AUSTIN — El Paso Democrats who have been gathering ammunition to challenge state Rep. Dee Margo in the next election may soon have another target: Democratic state Rep. Joe Pickett.
Democratic Party Chairman Danny Anchondo said he was very disappointed that Pickett broke ranks with the party to support the passage of a Republican-backed bill that would require voters to show photo identification before casting a ballot.
Anchondo called the bill racist and said he intended to tell voters in the community how Pickett voted.
“If you vote against the citizenry of El Paso and the citizenry of Texas — you know what, it’s not very difficult for me to get on the bandwagon to get somebody to run against you,” Anchondo said.
Pickett said he was trying to avoid partisan politics on an issue that has long divided both parties.
House Republicans, who won easy passage of the bill last week with a 101-48 vote, said the legislation would instill confidence in the election system and prevent voter fraud.
Democrats said there has been only one conviction for voter impersonation in the past nine years. they argued that the measure is nothing more than an attempt to suppress the votes of minorities and poor people who may not readily have photo identification.
The bill would require a voter to present a current driver’s license, a state-issued personal ID card, a military ID, a citizenship certificate, a concealed-handgun license, a valid U.S. passport or a tribal identification before casting a ballot.
Under current law, a person can simply present their voter registration card. the bill provides for free state-issued photo IDs to Texans who say they need one to vote.
Pickett and Margo, a Republican, voted for the bill. the rest of the El Paso Democratic delegation voted against the legislation.
Pickett voted with Democrats on most of the failed amendments to the bill but he was the only Democrat in the House who voted for the bill’s passage. he said he does not believe the bill disenfranchises voters and if there were secret ballots, other Democrats might have also supported the legislation.
“I think it’s awfully short-sighted for the Democratic Party to say they are going to find a candidate to run against me because of one vote out of hundreds we will take this session but that just shows you how desperate they feel,” Pickett said, adding that he does not plan to switch parties.
Anchondo said Pickett has not supported the Democratic Party as a Democratic representative should.
“I think that this just goes to show what his allegiance is,” Anchondo said. “To me, that’s a Republican vote.”
Yolanda Clay, the state Democratic Executive Committeewoman for District 29, said she has been concerned about Pickett’s allegiances since Republican House Speaker Joe Straus named him chairman of the Transportation Committee. Pickett lost that chairmanship under the new Republican supermajority and now chairs Defense and Veterans Affairs.
Clay said the party may have to consider its options in the next election.
“We have a lot of qualified Democrats in that particular district,” Clay said. “This is just an outrage. This is not a vote that can be explained away and for him to vote with the Republicans on this issue is simply wrong.”
Pickett said he is a Democrat but he will not be subjected to “mob rule.” the nine-term representative, who is also on the redistricting committee, said if his party decides to run someone against him, they will have to wait until after redistricting to make sure the prospective candidate lives within the district’s revised boundaries.
“If they want somebody who will vote mechanically that’s fine, then the people of El Paso will make that decision and I don’t think the people of my district and El Paso in general think this is that big of a deal,” Pickett said.
State Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, one of the most vocal Democratic House members against the bill, said he was surprised by Pickett’s vote but he has not had a chance to talk with him about it.
“Joe’s always been a solid yellow-dog Democrat so when I found out about it I was shocked,” Veasey said. “As a matter of fact, when I saw that we had 48 votes against, I assumed someone had left for an emergency.”
Former Republican Party chairman Michael Moore, who is now an independent because he believes the Republican Party is not conservative enough, said Pickett simply voted his conscience.
Moore said Pickett is a solid Democrat who would likely not consider a switch to the Republican Party.
“Joe’s a good guy,” Moore said. “He is reasonably conservative but I don’t think he is going anywhere anytime soon.”
Zahira Torres may be reached at ztorres@elpasotimes.com; 512-479-6606.
<a href="http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_17714530?source=most_viewedtag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_17714530?source=most_viewedMon, 28 Mar 2011 12:22:02 GMT 00:00″>Texas Legislature: Demos may try to oust Rep. Joe Pickett
