Republicans urged not to vote straight
Activist targets gay candidate Oct. 17, 2002
By JOHN WILLIAMS
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/metropolitan/1622160
GOP political activist Dave Wilson has a message for fellow Republicans -- If you vote straight, you vote gay.
Wilson is sending Republican voters an automated telephone message telling them not to vote a straight Republican ticket because it includes a gay candidate.
The target of Wilson's attack is Alex Wathen, a Republican candidate for justice of the peace, who is president of the Houston chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans -- the party's leading gay and lesbian advocacy group.
"I'm asking you to vote principles over party politics," Wilson said in his message to Republican voters in JP Precinct 1.
Wilson's campaign surprised Harris County GOP Chairman Jared Woodfill, who wasn't happy about the effort to split the party's ticket.
Woodfill said he worries that without straight Republican voting, the party could lose its local dominance because voters often don't vote in down-ballot races unless they cast a straight ticket.
Republicans now hold all countywide elected offices.
"Why would Dave do this?" Woodfill said. "I mean, I agree with him on the homosexual issue, and the party position on that is clear."
"But it is wrong for Republicans to send the message not to vote straight ticket," he said. "The straight ticket helps all of our judicial races in Harris County."
Wathen, who is running against Democratic incumbent David Patronella, said he was disappointed to learn of the assault against him.
"These are outdated notions," he said. "I don't really see how it matters what the orientation of a justice of the peace is. The duty of a JP is to enforce the law."
Wilson said he wants to emphasize a plank in the 2002 Texas Republican Party platform that says homosexual "behavior is contrary to the fundamental, unchanging truths that have been ordained by God, recognized by our country's founders and shared by a majority of Texans."
Wilson said he issued the message because Woodfill and other local Republican officials failed the party by letting Wathen stay on the GOP ticket. Woodfill should have recruited another Republican to run in the party's primary rather than let Wathen run unopposed, he said.
"I realize that this will hurt Republicans down the ticket" Wilson said. "But, Woodfill and that group are the ones hurting the party for letting this go on."
Woodfill said he only recently learned of Wathen's sexual orientation.
Wilson, head of Houstonians for Family Values, is a longtime crusader against homosexuality.
Last year, he spearheaded a petition drive that led to a Houston city referendum preventing the city from giving benefits to domestic partners of gay employees.
This week, Wilson mailed a letter to GOP precinct chairs, asking them to direct Republicans away from straight ticket voting.
"Although the Democrats have a small lead in this JP precinct, a large turnout voting straight Republican ticket, along with pro-homosexual crossover votes, could elect Mr. Wathen," Wilson said in his letter to GOP precinct judges.
Wathen said he has a good shot at increasing the GOP's count of elected officials. Democrats now hold 10 of the 16 JP places.
Precinct 1 runs down the center of Houston and includes Montrose, Houston's largest gay community.
Wathen said local GOP officials assisted his legal efforts last spring when Patronella questioned his petition for office, which contained technical irregularities that the courts overlooked.
He also said he hoped Patronella was not involved in Wilson's effort.
Patronella, who has the endorsement of the Houston Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus, said he has run a completely positive campaign that has focused on qualifications gained by being in office since 1991.
Patronella said that sexual orientation is not important to the judicial position and that it was inappropriate for Wilson to send out the message.
Harris County Democratic Party Chairwoman Sue Schechter initially chuckled when she heard that one Republican was attacking another.
Then she called the act "disgraceful."
"Intolerance like this is a reason voters should join the Democratic Party," she said.
Log Cabin Republicans have had a series of battles with others in their party in Texas. Besides adopting its anti-gay platform, the party has denied the Log Cabin Republicans booths at recent Texas GOP conventions.
Wathen said he has "not been bothered too much" by such party positions.
"I believe that most Republicans don't worry about those things," Wathen said. "After all, the platform also says the United States should get out of the United Nations."
Activist targets gay candidate Oct. 17, 2002
By JOHN WILLIAMS
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/metropolitan/1622160
GOP political activist Dave Wilson has a message for fellow Republicans -- If you vote straight, you vote gay.
Wilson is sending Republican voters an automated telephone message telling them not to vote a straight Republican ticket because it includes a gay candidate.
The target of Wilson's attack is Alex Wathen, a Republican candidate for justice of the peace, who is president of the Houston chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans -- the party's leading gay and lesbian advocacy group.
"I'm asking you to vote principles over party politics," Wilson said in his message to Republican voters in JP Precinct 1.
Wilson's campaign surprised Harris County GOP Chairman Jared Woodfill, who wasn't happy about the effort to split the party's ticket.
Woodfill said he worries that without straight Republican voting, the party could lose its local dominance because voters often don't vote in down-ballot races unless they cast a straight ticket.
Republicans now hold all countywide elected offices.
"Why would Dave do this?" Woodfill said. "I mean, I agree with him on the homosexual issue, and the party position on that is clear."
"But it is wrong for Republicans to send the message not to vote straight ticket," he said. "The straight ticket helps all of our judicial races in Harris County."
Wathen, who is running against Democratic incumbent David Patronella, said he was disappointed to learn of the assault against him.
"These are outdated notions," he said. "I don't really see how it matters what the orientation of a justice of the peace is. The duty of a JP is to enforce the law."
Wilson said he wants to emphasize a plank in the 2002 Texas Republican Party platform that says homosexual "behavior is contrary to the fundamental, unchanging truths that have been ordained by God, recognized by our country's founders and shared by a majority of Texans."
Wilson said he issued the message because Woodfill and other local Republican officials failed the party by letting Wathen stay on the GOP ticket. Woodfill should have recruited another Republican to run in the party's primary rather than let Wathen run unopposed, he said.
"I realize that this will hurt Republicans down the ticket" Wilson said. "But, Woodfill and that group are the ones hurting the party for letting this go on."
Woodfill said he only recently learned of Wathen's sexual orientation.
Wilson, head of Houstonians for Family Values, is a longtime crusader against homosexuality.
Last year, he spearheaded a petition drive that led to a Houston city referendum preventing the city from giving benefits to domestic partners of gay employees.
This week, Wilson mailed a letter to GOP precinct chairs, asking them to direct Republicans away from straight ticket voting.
"Although the Democrats have a small lead in this JP precinct, a large turnout voting straight Republican ticket, along with pro-homosexual crossover votes, could elect Mr. Wathen," Wilson said in his letter to GOP precinct judges.
Wathen said he has a good shot at increasing the GOP's count of elected officials. Democrats now hold 10 of the 16 JP places.
Precinct 1 runs down the center of Houston and includes Montrose, Houston's largest gay community.
Wathen said local GOP officials assisted his legal efforts last spring when Patronella questioned his petition for office, which contained technical irregularities that the courts overlooked.
He also said he hoped Patronella was not involved in Wilson's effort.
Patronella, who has the endorsement of the Houston Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus, said he has run a completely positive campaign that has focused on qualifications gained by being in office since 1991.
Patronella said that sexual orientation is not important to the judicial position and that it was inappropriate for Wilson to send out the message.
Harris County Democratic Party Chairwoman Sue Schechter initially chuckled when she heard that one Republican was attacking another.
Then she called the act "disgraceful."
"Intolerance like this is a reason voters should join the Democratic Party," she said.
Log Cabin Republicans have had a series of battles with others in their party in Texas. Besides adopting its anti-gay platform, the party has denied the Log Cabin Republicans booths at recent Texas GOP conventions.
Wathen said he has "not been bothered too much" by such party positions.
"I believe that most Republicans don't worry about those things," Wathen said. "After all, the platform also says the United States should get out of the United Nations."
Last edited:
