Texas possibly closer to Kinky for governor bid Friedman files signatures, hopes for slot on November ballot.
By W. Gardner Selby AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Friday, May 12, 2006
The politically improbable flipped to would-you-looky possible Thursday as author-singer-songwriter Kinky Friedman gave the state what his campaign said were nearly four times the voter signatures needed for him to land on the fall ballot for governor.
Friedman, making his first try for office since a losing 1986 bid for Kerr County justice of the peace, tallied 169,574 signatures on petitions packed in 11 boxes. He noted that pundits never expected him to rally voter interest, conceding: "I was reserving my judgment."
Kinky Friedman puffed a victory cigar Thursday before handing over what his campaign said were the signatures of 169,574 voters backing his appearance on the Nov. 7 ballot.
Kinky Friedman, who turned in his ballot petitions two days after Carole Keeton Strayhorn, says their independent gubernatorial campaigns represent a lot of voters who are unhappy with Texas politics.
Friedman is not a balloted candidate yet. The Texas secretary of state's office expects to take five to six weeks to validate petitions.
Friedman and Carole Keeton Strayhorn, the state comptroller who was elected as a Republican, are trying to meet a requirement that independents scratch up signatures from at least 45,540 voters who sat out party primaries and runoffs. They hope to join GOP Gov. Rick Perry, Democratic nominee Chris Bell and Libertarian hopeful James Werner on the Nov. 7 ballot.
guess who is getting my vote?
Kinky all the way. He's had his ballot reserved for my mark ever since he started the rumor he was going to run. I mean, literally, the man cannot do any worse than any other governor we've had. He can only go up. 
