Sommerman Paid For Endorsements

Sommerman Paid For Endorsements

It appears Andrew Sommerman paid for endorsements in his campaign for County Commissioner 2.

According to Texas Ethics Commission reports Andrew Sommerman has given generously to a number of candidates who all seem to endorse him shortly thereafter.

Sommerman Paid For Endorsements

In April we reported on internal emails where Sommerman begged for endorsements from local figures and then he and his staff trashed those same individuals in private.

Clay Jenkins figures prominently in Sommerman’s campaign after trying to steer $250,000 in legal fees to Sommerman’s firm over a lawsuit against Governor Abbott and coronavirus response.

Locally, Jenkins has ordered a low warning order over COVID19 despite rapidly rising cases at both Parkland Hospital and Childrens Medical Center Dallas. Additionally, it appears county officials have suggested not testing all patients despite these rapidly rising cases as Jenkins tries to get his candidate across the finish line to November.

Sommerman Paid For Endorsements And Gave Generously To Republicans

Additionally, Sommerman and his firm donated more than $20,000 to GOP candidates including a judge in Abilene that has no impact on Dallas, unless your law firm is practicing in front of that judge. Judge Jeffrey Probst received $500 just two years ago.

Sommerman is also lining up with former Republican Alexandra Guio in HD114. Significant in that race is Guio’s appointment to the City Redistricting Commission she was appointed to shortly before ghosting her appointing authority Paula Blackmon.

The full TEC report for Sommerman can be viewed below.

One Democratic Precinct Chair in Commissioners Court 2 said, “Andrew Sommerman looks more and more like the used car salesman who sells you a defective car, but then turns into the ambulance chasing lawyer once that car causes an accident.”

That Precinct Chair continued, “Buyer beware. Do we really need another old white guy representing Dallas County? Sommerman is half a step away from Joe Manchin in his dealings with GOP.”

It is unclear if Sommerman is trying to knock on doors to win the race or simply buy the office.

Sommerman Sinks Supporters

Sommerman Sinks Supporter

Andrew Sommerman sinks supporters in a number of emails released to Facebook by community activist Avi Adelman.

After the March 1 Democratic primary vote, Philip Kingston announced his endorsement of Andrew Sommerman.

Sommerman seeks the endorsement of individuals in public and then trashes them in private.

The move was a surprise to many, but for some activists, a bridge too far and it appears the benefactor of Kingston’s decision thinks it is bad too.

In an email to Avi Adelman, the Sommerman campaign called Kingston “offensive and a bad actor…” in the public sphere.

Sommerman Sinks Supporter

The campaign which appears to be seeking Adelman’s endorsement then goes on to send a message to its team about Adelman calling him a “loud person.” Unfortunately for the campaign, the private message made its way to Adelma who published it.

Sommerman Sinks Supporter

If Andrew Sommerman will attack his own supporters, do you think he cares about individual voters?

Kingston, who finished in what D Magazine called a “distant third” does not seem to have the support of voters or the people he endorses.

Sommerman Sinks Supporters

Sommerman, a local personal injury lawyer, said he chose to run for the County Commission 2 seat because “he doesn’t want political theater to drive public health policymaking.”

But he later won the Dallas Morning News primary endorsement on a platform of arguing for criminals to be released into the community to lower jail costs despite a long recent history of Dallas criminal judges lowering bail to allow dangerous defendants to be out on bond and Dallas police unable or unwilling to respond to local crime.

It is unclear based on Sommerman’s private conversations what he believes.

Adelman’s emails show Sommerman seeks the endorsement of individuals in public and then trashes them in private.

This endorsement controversy makes some Democrats nervous about the newly gerrymandered seat.

One local community person said, “I’ve talked to a dozen people like Avi – people who work the polls, precinct chairs, donors – and they all say the same thing. They will vote for JJ Koch in November if Andrew Sommerman beats Michelle Ocker in May.”

“Sommerman is the worst kind of insider. He sells out his supporters without thinking about it as long as it advances Andrew Sommerman,” she continued. “He is also playing a good old boy club with he and Kingston and Tom Ervin lining up against Michelle [Ocker] who has held elective office and served constituents.”

Another unaffiliated campaign volunteer noted this shows how bad Democratic Party politics is right now.

“If Andrew Sommerman will attack his own supporters, do you think he cares about individual voters?”

In the other major Dallas race, endorsements continue to come in for Jane Hope Hamilton who is hoping to beat Jasmine Crockett in their runoff.