Free Republic

AUSTIN — Entertainer Kinky Friedman and state Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, the two independent candidates for governor were certified for the November ballot Thursday by Secretary of State Roger Williams. ``Texas has a process for verifying the eligibility of independent candidates for a place on the ballot and today we have finished that process,” Williams said. ``Our method of verifying every signature is the most accurate, has been upheld by the courts and was done faster than in years past.” Williams notified the two campaigns Thursday afternoon that they had met the requirements for ballot access. Both candidates exceeded the...

AUSTIN — With the Capitol as a backdrop and a scorching sun beating down, Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn turned the political heat up on Gov. Rick Perry today, formally announcing as a challenger to his re-election. Strayhorn, saying she will run against Perry in next year's Republican primary, wasted no time in attacking her new opponent. "You know that Texans cannot afford another four years of a governor who promises tax relief and delivers nothing," she said. "Now is time to replace this do-nothing drugstore cowboy with one tough grandma," Strayhorn told a cheering crowd. Strayhorn specifically criticized Perry for...