEPHANIE SANDOVAL / The Dallas Morning News
ssandoval@ dallasnews.com / The Dallas Morning News
Brandon Formby contributed to this report.

Ron Branson unseated Carrollton Mayor Becky Miller on Saturday in a race that apparently turned on questions about Mrs. Miller's statements about her past.

LOUIS DeLUCA/DMN

Carrollton Mayor Becky Miller thanked supporters who stood by her when questions were raised about her past. With Tim O'Hare's mayoral victory in neighboring Farmers Branch, two strong advocates of expelling illegal immigrants will lead neighboring northern suburbs.

Mrs. Miller had led by 9 percentage points in early voting, but those ballots were cast at least a day before a Dallas Morning News story delved into her background. She wound up losing by 9 percentage points.

"That's a total flip," Dallas County Elections Administrator Bruce Sherbet said. "I can just make the assumption that ... that [news story] definitely had an impact."

Mr. Branson, 60, had hoped for just such a reversal. He said voters entering the polls were "giving the thumbs up and waves and smiles – it looked like we were doing very well."

"I think people looked at the issues," he said, "but when the news story hit, it did change a lot of people's minds."

Upon learning he had won, Mr. Branson said: "Outstanding. It's a great victory for the citizens of Carrollton. ... They wanted a change. I hope I will totally represent that change, and I fully expect to."

In a written statement, Mrs. Miller, 58, thanked the supporters who "held me up when others tried to tear me down."

"The last seven days have shown me my true friends," she said. "I'm very proud that despite the smear campaign against me, not one of my endorsers asked to have his name removed and not one member of my team lost faith. ... I'm sure the city of Carrollton will come to know Ron Branson in the same way those of us who have served with him do."

Mrs. Miller had accused Mr. Branson of "dirty politics" for questioning her statements to colleagues that her brother died in Vietnam.

The mayor, who is white, gave Mr. Branson a soldier's name, but a check showed the young man was black and had been born within four months of her, so he couldn't have been her brother.

Mrs. Miller later said she deliberately misled Mr. Branson out of anger over his prying.

After her father said there was no brother who had died in Vietnam, she said her father has Alzheimer's disease. Later, she said the "brother" was actually an unrelated young man raised by her family. She declined to provide his name, citing painful circumstances.

Checks then raised questions about Mrs. Miller's statements that she sang professionally for Linda Ronstadt and Jackson Browne, had ties to the Eagles frontman Don Henley and attended Western Kentucky University.

Spokesmen said the three singers didn't know her, and a Western Kentucky official said the school had no record of her attendance there.

Mrs. Miller has since said she's not surprised the singers didn't remember her after 30 years. She insists that she did attend the college briefly.

Voters Saturday offered a mix of opinions about the candidates. Bob Olsen, 52, supported Mr. Branson because of his tough stance against illegal immigrants.

"He thinks kind of the same way Tim O'Hare does," Mr. Olsen said.

Kathryn McWhorter, 69, voted for Mrs. Miller.

"She has been good to this city. She is a leader," Ms. McWhorter said.

Staff Writer Brandon Formby contributed to this report.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... 06da3.html