Carole Keeton Rylander Strayhorn is running as an Independent in this year's Governor's race. She along with Kinky Freidman will now have to find over 45000 folks who did not vote in the primaries to sign a petition to get on the ballot. That is a tough job, but if you have the funds, and they each apparently do, you can get the necessary signatures.

Governor Perry should be somewhat concerned. After all with him and a Democrat, plus Kinky and Carole all on the ballot all you need are the most votes to become Governor. And Texas always likes the "It is time for change" "time to clean house, "a new broom sweeps clean" etc.

So, it will be an interesting race this Fall. One should also check the last several elections and you might find that Carole Strayhorn, (or Rylander) did lead the ticket with the most votes in several of these elections. And her campaign theme will appeal to Independents, who after all are the deciding votes in any election. In the past she has done well with this group of voters.

Here is Mrs Strayhorn's speech when she announced for Governor:

"Texas belongs to no special interest group, no special political credo, no special individual. It belongs to all Texans.

And the job of our elected officials in Austin is not to divide us with partisan politics, but to bring all Texans together to get things done.

But in Austin these days, our Governor and many of our leaders seem more interested in scoring political points, pointing fingers and assigning blame than in fixing our problems.

Over the past five years, we have had nine sessions of the legislature. Nine opportunities to fix serious problems. Nine opportunities to cut property taxes, cut government spending, lower insurance rates, build freeways, stop illegal immigration, and fix our broken schools.

But instead of fixing our problems, we see that our school funding is in crisis, property taxes are up... and judges are having to do our governor's job.

We all know that unless we put partisan politics aside, we'll never fix what's broken.

I believe its' time to put principles above politics.

I believe it's time to put Texas above politics.

If our future is to be as great as our past, the spirit that brings all Texans together must be restored.

I am a Republican. But I know we must set partisan politics aside and do what's right for Texas.

That is why I am running for Governor as an Independent. A Texas Independent.

We can't wait any longer. It's time to shake Austin up.

Governor Perry may be doing the best he can, but after five years we have learned that he is not the strong leader we need to put Texas above politics.

He has made the politics of division worse in Austin, not better.

He is not the strong leader Texas needs to bring us together to fix our problems.

Instead, our governor has given us a culture of political division that has brought government to a grinding halt. He has given us higher property taxes, bigger government, higher insurance rates, toll roads, has abandoned our border, and ignored our broken schools.

For five long years, this governor has done what I'm afraid he would do for the next four years. He has sat in the governor's office. And while he sat there:

Our children have been forgotten.

Education has been ignored.

Taxes have gone up not down-the state's budget has increased 40 billion dollars, a 41 percent increase.

Pocketbook expenses have skyrocketed, everything from insurance rates to electric bills to tolls across Texas.

And our border has been abandoned to the point that ordinary citizens, not law enforcement officials are fighting illegal immigration.

Unfortunately, the record says our governor has not gotten the job done.

He has not been strong enough to get the Legislature to cut our property taxes or fix our schools.

He has not been the strong leader we need to put Texas above politics.

This year, he will call the Legislature back to Austin for its tenth meeting in the last five years to once again try to fix the way we pay for our schools. Count them, 10 legislative sessions in just five years.

He is calling the Legislature back because the fact is, he couldn't provide the strong leadership needed to get it done the first nine times-and now, judges are having to do his job for him. That's not leadership.

The fact is, Rick Perry has divided us, not united us.

Under Rick Perry, it is us against them. Republicans against Democrats. Democrats against Republicans. Even Republican against Republican.

Under Rick Perry, it's Government against teachers. Big business against small business. Texan against Texan. The sad fact is that this governor has so politically fractured our state-so made it one against the other-that the only way to bring Texas back together is to have independent leadership.

He has undone the bipartisan spirit of this state and made effective governance all but impossible.

That's not the Texas way and it cannot continue.

We need a Governor for all Texans.

We can fix our schools, cut property taxes, reign in government spending, and crack down on criminals who abuse our children.

We can do all this and the other things as well once we set politics aside.

You know, I'm 66 years old. I just married the love of my life. I have five beautiful granddaughters and a sixth grandbaby on the way.

This grandma isn't looking for a future in politics. I'm looking for a future for Texas-for our kids, our most precious resource.

The future I want for my granddaughters is the future I want for all Texas children and grandchildren.

The challenges this state faces are incredible, but not insurmountable. We must look for common ground, embrace one another-and agree that the divides of yesterday must not cloud our judgment and our resolve to make tomorrow better.

Let's remember who we are.

Before we were Republicans or Democrats in this state, before we chose sides, we were first and foremost Texans. We put aside our differences to first create this state as an independent nation. Together, we fought our foes for our freedom.

Today, again, we can put aside our differences. And in the end it is not that difficult because we are in so many ways so alike.

Our children go to school, we work hard, we give to charities, we worship, we love our state and country.

All that divides us are the politicians who are more interested in splitting us up so they can keep power rather than getting things done.

Our government must reflect the people of Texas-strong, proud, courageous, caring. We must be leaner, we must not be meaner.

To guarantee prosperity for Texas, we must lift all Texans.

That's the Texas I want my granddaughters to inherit. That's the Texas I believe all of us are committed to creating.

This is the burning platform. This is the moment to seize this century and make it ours.

Sam Houston, the last person elected as an independent Governor of Texas, right before the battle of San Jacinto said and I quote, "We are nerved for the contest and we must conquer or we will perish."

Well, I too am nerved for the contest, and we, Texans, together will conquer. We will not perish.

Thank you and Godspeed."