Local Politics

Ok so we have all seen the insanity of the national political scene billowing out of newspapers and radio/TV stations. In Texas, I’ve been covering the more local variety, often just as crazy, political elections. The race for Texas House Seat 54 has just been nutty.  The mailers the two republican candidates, Scott Cosper and Austin Ruiz, sent out following the primary in March and during the runoff were simply beyond any measure of normal mudslinging in this photog’s humble opinion. One event included “an open letter” to Ruiz, wherein Cosper implied that the eye doctor hired a private investigator to comb through the medical records of one of his children. Ruiz went with a modern style and took to social media to attack on Cosper.

Anyway here are some images from this year’s political season thus far in this weird north central pocket of Texas.

Mainly I’ve been assigned to cover watch parties and polling locations.  

My last watch party assignment was covering the Austin Ruiz camp last week. Ruiz was very open and accepting of me being in his “command center” for the night and mingling with the small crowd that gathered in Harker Heights, Texas.  Even after learning they had lost the run-off election, Ruiz had no problem with me being there snapping frames.

He also seemed to take the loss well, although he later asked for a recount. Haha! Of course, right?

Some of you reading this will say well what’s the big deal, but this was a first for me. Normally I’m shuffled off the minute any kind of emotion bleeds into the political realm at these parties.

These local politics really intrigue me. I know some of you are out covering the national races and are making amazing images, but my jam is local, canned and eaten in this crazy state.

 Ruiz watch party