Republican Seeks DeLay Seat Accused of Breaking Election Law

Oct. 27, 2006, 6:15PM
Democrats accuse Sekula-Gibbs for campaigning in a polling place


Associated Press

State Democrats said today they want prosecutors to charge Republican congressional candidate Shelley Sekula-Gibbs with a misdemeanor, claiming she broke state election laws by campaigning inside a Sugar Land polling location on Thursday.

Chad Dunn, general counsel for the Texas Democratic Party, said Democratic poll watcher Jane Borden Matcha watched Thursday as Sekula-Gibbs wandered through the early-voting location at First Colony Conference Center and introduced herself to voters.

"She committed a crime yesterday by campaigning within a polling location," Dunn said. "It's a play out of the (former House Majority Leader) Tom DeLay playbook of winning at any cost."

Dunn and Mustafa Tameez, a Democratic political consultant, said Matcha signed an affidavit and planned to ask the Fort Bend County Attorney's Office to prosecute.

Sekula-Gibbs acknowledged visiting the polling location to campaign Thursday, but said she stayed at least 100 feet from the door, as required by law. She went inside briefly to use the rest room, she said, and inquired about voter turnout.

"I just said to the person there, 'I'm Shelley Sekula-Gibbs. How's turnout?'" she said. "I did not approach any voters. I was not campaigning, and once again Nick Lampson is attacking me because he's afraid to tell the voters about his stands on the issues.

"They're just using this as a distraction."

Sekula-Gibbs is mounting a write-in campaign to replace DeLay in the 22nd Congressional District, which stretches through four counties just south of Houston. She faces Lampson, the Democrat, and Libertarian Bob Smither.

Dunn said he also would ask the Texas Secretary of State's office to assign inspectors to other polling places.

Matcha told Dunn and Tameez that she saw Sekula-Gibbs enter the polling place and introduce herself. Matcha said Sekula-Gibbs peeked inside a voting booth, spoke with voters and introduced herself to Matcha. Matcha said she complained to the election judge about Sekula-Gibbs' actions, but the judge chose not to respond.

"He said he didn't see it as real campaigning, so he was going to let it go," said Dunn.

Early voting began Monday for the Nov. 7 election.

Despite raising more money than Lampson this month, Sekula-Gibbs continues to trail him in spending and lags far behind in available money, according to the most recent Federal Election Commission reports.

Sekula-Gibbs had only $163,000 remaining for the last three weeks of the election. Lampson had $1.1 million in cash on hand.