Austin’s only historically black legislative seat at risk in run-off
The ministers didn't need to be reminded of the stakes, but Cole and her campaign team drove it home: If she comes up short, there will be no
"We are not going down like this," said Cole, a former
For 43 years,
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Gentrification has dramatically changed the district's demographics. When Dukes first took office in 1995, black residents outnumbered Latinos in the district -- though both groups trailed Anglos. Yet despite being one of the fastest growing cities in the nation,
Dukes' recent ethics scandals and attendance issues prompted Cole, Vela and a slew of other candidates to step forward. An established politician, Cole wrapped up major endorsements and built a significant fundraising advantage. But Vela, a lawyer and first-time candidate, finished slightly ahead of her in the
He was likely aided by the unusually long campaign, which unofficially got underway in
After years of displacement and the perception of some that preserving the black community isn't a priority to
"That would definitely be a wound for the community because that seat has been
Not helping matters for Cole is that she says some voters, especially younger white ones, have confused her with Dukes, a 12-term incumbent who won only 10 percent of the primary vote following a series of ethics controversies sparked by accusations of corruption from her legislative staff and law enforcement.
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"It has come up in canvassing when I knock on the door, and they ask, 'Didn't I have issues with my staff?' I said, 'What are you talking about? Oh, no. That wasn't me,'" Cole said.
Cole, however, has money on her side. She has raised
Cole has received 82 donations of
Vela has received only 10 contributions of
Race to the left
The rhetorical fight over which candidate is more liberal could prove pivotal in an election cycle marked by increased turn-out among
Vela, a criminal defense and immigration lawyer making his first run for office, promises to be a liberal "firebrand" in the Legislature, while Cole points to her record in three terms on the
"I'm a proud Chicano, but I'm not the Mexican-American candidate. I'm not the Latino candidate. I'm the progressive Democrat in this race," said Vela, a former chairman of the
Arguing that Cole fails the liberal litmus test, Vela points to her work as a registered lobbyist after she lost the mayor's race in 2014 and to a
Cole said she supported Daugherty because he had previously worked with her on policies aimed at helping formerly incarcerated people find jobs, a priority for the black community.
"It's not personal. (Daugherty) has helped me with the specific 'ban the box' issue," Cole said. "What
Cole has also received a combined
Cole struck back at Vela's liberal bona fides, noting that his campaign spokesman,
"I have supported LGBT rights and delivered legislation in favor of that," she said, referencing a 2012 Council resolution endorsing gay marriage that she championed. "I have led on women's reproductive rights issues for at least 20 years."
Vela said that his parents taught him that Latinos are indebted to African-Americans for their work in the
"Black and brown issues have always been linked. Black-and-brown coalitions in modern society really are absolutely necessary to achieve our political goals," he said.
Cristina Tzintzún, executive director of the
"To me, it doesn't matter who they are. It matters what they do for the community," said Tzintzún, whose group is not endorsing in the race. "That being said, I do think that I understand the fears and anxieties that people have about having a delegation that doesn't represent the full diversity of our community."
Tzintzún said she thinks both candidates would serve the district well and said she will be focused on pushing whoever wins to carry out their campaign promises.
"I know both
Gentlemen's agreement 2.0?
Cole, the first black woman to serve on
Despite taking a hiatus from politics after that contest, her campaign for Dukes' seat wrapped up endorsements from almost all of the
For Vela, however, the near-unanimous support for Cole among Democratic leaders is a sign that she is the candidate of the establishment, not of the district's voters.
"I don't think that
He compared the situation to the so-called gentlemen's agreement under the old at-large
To prevent the city's white majority from dominating every election in the old system, political leaders created the unwritten agreement meant to ensure that one of the six council seats would be reserved for
The system was criticized for tokenism and for giving the impression that successful black and Hispanic candidates had to earn the blessing of the white
"These kinds of gentlemen's agreements, to me, tip the power toward the political establishment and away from the people," Vela said.
Cole was the last
Watson, a former mayor of
"I wouldn't say there's a coordinated effort, but I would say there are a number of people that have served at the
Cole said it's important to have black political leaders in
She also noted her work in securing a wrongful death settlement from the city for the family 0f Nathaniel Sanders II, an 18-year-old who was shot and killed by an
"I have a record in the
Rep.
'Not the same district'
At the Denny's off
"Right now we're faced with the dissolution of that arrangement," Butts told the ministers. "We can lose. Make no mistake about it."
Then Hendricks had another question: "What message will we collectively carry ... other than, 'Just vote for her because we need a black in there?'"
The group then debated how best to pitch Cole to their followers and settled on invoking her extensive record to differentiate her from Vela. While Vela talks a big game about progressive politics, Cole has a record to back it up, they reasoned.
"Your challenge is the changing face of this district. You're going to win this race because you're not focusing on just one part of the community," Haley said. "This is not the same district
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