Texas: Largest independent petition drive of the year -- job well done!

I declare: independents

By RICK CASEY Houston Chronicle May 13, 2006 -- IN this year's general election, the signature event is, clearly ...
The signature event.
Just about the only thing that makes this election special is the tens of thousands of registered voters who have, with their John Hancocks, already registered their preference for "none of the above."
In the governor's race, it looks like we have not one but two candidates who appear to be shoo-ins to make the ballot as independent candidates.
On Tuesday, state Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn turned in what she said were five times the number of signatures she needed — a gargantuan feat if only half turn out to qualify.
Thursday, author/humorist/musician Kinky Friedman squeaked by with merely, by his people's count, four times the required 45,540. Friedman said they include at least one voter from each of the state's far flung 254 counties..... more

Independents relied on volunteers

By KELLEY SHANNON THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Star TelegramMay 13, 2006 AUSTIN -- Political veteran Carole Keeton Strayhorn spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign money gathering voter signatures to qualify as a candidate for Texas governor. Wisecracking musician Kinky Friedman relied heavily on unpaid volunteers.
As the two independent candidates turned in their voter petitions by Thursday's deadline -- each had to gather at least 45,540 signatures from registered voters to be on the November ballot -- the difference in their tactics was clear..... more

Strayhorn's petition drive far from easy

Corpus Christie Caller Times May 13, 2006 -- Independent gubernatorial candidate Carole Keeton Strayhorn's petition drive to get her name on the ballot continued down to the wire Thursday evening. Her staff hauled in another 5,800 signatures before the deadline for a total of 228,800.
"It was not an easy process," she said, describing signing efforts that had a pregnant woman stopping by a signing station on the way to the delivery room and last-minute campaign efforts by one of Strayhorn's close friends, who died soon afterward.
"We played together as babies," Strayhorn said, losing a grip on her notorious cheerfulness and choking up. "I got a call from ICU and I went over there at 9:30. Jane and I had a lengthy visit and everybody thought she was getting better. When I went back the next day, her two sons were there. Not only did she sign the petition, she had her nurse sign before she died."
Signatures for Strayhorn don't impress Perry camp
Thursday afternoon, Gov. Rick Perry's spokesman Robert Black was unimpressed discussing petition numbers gained by the independents running against Perry.
"I saw Kinky got 169,000," he said of humorist and author Kinky Friedman. "In terms of Carole Strayhorn, I was less than impressed. She only got 1.9 percent of the eligible voters to say she needs to be on the ballot. I don't think that's a ringing endorsement.
"She had three professional firms, an army of paid volunteers and four months to get her message out, and 1.9, that's not much. Texans are getting pretty tired of that act." link