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AUSTIN — If you were waiting to support "One Tough Grandma" or wanted to "Save Yourself for Kinky," the wait is over. On Wednesday, the two independent candidates for governor began gathering the 45,540 signatures each needs by May 11 in order to gain a spot on the November ballot. If Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn and humorist Kinky Friedman succeed in their respective petition drives, Texas voters will choose from among four candidates on a ballot that already includes incumbent Republican Gov. Rick Perry and Democrat Chris Bell. Strayhorn has gathered "thousands and thousands" of signatures through campaign offices in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, and by block-walking herself in Austin and Tomball, northwest of Houston, said spokesman Mark Sanders. He would not say how many thousand signatures the self-described "One Tough Grandma" had collected, but said Strayhorn is confident that she will be on the ballot in November. Strayhorn and Perry are the top fund-raisers and considered to be the front-runners. "This is a two-person race," Sanders said. "We’re going to get the signatures, and she’s going to be on the ballot in November." To sign a petition, you must be a registered voter who did not vote in either the Republican or Democratic primary on March 7. Voters may sign only one petition for governor, according to state law. Anyone can vote for an independent in the November election, regardless of whether they voted in a primary or signed a petition. The Friedman campaign also has hit the streets in the last week, including petition drives in Hidalgo County that collected an estimated 250 to 300 signatures, said Holly Smith, county coordinator for Friedman. The humorist, author and songwriter had asked voters to "Save Yourself for Kinky," a reference to the requirement that they not vote in a primary to be eligible to sign a petition. People on Friday at the Rotary Crawfish Boil in McAllen approached Smith, who was wearing a Friedman campaign shirt, and asked to sign a petition, she said. Fortunately, she never leaves home without one, she said. "People are coming out of the woodwork for Kinky Friedman," Smith said. "They would come up to me and go, ‘OK, I saved myself for Kinky, give me the paper.’" Sanders said Strayhorn still is considering legal action against the state for requiring candidates to submit just one batch of signatures and then await verification. She thinks the Secretary of State’s office should verify signatures on a rolling basis so candidates know how many valid signatures they have before the deadline passes, Sanders said —— Elizabeth Pierson covers the state capitol for Valley Freedom Newspapers. She is based in Austin and can be reached at (512) 323-0622.
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