Comptroller won't say if she's behind survey of support for party switch

10:30 AM CST on Thursday, December 8, 2005

By WAYNE SLATER / The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN – Some Texans have received calls from a polling company asking whether they would support Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn for governor if she ran as an independent rather than as a Republican.

Gov. Rick Perry's campaign denies it is sponsoring the poll. Mrs. Strayhorn's campaign won't say.

"We don't discuss our polls," said Strayhorn spokesman Mark Sanders. "We are regularly in the field testing voter attitudes."

Mrs. Strayhorn has announced that she will challenge Mr. Perry in the March 7 GOP primary. Recent polls indicate she trails the incumbent more than 2-to-1.

In pursuit of the nomination, Mrs. Strayhorn has gotten a large number of campaign contributions from typically Democratic sources, such as trial lawyers.

She plans a fundraiser next week in Austin with a host committee that includes former Democratic Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes and Houston attorney Arthur Schecter, who served as U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas under President Bill Clinton.

Mr. Barnes has drawn Republican ire for asserting, especially in last year's campaign, that he helped President Bush get a spot in the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War.

The Perry campaign said it would not be surprised if its rival were considering an independent run.

"After spending the last six months becoming very cozy with trial lawyers, people who have tried to defeat President Bush and people close to the Clintons, it doesn't surprise me that Carole Strayhorn would be looking for someplace to run other than the Republicans' primary," said Robert Black, a spokesman for the Perry campaign.

Candidates have until Jan. 2 to file to be on primary ballots. Asked whether Mrs. Strayhorn would file to run as a Republican, Mr. Sanders said: "Carole is a Republican for governor in 2006."

According to a Strayhorn supporter from Houston, some backers have tried in recent weeks to encourage her to leave the GOP and run as an independent. One backer said she probably would lose a race against Mr. Perry in the GOP primary but would fare better as an independent on the November general election ballot.

As an independent, Mrs. Strayhorn would have to collect 45,000 signatures from registered voters who skipped the primaries to qualify for the ballot. Singer Kinky Friedman plans to try to get on the ballot as an independent.

On the Democratic side, former Congressman Chris Bell is running, and former state Supreme Court Justice Bob Gammage is considering entering the race.

E-mail wslater@dallasnews.com