Local News: Three Candidates Campaign for Waco Democratic Chair

Three Candidates Campaign for Waco Democratic Chair
By Michael W. Shapiro Tribune-Herald staff writer

From the Waco Tribune-Herald

A series of last-minute switches last week shook up the primary for McLennan County Democratic chair.

On the last day of the filing period, three candidates filed to become the organizational chief of the local party. They are Karen Petree, 25, a Baylor University graduate who works at L-3; Roy Walthall, 58, a McLennan Community College instructor; and Kelvin Williams, 47, who runs a local insurance company.

Williams, who filed several weeks earlier and was preparing to take on Ralph Cooper, a local lawyer, got two surprises last week.

Not only did Cooper drop out of the party-chair race so he could take on McLennan County Judge Jim Lewis in November, but Williams learned that his application had been rejected by the county party because he also had filed for a precinct-chair position. Williams said he was not notified formally but that he managed to get word that his paperwork had been rejected, and he refiled in time to beat the deadline.

Williams said he shouldn’t have had to deal with the frustration of a last-second refiling and wouldn’t have if the party’s rules were more straightforward and transparent.

Williams said a big part of his campaign’s platform would be pushing for a clear set of party rules.

Walthall filed after hearing Cooper left the race.

Walthall has been involved in local Democratic politics for the past 25 years. He was a candidate for the state House of Representatives in 1992 and 1994 and for the Waco City Council in 1987 and 2006.

He agreed with Williams that the party needs more structure and said he wants to see more candidates competing for party and county positions.

“My goal is to better organize and communicate our message and stand up for the principles that made our party the oldest and greatest political institution ever in the history of the world,” he wrote in an e-mail.

Petree said she’s been interested in politics since high school.

“I’ve been planning to run for office since I was 17,” she said.

That was the year Petree, a Waco High School student, was selected to participate in Texas Bluebonnet Girls State.

Girls in the competitive program serve in mock city, county and state governments and put on a gubernatorial campaign. Past participants include former Gov. Ann Richards and former Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn.

“My passion’s always been the process and not one particular issue,” said Petree, who has worked for U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards’ campaigns starting in 2002.

“My primary goal is going to be helping candidates reach voters by organizing events and using current technology like Facebook and Voter Activation Network,” Petree said, referring to an online list of registered voters in an area that is used by the Texas Democratic Party.

Published on Monday, January 11, 2010