TX Dem Field Shrinks Again

By Cyra Master

'06 Ag. Commis nominee Hank Gilbert (D) dropped out of the TX GOV race today, endorsing businessman/hair product creator Farouk Shami (D) over a candidate most of the Dem establishment is backing.

"I said from the onset that the only reason I was getting into the race was I didn't see leadership at the top of the ticket that I thought could mount a credible race," Gilbert said. "Now we have what I feel to be two credible candidates for this position, who will have the necessary funding advantage to mount a serious challenge to Gov. Rick Perry (R), who I feel will be the Republican nominee."

Gilbert's conference call was scheduled at the same time Houston Mayor Bill White (D) was officially announcing his GOV bid, switching from the special SEN election that may be held to replace Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) if she resigns, as promised, after the Mar. '10 GOP GOV primary. Gilbert said he expected someone to ask about the timing of his announcement.

He reached his decision "at about 10:30 last night" after talking with his family and told his staff he wanted to make the announcement today. But, he only had between 12 and 1 p.m. free because his sons are in a statewide leadership contest, which he spent "all morning" driving to. He joined the conference call "from a parking lot of a motel" in Huntsville, TX, where the competition is being held and where, he noted cheerfully, that it was snowing.

"I missed the district and area (competitions) because I was campaigning and I promised to be there (today)," Gilbert said. "That's the big reason we're doing it right now."

Gilbert endorsed Shami after a "long, long visit with him" and said he believes Shami "is doing this from his heart" and is the candidate who can "get the wagon out of the ditch and get this state on the road to prosperity."

White, he said, lost his trust after he promised "on two specific occasions" that he would stay in the SEN race. Dem leaders quickly lauded White's decision to join the race.

"I specifically asked him because I wouldn't have gotten in had I thought he would (switch races)," Gilbert said. "Bill White told me the same thing twice and today he's announcing he's in the governor's race. To me, that's a trust issue. ... He lost that trust factor with me."

Gilbert said he spoke with White yesterday and "told him, 'Bill, you violated my trust'" calling it "a real big factor" in his decision to back Shami.

Much has been made in the TX media of Shami's unusual name and Palestinian roots, a topic Gilbert touched on.

"Just like any other Texan, when you hear someone with Farouk Shami's name, immediately thoughts come into your mind, but I've always been open-minded and believed everybody equal until they prove otherwise," Gilbert said. "I believe the more people get to know this man, the more people are also going to believe the same things I do, that he has this state and the people of this state's best interests at heart."

Shami accepted Gilbert's endorsement, saying, "Hank ran an excellent campaign and we share a remarkably similar vision for Texas. The policies Hank formulated and put forth in this race mirror many of my own ideas and beliefs and I will be carrying forward many of his ideas through the remainder of my campaign and into the Governor's office."

Now that Gilbert and ex-Amb./ex-state Rep. Tom Schieffer (D) are out of the race, the Dem field is down to White, Shami, '06 candidate/teacher Felix Alvarado (D) and '06 indie candidate/humorist Kinky Friedman (D). On the GOP side, Perry and Hutchison will face Wharton Co. GOP chair/ex-nurse Debra Medina (R). Gilbert will run instead for Ag. Commis., saying it's "a race I'm familiar with and an industry I'm involved in."