Oakley gets alliance’s backing in mayor’s race; 27 candidates total ask for endorsements
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| Patti Fink |
The Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance’s political action committee has endorsed 10 candidates in the municipal election on May 12, with mayoral candidate Ed Oakley heading the slate.
All 54 candidates appearing on the ballot were invited to take part in the group’s endorsement selection process. Of those, 27 sought endorsements and completed the process, five began the process but did not complete it, one completed the process but refused to seek an endorsement, one declined to participate in the process at all and 20 did not respond to the invitation, according to Patti Fink, vice president of DGLA and chair of the group’s political action committee.
Fink said the endorsement selection process was an overwhelming task this year for the political action committee.
“It can be difficult to determine the best candidate in any race, and the sheer number of candidates in this election cycle is breathtaking,” Fink said. “I commend our PAC members for sticking to it. It was a lot of time commitment.”
Oakley was the only mayoral candidate of the 11 on the ballot to attend the public candidate forum hosted by the group on April 14, but five of the other candidates completed the endorsement process in the hope of securing the alliance’s backing. Sam Coats, Jennifer Gale, Edward Okpa and Max Wells completed the process. John Cappello also completed the process, but he declined the opportunity to be endorsed.
Fink said Oakley was not guaranteed an endorsement just because he was a popular openly gay candidate who has already served on the City Council as a representative for District 3 for three terms.
“I was very proud that a lot of them did not assume that, and even Ed did not assume that,” Fink said. “It was an issue of earning it.”
Fink said Gary Griffith, Don Hill and Tom Leppert began the process but did not complete it. Roger Herrera, another openly gay candidate, and Darrell Jordan did not respond.
The City Council seat candidates endorsed by the group are District 2: Pauline Medrano; District 3: Joseph Hernandez; District 4: Gloria Stinson Hogg; District 5: Betty J. Culbreath; District 7: Kevin Felder; District 8: Sandra Crenshaw; District 9: Jill Kotvis; District 12: Ron Natinsky; and District 14: Angela Hunt.
Early voting begins on Monday, April 30, and continues through Tuesday, May 8. Visit www.dalcoelections.org for information about times and locations.
E-mail webb@dallasvoice.com
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition, April 27, 2007.
