Precinct 4 Commissioner Race Added To Collin Co. Fall Ballot

The Collin County Commissioners' Court approves the annual budget and all county expenditures, sets the county property tax rates, approves the tax roll and determines public works policy such as building programs and conducting elections. The court appoints most non-elected department heads and standing committees and represents the county in state and regional matters. Members of the court also serve as Trustees of the Collin County Health Care Foundation, Collin County Housing Finance Corporation, and the Collin County Substance Abuse Foundation.

The July 2008 death of long time Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Hatchell opened up a vacancy for the remaining 2 years of his commissioner's term. The Precinct 4 Commissioner's office position will be added to the appropriate "ballot styles" by the Collin County Elections Office for the 2008 General Election. The Precinct 4 Commissioner's District falls generally in the south western portion of Collin County. People who live in that district will see that race as one of their ballot position choices for the General Election this fall. (See Precinct 4 Commissioner's District Map PDF.)

In the interim, former GOP county chair Kathy Ward was last month appointed to fill the Precinct 4 Commissioner's office until the November election. Ms. Ward has also been named by the Republican Party of Collin County to stand for election to that office in the General Election to fill the remaining 2 years Hatchell's term.

It was announced at the July 26th monthly "4th Saturday" meeting of the Democratic Party of Collin County (DPCC) that long time Plano Attorney Jean Power was filling with the County Elections Department to form a campaign committee to run as the Democratic candidate for the Precinct 4 Commissioner's District. Ms. Power made a few brief remarks at the DPCC "4th Saturday" meeting expressing her strong desire to serve her community as the Precinct 4 Commissioner.

Ms. Power also gave DPCC members attending the DPCC 4th Saturday meeting a brief summary of her professional background and community service. Ms. Power is the Managing Partner of Power Family Law and has practiced family law in Plano for 18 years. She is a former president of the Plano Bar Association and has served on the Board of Directors of the Rape Crises Center of Collin County and the All Saints Catholic School Advisory Committee. She is also a former president of the Collin County Social Services Association. Ms. Power received her law degree from Texas Tech in 1989.

Visit Jean Power's Collin County Precinct 4 Commissioner's Court website for more information.
Related link:Collin County Commissioners Court Democratic Candidates

Largest Asian-American PAC Endorses Obama

On Saturday the largest Asian-American political action committee, the 80-20 Initiative, formally endorsed Sen. Obama for president. They decided on the endorsement after a day-long convention and discussion among 33 delegates of various ethnicities, ages and party affiliations. The delegates represent a national, nonpartisan organization of 700,000 supporters.

GOP Senior Senator Ted Stevens Indicted On 7 Criminal Counts!

GOP Senior U.S. Senator Ted Stevens Indicted On 7 Criminal Charge (Huffington Post) - Sen. Ted Stevens, the nation's longest-serving Republican senator and a major figure in Alaska politics since before statehood, was indicted Tuesday on seven counts of failing to disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars in services from an oil services company that helped renovate his home.

The first sitting U.S. senator to face federal indictment since 1993, Stevens has been dogged by an investigation into his home renovation project in Alaska and his dealings with wealthy oil contractors.

TPM Election Central is reporting that Liddy Dole is dumping $10,000 in donations from indicted Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens leadership PAC. Burnt Orange Report is reporting that John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison also accepted donations from indicted Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens leadership PAC.

How Senator Ted Stevens' Alaska house re-do became a federal indictment against Senator Stevens - Reported in the McClatchy Newspaper on Saturday, August 2, 2008

Obama Taps Rep. Emanuel for Debate Negotiations

TheHill.com reports, "Barack Obama’s presidential campaign agreed to three debates against rival John McCain this fall and announced that Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) will handle the Illinois senator's negotiations. In a letter to the Presidential Commission on Debates, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe wrote that Obama will participate in three debates, and his running mate will participate in one vice presidential debate. Emanuel will take the lead on negotiating the specifics of the debates on behalf of the Obama campaign."