North Texas

Immigration and Speaker Top House District 97 Issues
Shelley Kofler

FORT WORTH, TX (2007-12-13) Immigration and House Speaker Tom Craddick are top issues for runoff candidates in Tarrant County's House District 97 race. Republican Pediatrician Mark Shelton and Democratic Attorney Dan Barrett are competing to replace Anna Mowery, who is retiring after 19 years. KERA's Shelley Kofler talked with one candidate, while the other declined to be interviewed.


Campaign Worker: I'm calling to remind you early voting has begun."

While campaigns workers staff phone banks, knock on doors and lick envelopes, early voters in District 97 have bundled up to face the damp, chilly weather. A steady stream of voters- mostly seniors- are pulling into the Southwest Sub-Courthouse in Fort Worth, anxious to vote for their next state representative.

They come from Southwest Fort Worth, Tarrant County, and the cities of Benbrook and Edgecliff Village.

When asked what issue tops their agenda, many mention the same thing.

Pat Russo: "I'd like to know their stance on immigration."

Pat Russo and husband Sam believe there are too many undocumented people in Texas. Sam's father emigrated from Italy.

Sam Russo: "If they are going to be here taking advantage of our system do it legally. That's all I have to say. Become citizens.

Stephanie Klick: "The number one issue is illegal immigration for the voters in Dist 97."

That's Tarrant County Republican Party Chair Stephanie Klick.

Klick: "They're concerned as to the implications for state budget and their taxes."

Klick believes her party's candidate, Pediatrician Mark Shelton, has successfully reached voters searching for a candidate who will crackdown on illegal immigration. Shelton's website says he supports using the Texas National Guard to protect the border and he'd outlaw sanctuary cities, where police or municipal employees don't ask individuals about their immigration status.

We wanted to ask Dr. Shelton more specifically about his priorities, but a campaign coordinator told KERA on Monday that Shelton's busy campaigning and unavailable for an interview anytime this week. Shelton gave this comment on the issue November 6th, the night he defeated five other Republicans and made it into a runoff with Democrat Dan Barrett.

Shelton to KERA / Nov. 6, 2007: We need to start with securing our border to prevent drugs and criminals and terrorists from coming into our state that's the first step.

Dan Barrett, an attorney who specializes in municipal and government law, shows us a glossy pamphlet on immigration that Shelton is mailing to voters, and says Shelton is trying to scare them.

Barrett: " I think the people's concern with the federal immigration issue is rightly placed. I believe however that my opponents focus on that issue is wrongly placed because he's doing it through a fear based campaign. And he's advocating spending Texas tax dollars to do things the federal government should already have done and spending Texas tax dollars in ways that will not effectively deal with the problem."

Instead of immigration Barrett has zeroed in on another issue we heard about from Wayne Harrison as he showed up to vote.

Harrison: "I'd be concerned with adjusting the power that is currently in the hands of, is it Craddick, is that the name? I think he has been a real negative influence on the state of Texas. He certainly from everything I've read and heard is very opinionated and it's his opinion or the highway."

Barrett says his goal of replacing Speaker Craddick and Shelton's support of Craddick is the biggest difference between the two.

Barrett: "I want to be able to listen to the people in my district and I want to be able to vote in their best interests. My opponent can't do that because he has already pledged his support and given his vote away to the current leadership and to Tom Craddick. The things that need to be changed are illustrated by the electric rates we pay that are 30-percent higher than the national average. We dropped a quarter of a million children off the children's health insurance program. The fact that we are contemplating exercising the eminent domain of the state to take a half million acres in property so we can send profits to a Spanish company for the toll roads we need."

The issue of school vouchers also divides the candidates. Shelton has said he supports vouchers for students in low performing districts, a position Craddick has supported but failed to pass. Barrett strongly opposes vouchers saying they would siphon tax money away from public schools.

While District 97 tends to vote Republican, both candidates believe they can win Tuesday. The outcome will be watched statewide, by lobbyists looking for officials who support their projects, and other legislators working to keep or oust Speaker Craddick.

The runoff election is Tuesday. The winner will face re-election next year.














© Copyright 2007, KERA


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