Joan Huffman’s campaign for state Senate appears to have broken the law against campaigning on property where voting is taking place, Harris County Clerk Beverly Kaufman said today.
Republican Huffman, opposing Democrat Chris Bell in next Tuesday’s state Senate District 17 runoff, hosted a barbecue luncheon for voters today inside the Tracey Gee Community Center in far west Houston. Early voting in the state Senate election is taking place through Friday in another room in the same building.
Commissioner Steve Radack, a Republican, said he attended the luncheon along with Huffman and urged people to vote for her. She is a former felony court judge.
Under state law, it is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500, to campaign for or against a candidate “within 100 feet of an outside door through which a voter may enter the building in which a polling place is located.”
You’d think someone who used to be a judge would know the law better than that. Especially since there are big signs posted everywhere telling you that beyond this line no campaigning may take place. On the other hand, she did have Steve Radack there telling her everything was kosher, and what could possibly go wrong with that? Anyway, there will be a complaint filed. I can hear Pat Lykos grinding her teeth already.
Tomorrow is the last day of early voting. If you have any time at all to spare, please consider doing a little virtual phonebanking to help Chris Bell. If Bell can do it, so can you. Thanks very much.
Where were Park and Recreation administrator Mr. Dennis Johnston and his Law enforcer? Oops I get it. It was Republican candidate BBQ.
Petty is petty and this is petty not to mention the fact that no one to my knowledge has measured the distdance from the door. And there are actually two doors at Tracy Gee. Probably not the best place to have held the luncheon but someone at Tracy Gee could have easily pointed out any violation, or even a possible violation, of the law. After all, it is a county facility. They should know the law as well. Perhaps they did and all of this is just much ado about nothing. And, again, petty