This is How Equality Happens

This is how equality happens: one race at a time. Listen to this NPR piece from this morning's All Things Considered. GLBT activists are making the difference in key local and state races all over America. This quote sums up our growing influence in Houston and nationally:

A new force is emerging in American politics: gay political donors who target state-level races. Last year, they funneled millions of dollars into dozens of carefully selected campaigns. Their goal: to elect gay-friendly governors and state lawmakers.

Congratulations! Today, Melissa Noriega has been sworn in as a Houston City Council member! After working tirelessly throughout the spring, the GLBT community can celebrate the inauguration of a new friend on council, and we can also celebrate the end of the hateful, anti-equality tenure of Shelly Sekula-Gibbs and Tom Delay. Noriega has gained broad support across the city, but no community campaigned more diligently than ours. I don't think any knowledgeable observer would deny that.


We're changing Houston, and we're changing this country. In our fight for equality, we're fulfilling the American promise.

Join the Caucus, contribute, and help us make difference.

Noel Freeman and Andy Neill Endorse Melissa Noriega

Earlier this Spring the Houston GLBT political Caucus faced a tough decision. Three impressive candidates sought our endorsement, as they began their campaigns for Houston City Council. In the end, we got behind Melissa Noriega, because she demonstrated extremely strong viability and a commitment to GLBT equality. She now enters the run-off campaign with a wide lead over her rival, and I'm happy to report that, in the last week, both Noel Freeman and Andy Neill, the two other candidates who originally screened with us, have formally endorsed Noriega.

Noel Freeman made his announcement in a press release, May 14th.

Former Houston City Council candidate Noel Freeman has officially endorsed Melissa Noriega for the June 16 runoff for the Council seat vacated by Shelley Sekula-Gibbs last November. Noriega received the most votes in Saturday‚s special election.

Freeman, a moderate Republican, endorsed Noriega due to her ability to provide stronger influence in Austin on behalf of Houstonians and a personal relationship that has grown during the campaign. "While Melissa and I may disagree ideologically on several issues, we agree on a number of issues that are very important to me, and her relationships with state legislators of both parties will serve Houstonians well," Freeman said. "We have also had the chance to get to know each other better over the course of the campaign, and I believe she is the candidate who really has Houston‚s best interests at heart."

By endorsing Noriega, Freeman seeks to reinforce the need for a stronger non-partisan environment on Houston's City Council. "I wish we could truly embrace the non-partisan nature of Council that was intended when our City Charter was written." he said. "After all, political affiliation doesn't determine whether or not your trash gets picked up or if your house is going to flood when it rains."

Andy Neill posted his endorsement on his website on May 16th.

As a registered Independent and a candidate for City Council during the current Special Election cycle, I have been granted a truly unique vantage point from which to assess fellow competitors and their messages of change for the City of Houston. It’s from that perspective that I feel compelled to endorse candidate Melissa Noreiga for the vacant At-Large position 3 seat in the upcoming runoff.

Melissa Noriega has earned my admiration and respect with her compassion, sincerity, and firm grasp of the complex issues that affect our citizens on a daily basis.

encourage everyone to do their homework on the issues that affect them and their families and make their own choice. I however have made mine and I am proud to support Melissa Noriega over the coming weeks.

I look to forward to watching both Noel Freeman and Andy Neill, as they continue to enrich our city with there service. If either decide to run run for office again -- and I hope they do -- I deeply wish that they seek our caucus' endorsement again. Their ideas were compelling and exciting, and our city is lucky to have such exceptional young leaders. I'm sure Melissa is deeply honored to have their support.

Elect Noriega: The Knockout Punch to Tom Delay

Cross posted at Burnt Orange Report

The May 12^th special election to fill the Houston City Council seat vacated by Shelley Sekula-Gibbs has received very little press coverage, and everyone agrees that Election Day promises low voter turnout. Coming off all the exciting victories of 2006, this race seems to be flying under the radar, but electing Melissa Noriega should be important to progressive voters everywhere. It’s certainly important to Houston’s GLBT community, as we have the opportunity to replace an adversary on council with a friend, but, beyond that, it seems to me that electing Noriega would deliver one more knockout punch to the regressive, corrupt politics of Tom Delay.

As Election Day approaches, I get more and more excited about Melissa Noriega. Earlier this spring, the Houston GLBT Political Caucus enthusiastically endorsed Melissa, because she articulated a sincere commitment to GLBT equality and demonstrated incredibly strong viability. It was clear then that Melissa was certainly going to make a very strong run, and today, our early impressions of Noriega are being fulfilled in impressive ways. Just check out her F.E.C. filings. The Noriega campaign is doing a great job, out raising all other the other candidates by a large margin. If she wins, all Houstonians can count on her to be a principled, reasonable, and effective leader, but I think her victory has a broader, historic significance. The whole sordid tale of corruption, indictments, resignations, law suits, write-ins, and “Gibbs Gaffes” ends with the election of Melissa Noriega.

Let’s review the squalid saga that led up to this election:

§ January 3, 2006: Jack Abramoff, long time associate of Tom Delay, pleads guilty to fraud, tax evasion, and conspiracy charges.

§ March 7, 2006: Tom Delay wins a contested district 22 primary election by the smallest margin of his career.

§ March 31, 2006: Tony Rudy, Tom Delay’s former deputy chief of staff, pleads guilty to corruption charges connected to the Abramoff scandal.

§ April 3^rd, 2006: Tom Delay announces that he will, in fact, not seek reelection, in the wake of Rudy’s guilty plea. Delay also announces that he will resign from the United States House of Representatives effective June 9, 2006

§ August 3, 2006: a three member panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upholds the decision of a district judge stating that Delay’s name must stay on the November ballot. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia rejected a request for the Supreme Court to hear the case before the November election, effectively ending Delay’s hopes of removing his name from the ballot.

§ August 17, 2006: Houston City Council Member Shelley Sekula-Gibbs becomes the officially endorsed Republican write-in candidate to face Democrat Nick Lampson in the race for House District 22.

§ November 7^th, 2006: Nick Lampson wins the election to represent district 22. Shelley Sekula-Gibbs wins a special election to serve the remainder of Tom Delay’s term, forcing her to resign her Houston City Council seat.

§ November 15, 2007: Just eight days after winning election, after rumors of intense contention, seven Gibbs’ staff members resigned in mass walkout. One staffer conceded that after working with Gibbs for just over a week she “was not a boss we wanted to work for.”

§ January 31, 2007: With a strong contingent of progressive leaders standing behind her, Melissa Noriega kicks off her campaign to replace Gibbs on Houston City Council.

Even though this race has received very little attention, electing Melissa Noriega is so important. Her victory will send a strong message, rejecting the corrupt politics of Tom Delay.

Her victory is not assured, though. Send her some money. Volunteer with the GLBT Caucus. We’re block-walking, rallying, and phone banking all the way to election day. Let’s knock them out.

Guest Post: Melissa Noriega Campaign Thanks the GLBT Caucus!

Cross posted at Burnt Orange Report

Hi,

This is the Melissa Noriega Campaign. It’s time to vote! Early voting in the May 12^th special election to fill the unexpired term of Shelley Sekula-Gibbs for Houston City Council At-Large, Position 3 begins today, April 30^th, and continues through Tuesday, May 8^th. Election Day is Saturday, May 12^th.

And, it’s time to thank the Houston GLBT Caucus for all of your work knocking on doors, making phone calls, putting out yard signs and getting out the word about Melissa. This City Council seat is important. The person who wins has the opportunity to be a part of ensuring our city has a vibrant future. Melissa Noriega is the candidate who will pull diverse groups together around common ground, to make our neighborhoods safer, our environment healthier and our government more effective.

This election is not a done deal. While Melissa has received many important endorsements, including the Caucus, the Houston Chronicle, police, fire, Labor, elected officials and other business and community members, it’s now up to the voters to go to the polls and make their voices heard.

This is expected to be a very low turnout election. It’s important that everyone stay focused and work from now to election day to get out the vote, whether it’s by making phone calls to voters, emailing everyone you know to encourage them to vote for Melissa or talking to your friends and co-workers about the election. Early voting is important, as the number of polling locations for Election Day has been reduced. An interactive early voting map, with locations and schedules, can be found at www.melissanoriega.com.

If you haven’t had a chance to meet Melissa, you can do that this week at Wednesday’s Caucus meeting.

Wednesday, May 2, 6:30 PM

GLBT Political Caucus Wine Reception and General Meeting

Havens Center
1827 W Alabama St, Houston, TX
713-528-6665

Thank you again, for your endorsement and - Let’s Get Out the Vote for Melissa!

The Melissa Noriega Campaign

The Houston GLBT Political Caucus Endorses Melissa Noriega

cross posted at Burnt Orange Report

This post was revised on March 15, 2007. If you have a question about the changed content, please contact us at thecaucusblog@gmail.com.

Tonight, during our March general meeting, the Houston GLBT Political Caucus voted to endorse Melissa Noriega in her run for city council.

With an openly gay candidate, Noel Freeman, running, the decision to endorse Noriega was not an easy one, but the caucus has not compromised its commitment to advancing equality for GLBT people in Houston. After some thorough discussion, there was clear consensus on two things:

First, we can all be very proud of Noel Freeman. His courage is inspiring, and the GLBT community applauds him for running as an openly gay man.

Second, the caucus must be unrelenting in its pursuit of equal rights for GLBT. Of course we want more GLBT elected officials, but, even more than that, we want equal rights as soon as possible. The Caucus is certain that, out of all the candidates, Melissa Noriega will be our most effective advocate. She is a proven leader with broad support. She has demonstrated a deep, personal understanding of GLBT issues, and she is more than prepared to run a victorious campaign. Noriega's screening was exemplary. She far outshined every other contender, including Freeman. We are proud to support her, as proud as we've ever been.

The Houston GLBT Political Caucus enthusiastically looks forward to Melissa Noriega's tenure on city council, and we will be working diligently on her behalf right through May 12th, election day.

Endorsement: The Tough Decision We’ve Been Waiting For

cross posted at Burnt Orange Report

This post was revised on March 15, 2007. If you have a question about the changed content, please contact us at thecaucusblog@gmail.com.

Endorsement Meeting: Special Election for City Council, At-large Position 3

Tonight, 6:30 PM

3400 Montrose, Suite 207

The screening committee has completed its interviews, and tonight the Houston GLBT Political Caucus will officially endorse a candidate in the race for the at-large, position 3 city council seat, vacated by Shelly Sekula-Gibbs. An openly gay men, Noel Freeman, is seeking the caucus’s support. Melissa Noriega and Andy Neill also screened with the caucus. Everyone on the screening committee agrees that the caucus has a very difficult decision to make, but this is a difficult decision we’re happy to have; it’s one we’ve been waiting for.

Our organization has been committed to recruiting openly GLBT candidates for a long time, so we can’t help but be extremely proud of Noel Freeman. He has distinguished himself by being courageously honest within discriminatory cultures. Noel Freeman was the first openly gay member of Texas A&M’s Corps of Cadets.

Though we are extremely excited about Noel Freeman's candidacy, it should not be assumed that the caucus will endorse him, simply because he is homosexual. As an interim state legislator, civic activist and educator, Melissa Noriega has proven herself to be an extremely effective leader. During her interview, Noriega was passionate about building coalitions. She’s obviously eager to learn about GLBT issues, and, in many ways, She's uniquely qualified to help our community reach out to the greater population of Houston.

We certainly face a difficult decision. We have a historic opportunity, not just because we have a homosexual seeking our endorsement. Our city is at the threshold of significant progress, and every city election has the potential to bring us closer to equal citizenship.

The GLBT political caucus is not a mere fan club for elected officials. We don’t vainly seek election victories. We are compelled to by specific policy goals. We are driven by the prospect of equality. Of course we want more GLBT elected officials, but, even more than that, we want nondiscrimination mandated by our government. We want marriage equality, with recognition and security for our loving families. We want equal rights, and the Caucus will endorse and work for the candidate that can best accelerate the realization of these goals.

Tonight we will hear from all three candidates, and we will review their respective merits. I will post the Caucus’s decision immediately following the meeting.

Caucus Candidates Lining Up Behind Melissa Noriega

As has been reported on a number of excellent local blogs, Melissa Noriega is kicking-off her campaign for city council at-large position 3 this Friday, 5:30 - 7:30 PM, at Irma's downtown.

Noriega is running against four other declared candidates. The caucus will not endorse anyone until our screening process is completed, but as we start gearing up for these interviews, equally considering each candidate that responds to our invitation to screen, it's interesting to note how many of our previously endorsed elected officials are supporting Noriega by joining her at the kickoff party:

State Representative Dr. Alma A. Allen
Houston City Council Member Carol Alvarado
Honorable Chris Bell
State Representative Ellen Cohen
State Representative Garnet Coleman
State Representative Jessica Farrar
Houston City Council Member Adrian Garcia
State Representative Ana Hernandez
Houston City Council Member Sue Lovell
State Representative Borris Miles
Houston City Controller Annise Parker

I must say, Noriega's keeping good company.

Special Election Preview

Last Saturday, during the annual caucus retreat for strategic planning, two upcoming election campaigns were focused on: the special election to fill city council at-large position 3 (relinquished by the infamous Shelley Sekula-Gibbs) and district D’s city council seat, which will be vacated by the term limited Ada Edwards at the end of the year. I will do my best to keep up with developments in these priority races here on the caucus blog.

With the special election just around the corner, I set out to learn a little more about all the recently filed candidates. Being naturally inclined to nerdiness and news addiction, I expected to enjoy this research, but I had no idea! Since the date of the special election was finalized, an extremely colorful cast of contenders has emerged:

1. Melissa Noriega : Given her broad, citywide name recognition, a number of analysts feel that Noriega is the front runner in this race. For those of you who don’t recognize her name, Melissa Noriega is State Representative Rick Noriega’s wife. While her husband, a national guardsman, completed a tour in Afghanistan, Melissa Noriega represented district 145 in his absence during the Texas Legislature’s 2005 regular session and the subsequent special session on school finance. At the completion of these sessions, she was voted freshman of the year by the house democrats. She was HISD’s director of special projects, and she has a long history of civic involvement.

2. Roy Morales: Morales is not a newcomer to city politics, having run against City Councilmen Peter Brown in 2005. He is a retired Lt. Col, who touts the support of conservative coalitions, business associations, police organizations, and veterans. Morales’ campaign website is not yet up and running, but judging from his previous run for council , we can assume he will be one of this race’s most conservative candidates.

3. Andy Neil: Neil is the chair of the Houston Downtown Alliance’s Emerging Leaders Community Outreach Committee. On his website, Neil identifies the three Houston problems that trouble him most: burgeoning homelessness, HISD dropout rates, and violent crime. Neil doesn't have much of a history in Houston politics, and I couldn't dig up that much about him online. I've heard that Neil's been sending out some interesting e-mail though.

4. Noel Freeman: Freeman is the only openly gay candidate in the race. He is president of the Houston Log Cabin Republicans. In 2004 he worked for Congressman John Culberson, who, that same year,
co-sponsored the federal marriage amendment. He also works for Service Corporation International, North America’s largest provider of funeral and crematory services. Noel doesn’t outline any specific initiatives on his website, but -- I'm sure you'll agree -- he’s definitely a unique and provocative candidate.

5. David Goldberg: Goldberg is a senior at Bellaire High School. He is the only candidate with a Facebook profile , and he has lots of friends there too. Compared to the other candidates, Goldberg’s campaign website is considerably more developed. Goldberg says he's running to improve homeland security, fight crime, and improve the city's parks. David Goldberg is former District C councilman Mark Goldberg's nephew. Mark Goldberg represented Montrose until he was term limited out of office in 2005. In 2001 Mark Goldberg pulled a Martha when he abstained from voting on the Mayor Brown's non-discrimination ordinance for city employees. The ordinance passed even without Mark Goldberg's vote. He was also listed as a favored candidate of the Conservative Republicans of Harris County in 2003. Who knows if David Goldberg shares his uncle's right-wing loyalties... I’ll try to track down his student council voting record.

A former state rep, a gay Culberson staffer, a young businessman with an apparent penchant for Playboy, a perennial, conservative candidate, and a web-savvy high school senior – I must say, it’s a very interesting group, and I’m really looking forward to the campaign. It promises to be amusing.


In all seriousness though, winning this seat is one of the caucus’s top priorities for 2007. Of course, each of these candidates will be invited to screen with the caucus, and caucus members will vote to endorse a candidate in March.
Shelley Sekula-Gibbs was certainly not a friend to the GLBT community, and we should work to elect a more progressive, pro-equality candidate to the council. The caucus was very successful in 2006, electing Ellen Cohen and defending Representative Hubert Vo. Let’s reassert our influence in this consequential, high profile council race.