My state representative is leading by 15 votes, waiting on provisional ballots

[jobycom]

and overseas and military ballots. This is in Austin. No Democrat lost in Austin, including Bill White--Perry's opponent. But I live in the most conservative part of Austin, so my rep has had the closest race in the city. She could still lose, and there could still be a recount. But any way it goes, it was close.

15 votes, out of close to 50,000. Every vote counts. Every yard sign, every bumper sticker, every person persuaded by a phone call, every ride offered by a volunteer, every fence-straddler engaged in the laundromat, everyone swayed by an online debate. Every vote. Just in case anyone forgets that.

[ananda]

1. Which rep is that?

nt

[northoftheborder]

2. Donna Howard

[ananda]

3. Thanks.

I hope she wins.

[jobycom]

4. Donna Howard. It's one of the districts that started Tom DeLay's troubles.

Before Donna Howard, Ann Kitchen was the rep. She was a Democrat, but that district had been drawn by DeLay's people to elect a Republican, so he was furious she won. She was one of the main ones he launched his illegally funded corporate attacks against, at the last minute so she couldn't file a complaint in time, and couldn't legally respond. She lost a close election, and filed a suit against DeLay and the corporate PAC that ran the ads. No one thought it would amount to much. In the long run, though, it was one of the complaints that got investigators to take DeLay's criminal activities seriously, and he had to step down as Speaker, resign from the House, and prepare for the legal trial he is now undergoing in Austin.