The Team Players: Who's Who on the Campaign Trail

Political candidates rely heavily on their campaign operators, and the horde of hopefuls running for Austin City Council are no exception. Here's a list of key players in the local races, along with spin-doctoring jobs they've held in past years. Many of those named here have lengthy track records that extend well before 1992, which is where this list picks them up on the trail.

Keep in mind that not every candidate feels the need, or has the resources, to hire help. Some might even argue that they're better off without hired guns. The candidates who are taking the true grassroots route, and thus are not represented below, are: in the Mayor's race -- Blane Kirk Becker, Ray Blanchette, John Johnson, Ted Kircher, and Jennifer Gale; Place 2 -- Laurin Currie and Joe Gonzales; Place 6 -- Eric Samson.

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Mayor

Dean Rindy (consultant, Kirk Watson)

1996: various statewide, county, and local municipal races, including Beverly Griffith for city council, Daryl Slusher for city council, Margo Frasier for Travis County sheriff, Ronnie Earle for Travis County D.A., Jimmy Carroll for court of appeals judge (Austin), Carolyn Garcia for Harris County District Judge, Paul Barby for state rep. (Oklahoma), Gary Watkins for state senate, and John Bryant for U.S. rep

1994: various statewide, county, and local municipal races, including Lloyd Doggett for U.S. rep., Dick Freese for attorney general (Colorado)

1993: Brigid Shea for city council, Mark Tschurr for city council

1992: various statewide, county, and local races, including the S.O.S. campaign, Gene Walker for state rep. (Georgia), Mike Wolff for attorney general (Missouri), Proposition 10 (BCCP bond issue), Stacy Suits for Travis County sheriff, Gonzalo Barrientos for state senate, Oscar Mauzy for state supreme court David Butts (consultant, Kirk Watson) 1996: Glen Maxey for state rep., Ted Whatley for AISD school board, Beverly Griffith for city council, Daryl Slusher for city council, Sherri Greenberg for state rep., Ronnie Earle for district attorney, Margo Frasier for Travis County sheriff

1994: Orlinda Naranjo for county court at law, Glen Maxey for state rep., Suzanne Covington for district judge, Joe Wells for county commissioner, Margaret Gomez for county commissioner, Bill Aleshire for county judge, Kathy Rider for AISD school board, Mary Arnold for city council

1993: Brigid Shea for city council, Mark Tschurr for city council

1992: S.O.S. campaign, Barbara Carlson for county commissioner, Margaret Cooper for district judge, Mike Lynch for district judge, Kathy Rider for AISD school board Alfred Stanley (fundraiser, Kirk Watson) 1996: Austinites for Schools (AISD bond election), Jackie Goodman for city council

1994: Mark Kincaid for district judge, Karen Sonleitner for county commissioner, Bruce Todd for mayor, Ron Davis for city council

1993: Jackie Goodman for city council, Travis County BCCP bond proposition campaign

1992: Bruce Todd for mayor, bond elections for city infrastructure Carol Butler (manager, Kirk Watson) 1996: Winston Bryant for U.S senate (Arkansas), Glen Browder for U.S. senate (Alabama)

1994: Robert Earley for Texas Railroad Commissioner, Rolanda Rios for U.S. rep

1993: scheduler and senior staff writer for Attorney General Dan Morales, Bob Kreuger for U.S. senate

1992: North Texas political director for Clinton/Gore Linda Curtis (coordinator, Max Nofziger) 1997: a Little Less Corruption (ALLC)

1996- ALLC campaign, Priorities First! (anti-baseball stadium petition)

1994: Texas Independent Party campaign (petition to get a third party on the state ballot)

1993: Texas Independent Party (lobbied at the Lege)

1992: Lenora Fulani for U.S. President (Virginia) Jeff Montgomery (pollster/phone bank, Ronney Reynolds) 1996: Becky Motal for city council, Real Estate Council of Austin

1995: pro-baseball stadium David Weeks (consultant, Ronney Reynolds) 1996: Becky Motal, Rick Wheeler, Jeff Hart for city council

1995: pro-baseball stadium

1994: Bruce Todd for mayor, Eric Mitchell for city council

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Place 6

Jeff Smith (polling, Willie Lewis) 1996: Daryl Slusher for city council, Beverly Griffith for city council, Gonzalo Barrientos for state senate, Austinites for a Little Less Corruption

1994: Gonzalo Barrientos for state senate, Elliot Naishtat for state rep., Sherri Greenberg for state rep., Glen Maxey for state rep., Jake Pickle for U.S. rep., Ron Coleman for U.S. rep., Mainstream Austin Coalition/Prop 22, Ron Davis for city council, Mary Arnold for city council

1993: Brigid Shea for city council

1992: Elliot Naishtat for state rep., Sherri Greenberg for state rep., Glen Maxey for state rep., Gonzalo Barrientos for state senate, Jim Hightower for agriculture commissioner, Jake Pickle for U.S. rep., Ron Coleman for U.S. rep., S.O.S. Todd Main (consultant, Willie Lewis) 1996: Beverly Griffith for city council, Tom Coin for state rep. (Ohio), Citizen Action

1994: Mary Arnold for city council, Citizen Action

1993: Brigid Shea for city council, Citizen Action

1992: S.O.S. campaign, Citizen Action Preston Ervin (manager, Eric Mitchell) 1997: Eric Mitchell for city council

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Place 5

Mark Yznaga (consultant, Bill Spelman)
1996: Beverly Griffith for city council, Daryl Slusher for city council

1994: Anti-Proposition 22 (repeal of domestic partners' insurance benefits for city employees), Daryl Slusher for mayor

1993: Brigid Shea for city council

1992: S.O.S. campaign Mike Blizzard (manager, Bill Spelman) 1996: Daryl Slusher for city council

1994: Daryl Slusher for mayor Sydney McKinley (consultant, Manuel Zuniga) 1996: Manuel Zuniga for city council Hermelinda Zamarripa (manager, Manuel Zuniga) 1994: Raul Gonzalez re-election for Texas supreme court Manuel Medina (manager, Bobbie Enriquez) 1996: Victor Morales for U.S. Senate Scott Henson (consultant/researcher, Karen Hadden) 1996: Daryl Slusher for city council

1994: Daryl Slusher for mayor

1993: Brigid Shea for city council Ray Ramirez (consultant, Gus Peña) 1996: Victor Morales for U.S. Senate, Daryl Slusher for city council, Beverly Griffith for city council Rufus Cortinas (manager, Gus Peña) 1996: Victor Morales for U.S. Senate, Daryl Slusher for city council

1994: Bruce Todd for mayor

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Place 2

Sandra Castellanos (consultant, Gus Garcia) 1996: Ronnie Earle for Travis County D.A.

1994: volunteer for Gov. Ann Richards' reelection bid

1993: Richards' appointments staff officer

1992: Richards' appointments staff officer Pat Crow (manager, Gus Garcia) 1996: Daryl Slusher for city council

1995: Glen Maxey for state rep.

1994: Suzanne Covington for District Judge, Orlinda Naranjo for county court at law

1993: Brigid Shea for city council

1992: Glen Maxey for state rep., Stacy Suits for sheriff Marsha Mitchell (fundraiser, Gus Garcia) 1996: Margo Frasier for Travis County sheriff

1994: Suzanne Covington for district judge Brian Berry (consultant, Becky Motal) 1996: Brian Babin for state rep. (East Texas), Joe Pitts for U.S. Congress (Pennsylvania), Jean Brown for criminal appeals court (Alabama), Wayne Christian for state rep., Arlene Wohlgemuth for state rep.

1995: Peggy Fisher for city council (Columbus, Ohio), James Green for municipal judge (Columbus, Ohio), Mike Eakin for state superior court (Pennsylvania)

1994: Campaign America (Sen. Bob Dole's PAC), George W. Bush for governor

1993: George W. Bush for governor, Kay Bailey Hutchison for U.S. Senate

1992: Southwestern regional political director for President George Bush

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All of the Above

Robert Hernandez (direct mail) 1997: Willie Lewis for city council, Kirk Watson for mayor, Bill Spelman for city council, Gus Garcia for city council

1996: Glen Maxey for state rep., Sherri Greenberg for state rep, Margo Frasier for Travis County sheriff, Ronnie Earle for Travis County D.A., Daryl Slusher for city council, Beverly Griffith for city council

1994: Lloyd Doggett for U.S. rep., Glen Maxey for state rep., Sherri Greenberg for state rep., Kathy Rider for AISD school board, Mark Tschurr for city council, Orlinda Naranjo for county court at law

1993: Brigid Shea for city council, Max Nofziger for city council

1992: S.O.S., Mike Lynch for district judge, Margaret Cooper for district judge