By Jennifer Bendery, GalleryWatch.com
Austin, TX – You may have noticed Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun's name missing from the official list of presidential candidates who have filed papers to be on the ballot for the 2004 Texas Democratic Primary. It's not an oversight - Braun chose to forego putting her name on the state's ballot.
"They had all the information they needed from us," said a Texas Democratic Party (TDP) spokesperson regarding Braun's campaign. "They had everything. They knew when everything was due." In order to be listed on the Texas ballot, candidates are required to pay $2,500 and collect signatures of 5,000 registered voters. Although Braun has been to Texas a few times during her campaign, the TDP representative said candidates ultimately "have to make choices on where to spend their money. That's totally their decision" to opt out of filing.
So where's Braun?
"The people helping in Texas didn't deliver," said Bruce Crosby, field director for Braun's campaign. "It wasn't because we didn't want to be on the ballot." Crosby said Braun's support base in Texas "didn't accomplish what they needed to do. They didn't raise the dollars needed. They didn't come together as an organizational apparatus." While some people from Austin did communicate with Braun's campaign, he said supporters "were not focused" across the state.
Crosby said the lack of funds raised by Texas supporters is the main reason for Braun's name not appearing on the Texas ballot, with costs to support all functions of a Texas-based office totaling about $200,000. Facing limited resources and its Texas support base in disarray, Crosby said Braun's campaign directed their limited resources to other states. "Texas is like Illinois: You don't play with it," he said. "You either deal with it or you leave it alone."
The decision to focus campaign dollars on states with earlier primaries also contributed to Braun's move to place less focus on the Texas ballot, said Crosby. The election process is "skewed" because earlier primaries take place in smaller states like Iowa or South Carolina, he said. As a result, "You have to try to position yourself with some early wins," said Crosby. "If you can't win until you get to Texas, you won't be around."
Still, it's not too late for Braun supporters to make a difference in Texas, he said. "If we are not on the ballot, put us on in a write-in." Although Braun will also not be listed on the ballot in New Mexico or Oklahoma due to a lack of resources, Crosby said, "Texas is too important" to overlook because "when you miss Texas, you miss a chance at a good share of votes."
In addition, Crosby said Braun's campaign is just four states away from receiving the federal matching funds of $800,000, which candidates can earn by raising $5,000 in individual contributions from 20 states. Texas is one of those four remaining states, he said, where Braun's campaign is just $200 shy of reaching the $5,000 mark. How will Braun's staff raise the additional money before time runs out? "We stay on the phones," Crosby said. "We're calling people who said they wanted to help."