Dallas County Democratic Party – The Other Side Dallas

May 20, 2022May 20, 2022

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.

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.

Sommerman Download

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.

May 16, 2022May 16, 2022

Explosive New Jasmine Crockett Website

An explosive new website launched sometime this weekend and it airs all the dirty laundry about Jasmine Crockett we knew and thought we knew and then a lot more. This happens as voters go to the polls today for the start of early voting in the primary runoff.

Crockett was not a supporter of President Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris. Crockett also attacked Eddie Bernice Johnson prior to winning her endorsement and insinuated she had somehow received inappropriate benefits of office.

There are a number of topics, but chief among them seem to be her support for disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo, offshore fundraising, not voting against the Republican “Jim Crow” voting law passed in special session last summer, and abandoning legal clients while only working for “the dollar signs.”

Jasmine Crokett: Offshore Fundraising

Crockett has received millions in shadowy contributions from offshore accounts – some funneled through supporters of Donald Trump.

Per the website, Crockett welcomed the “investment” of more than $2M into her campaign and later said “that’s how campaigns go.”

Jasmine Crockett: No Show On Voter Suppression Bill

Crockett who made multiple national airwaves during state Democrats visit to Washington DC to deny the Texas legislature a quorum did not bother to show up to vote no against Republican voter suppression bills as we reported earlier this year.

Jasmine Crockett: No District 100 Office

Crockett also never opened a Disrict 100 office leaving constituents without local service on matters of importance including dropping the ball on legislation she was asked to carry to the floor for local businesses and nonprofits.

There are numerous other issues brought up by the website whose owner is unclear, but it is fair to say that Jasmine Crockett is not beloved in her own district.

While Jasmine Crockett nearly won the TX30 primary outright, her opponent, Jane Hope Hamilton has been quietly receiveing multiple endorsements from city council members like Chad West, members of the Texas legislature including Senator Royce West, Representative Rafael Anchia, and Representative Chris Turner, and local Congressman Marc Veasey.

Hamilton has also been noted to have an aggressive ground game knocking on doors and earning votes through retail campaigning that it appears Crockett has so far avoided.

March 1, 2022February 28, 2022

Primary Election Day 2022

Today is primary election day 2022 here in Texas.

Dallas County Democrats have numerous contested races including at the top of the ballot where they are expected to nominate Beto O’Rourke. This is the Democrat sample ballot.

Dallas County Republicans mostly have contested races at the top of the ticket including Don Huffines challenging Greg Abbott for the gubernatorial nod and who will face Colin Allred in TX32.

The Republican sample ballot is here.

Primary Election Day 2022 Voting Locations

Schools, fire houses, and churches across Dallas will be used for voting locations. You can find a convenient voting location for you here.

January 8, 2022March 22, 2022

Seider Challenges Suprun

Current Dallas Justice of Peace 3-2 Steve Seider challenges Suprun ballot petitions in a late Friday notice to Dallas County Democratic Party.

It is unclear the basis for Seider’s challenge, but he has previously attempted to keep opponents off the ballot in other election years, and this appears to be another attempt at resurrecting Donald Trump’s Big Lie over election fraud claims when none exist.

Christopher Suprun is best known politically as the 2016 Republican faithless elector who would not vote for Donald Trump. His December 2016 New York Times oped was the first time a member of the Electoral College publicly announced a campaign against his party’s own nominee.

Since that time Suprun has been active in electing Democrats across the nation, but is seen as a fair person committed to the Rule of Law. He did not respond to a request for comment despite previously writing for Other Side Dallas.

Seider Challenges Suprun Not First GOP Politricks Of 2022

Seider challenging Christopher Suprun is not the first of this cycle or the first for Seider who sued to remove Mauri Long from the ballot in 2018 in a race he won by 1400 votes out of 200,000.

The Dallas County Republican Party also added a candidate in the Justice of Peace Precinct 3 Place 1 race against Adam Swartz after the deadline.

December 21, 2021January 8, 2022

Adam Swartz Lawsuit

Are Dallas County Republicans up to their politricks again?

On Monday, December 13, 2021 Adam Swartz filed for Dallas Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 Place 1, a seat held currently by Al Cercone. At the end of the night there were no primary opponents and the Texas Secretary of State listed no Republican opponents.

As of today, a Republican is in the race forcing the question did the GOP file late?

GOP Politricks Not New

In 2018 Republicans filed suit to keep Democrats of the ballot in the Justice of Peace races – elections that each GOP judge won by roughly 1400 votes out of 200,000 cast.

Additionally, Precinct 2 Justice of Peace Bill Metzger removed a campaign sign for Jim Phaup, then the mayor of Sunnyvale who was a Republican primary candidate for Texas House District 113.

A camera placed near the sign by Phaup’s campaign after a previous sign was removed recorded a man in a hoodie cutting the zip ties holding the sign to two metal stakes, then stomping on the stakes.

Metzger was admonished by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct in 2020 after losing re-election. The commission stated that his testimony “was not credible,” and that Metzger’s actions cast “public discredit on the judiciary.”

In August there were multiple reports, the GOP might file independent candidates in races to disrupt races.

In the Precinct 3 Place 2 race, Chris Suprun is running against Steve Seider. Both Suprun and Swartz have written or moderated for Other Side Dallas or the Facebook group.

August 20, 2021June 21, 2022

Indie Centrist Candidates Coming

Two North Texas Democratic incumbents may be facing indie centrist candidates in the upcoming 2022 election after gerrymandering says two sources close to Austin decision makers.

US Representative Colin Allred and State Senator Nathan Johnson may face not one, but two, candidates in the 2022 general election.

Indie Centrist Candidates

Allred has benefited from official administration visits like Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh’s summer visit, but may still be gerrymandered into a tougher district making his progressive voting record harder to defend.

Nathan Johnson, similar to Allred won in 2018 riding an anti-Trump wave, that may not exist in 2022 with Trump off the ballot.

Since 2020, many local Republicans have been associated with QAnon and the GOP voting losses of suburban women voters to Democrats over the past four years. The most recent in North Dallas is probably Barry Wernick.

The Republican Party currently has four candidates running for office in Texas Congressional District 32 per Ballotpedia. They are Montgomery Markland, Brad Namdar, Ricardo Salazar, and Gary Slagel.

No candidates are listed for State Senate District 16, but the Dallas County Republican Party, suffering from its own dysfunction, currently lists candidates who lost their primary races back in 2018.

Additionally, Don Huffines, who lost his re-election bid against State Senator Johnson four years ago, is aggressively running for Governor taking swings at Greg Abbott over the border and the electric grid failure. It is not obvious who would be running for his old seat, but his brother was Dallas County Republican Chair.

June 11, 2021July 5, 2021

Eric Swalwell Spies In Dallas

Eric Swalwell (Dem, CA-15) was in Dallas last night for an event with new Dallas County Democratic Party Chairwoman Kristy Noble.

The event may show the strength of Noble in bringing national attention to Dallas County’s party which has had a recent history of financial problems. Swalwell’s office would not comment on the current allegations or his work supporting local Democrats across the country.

In 2019 Swalwell was a candidate for President.

Eric Swalwell – Security Issue

In late 2020, Swalwell was accused by Axios of having ties to a Chinese spy through local fundraising efforts.

The suspected Chinese intelligence operative developed extensive ties with local and national politicians, including Congressman Swalwell. Officials in the United States believe this was a political intelligence operation run by China’s main civilian spy agency between 2011 and 2015 and resulted in a FBI briefing to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy.

Swalwell serves on the House Special Committee on Intelligence, a position McCarthy says he should be removed from given current allegations.

June 3, 2021June 15, 2021

Kristy Noble: New Democratic Chair

Kristy Noble was elected the new Chair of the Dallas County Democratic Party.

The campaign became heated in some instances with a last minute attack mailer against opponent Candace Quarles. The mailer did not state who paid for or authorized the attack – a possible violation of state election law.

Kristy Noble Background

Ms. Noble’s background includes three decades as a small business owner in the Information Technology sector.

She was also a co-founder and leader of the Funky East Dallas Democrats, which grew from 35 to 4,500 people in just four years.

Noble won her race after four rounds of voting between the five candidates.

May 19, 2021May 19, 2021

Coin Operated Candice Quarles Campaigns For Democratic Chair

Candice Quarles is campaigning for Dallas County Democratic Chair just a year past allegations surfaced she took a Disney World vacation – mostly on the taxpayers dime.

A few months ago the Dallas County Democratic Party showed they had poor internal financial controls as an organization. It is unclear what has been done to overcome the shortcomings in that report.

Candice Quarles History on Desoto City Council

Dallas Business Journals recently honored Quarles as a Leader in Diversity, skipping over her ties to a forensic audit showing her family profited over $140,000 from her family’s connection to Desoto city leadership. Her husband, Jeremiah, served as economic development chief previously.

During that time, Quarles had thousands of dollars in local memberships and sponsorships paid for by a city credit card. These include the Urban League of Greater Dallas Young Professionals, a group Candice Quarles led.

Desoto Independent School District has also had recent issues with credit card spending by leadership leading to takeover talk early last school year.

One Dallas Democratic Party Precinct Chair exasperated said, “this is more of the same.”

The South Dallas representative continued, “While the party should be winning races across the board, we give too many away with pie in the sky candidates or we elect grifters.”

December 14, 2020December 15, 2020

Dallas Democrats Audit Shows Almost No Financial Controls

Minutes into Monday night’s CEC Meeting, Dallas Democrats Audit showed major problems and no mention of the recent DWI arrest of Judge Audrey Moorehead.

A recent audit showed a quarter million dollars had not been accounted for when transferred to the Coordinated Campaign committee. Those funds were unaccounted for block walkers, literature, and other campaign expenses.

One Precinct Chair who provided us with information about the audit report noted the block walkers expense was particularly interesting since the committee had gotten away from block walking due to COVID19.

Additionally, Philip Courtney Hogan who oversaw the audit process noted a major risk for embezzelment which he desribed as “room for people to steal” that the Dallas Democrats allowed the Director of Finance to both write checks and reconcile monthly bank statements.

Reportedly, additional problems were listed including no Director and Officer insurance, problems with payroll taxes not matching – i.e. W-2 and 941 payment mismatches, and IRS 1099 Forms not being submitted to the IRS for paid block walking employees.

Dallas Democrats Audit Report

Other Side Dallas is working to get a copy of the audit report. If we are able to get a copy of these issues we will publish immediately.

Joanna Cattanach To Lead Development

Another interesting development is the appointment of Joanna Cattanach to be the Dallas County Democratic Party’s Development Director. In October, Cattanach returned a contribution to the staffer of a primary opponent in her own race she lost against Morgan Meyer.