- Number of registered voters in Harris County: about 2 million.
- Turnout in Harris County in the 2010 General Election: about 800,000 (41.67%).
- Turnout in Harris County in the 2012 General Election: about 1.2 million (61.99%).
- Projected Harris County turnout in the 2014 General Election: about 840,000 (42%).
- Projected number of those voters likely to vote for Democrats: about 420,000.
- Number of Harris County votes I received in 2012 when running for US Senate, with a Democrat* in the race: 10,121 (0.86%).
- Number of Harris County votes Charles Waterbury received in 2012 when running for Supreme Court Place 4, with NO Democrat in the race: 87,359 (10.39%).
- Number of Harris County voters who voted for President but did not pick a candidate for Supreme Court Place 4: 361,653 (most of them probably Democrats), or about 61.6% of those who voted for Obama/Biden*.
*****
How many of the 420,000 likely Democratic voters are true Yellow Dogs (or Green Dogs) who, lacking a Democratic candidate, will vote for a Green rather than for Republican Ed Emmett? Based on the numbers above, about 250,000 Democrats will choose NOT to choose in this race.
I know Democrats, Libertarians, Republicans, and Independents who say they'll vote for me for County Judge. I know a lot of people in this county, but I don't know 420,000. Not yet, anyway.
This is all a way of saying: "I'm not stupid. If you vote for me, you'll be in the minority. But you'll be making a statement against 'Bidness As Usual' in Harris County. That's brave statement to make."
* Democrat Paul Sadler came within 1.5% of winning Harris County and got about 40% of the vote statewide (compared to Ted Cruz's 56%). Obama/Biden won Harris County in 2012 by less than 1,000 votes, garnering 587,044 to Romney/Ryan's 586,073.