HD 52 Rivals Hit the Forums

Diana Maldonado (Photo by Sandy Carson)

Campaigning starts early in the day in Williamson County: At 7:30am, Sept. 4, Democrat Diana Maldonado and Republican Bryan Daniel, the two main contenders for House District 52, held their first candidate forum at the Hutto Economic Development Corp.'s monthly First Thursday Power Breakfast. In spite of the early hour, an estimated 70 people crowded in to hear how the two might represent the county's fastest-growing city. Corporation Executive Director Scott Martinez explained, "It's not just Round Rock and Georgetown; there's a lot of other folks out here."

The pair answered questions on a range of topics, from tuition re-regulation to immigration reform, many of which will be familiar to Austin voters. "Development's an issue; education's an issue; the margin tax is an issue," Maldonado said. "Whether it's Hutto or Austin, there are some similar issues that resonate within the different communities."

There was one major Hutto-specific topic raised – the proposal by the Lower Colo­rado River Authority and electric delivery company Oncor to install a345-kilovolt transmission line from Temple to Clear Springs that would run through the middle of Hutto. The plan, which both candidates and the city have criticized and asked to have rerouted away from residential areas, goes before the Public Utility Commission on Sept. 11. "They drew these plans when Hutto had a population of 1,700. Now it's 17,000, and I don't think that's been taken into account," Daniel said.

The 2009 legislative session's first order of business also came up: selecting a new House speaker. Maldonado, unsurprisingly, said she looked forward to helping replace current Speaker Tom Craddick. While Daniel has received contributions from the Craddick-friendly Empower Texans PAC, he said he'll wait until after the election to decide who he will back for the post.

The campaigns have been approached by other organizations, including the Greater Round Rock Chamber of Commerce and a business group in Taylor, to host additional forums, but nothing has been confirmed yet. However, the guest speaker for the next power breakfast is already booked, so anyone interested in hearing what Commissioner of Agriculture Todd Staples has to say, head to Hutto on Oct. 2.