Jonathan Neerman

Day After Emmert's Elected Chair of Dallas County GOP, Georgatos Video Goes Viral

​So, yes, former candidate for Dallas County Judge Wade Emmert is the new head of the Dallas County Republican Party, having been elected by a vote of 140-95 at last night's special election. Upon his victory, Emmert tweeted, "I'm honored to have your trust as the new Dallas Co. GOP Chairman. Now ... More >>

Would-Be Dallas County GOP Chairs Square Off: "I Don't Want Dallas to Become Detroit."

​We never did talk to Debbie Georgatos about why she wants to become the next Dallas County Republican Party chair following the adios of Jonathan Neerman. No matter: After the jump, for those who have 10 minutes to spare, you'll find Georgatos and former candidate for Dallas County Judge Wade Em ... More >>

Jonathan Neerman Resigns as Dallas County GOP Chair; Former County Judge Candidate Wade Emmert "Interested" in Replacing Him

Photo by Hal SamplesJonathan Neerman​Back in December 2008, we introduced you to foul-mouthed Jonathan Neerman, who had the misfortune of taking over as Dallas County Republican Party chair during a Barack Obama-led Democratic ass-kicking at the polls. One day after the GOP swept local state ... More >>

More From Yesterday's Elections Commission Meeting Turned Bruce Sherbet Rally, Including the Postgame Interview With Clay Jenkins

Perhaps most disappointing to everyone gathered in support of Bruce Sherbet at yesterday's Election Commission meeting was the refusal of Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins to face his critics after he and two other Democrats, County Clerk John Warren and County Tax Assessor-Collector John Ames, voted ... More >>

Before Bipartisan Protest, County GOP Chair Pushes Judge Jenkins to Open Doors at Today's Election Commission Meeting to Public

AnonymousThis has been making the rounds. Can't imagine why its creator isn't looking for credit.​Dallas County Republican Party chair Jonathan Neerman says today's 3:30 p.m. meeting of the Election Commission -- the first such gathering in more than two decades -- should be relocated to the c ... More >>

At County Administration Building, a Strong Show of Support for Elections Boss Sherbet

Sam Merten​[Update at 5:28 p.m.: The Elections Commission voted, 4-1, to make Toni Pippins-Poole the "temporary" elections administrator for Dallas County. Which isn't the half of it. Sam will be up in a little while from what he calls "a frustrating" afternoon spent at the Dallas County Administr ... More >>

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins Blames Bruce Sherbet for Appointment of New Elections Administrator, Then Bolts

Photos by Sam Merten The scene outside the Dallas County Administration Building this afternoon.​[This story has been updated to amend the quote from Darlene Ewing.] A passionate group of approximately 100 election judges, precinct chairs and other folks from all sides of the political spe ... More >>

If Nothing Else, Dallas County's Treatment of Election Boss Bruce Sherbet Is Bringing Dems and GOP Together (For a Protest!)

Bruce Sherbet​A Friend of Unfair Park writes: He's heard whispers of a protest planned for 3:30 tomorrow at the Dallas County Administration Building, where the County Election Commission will meet for the first time in more than two decades. The reason, of course, is the departure of Dallas Count ... More >>

Why Is County Judge Gunning for Elections Chief Bruce Sherbet, "One of the Good Guys"?

Via.Dallas County Elections Administrator Bruce Sherbet​[Update: For reasons explained in the piece below, Bruce Sherbet tells Unfair Park he has resigned, effective March 1. He says when he spoke to Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price today, he told him he would work through the May mayor ... More >>

GOP Leaders Convince Jonathan Neerman to Run For Third Term as Dallas County Chair

Sam MertenJonathan Neerman speaks at a Republican Jewish Coalition meet-and-greet with Kay Bailey Hutchison in September 2009.​The day after the local GOP lost its fourth-straight election cycle to Democrats, Dallas County Republican Party chair Jonathan Neerman told us "it's very unlikely" th ... More >>

Jonathan Neerman Says "It's Very Unlikely" He'll Return as Dallas County GOP Chair, Leaving His Political Future Uncertain

Hal SamplesJonathan Neerman​After losing yet again to the Democrats, Dallas County Republican Party chair Jonathan Neerman is prepared to let someone else attempt to turn the blue county back to red, telling us that he doesn't expect to run for a third term in 2012. "I don't want to say I'm d ... More >>

Ain't No Party Like an Election Night Watching Party, So Here's Where to Find Your Peeps

Sam MertenDespite lots of enthusiasm from Dallas County Commissioner Maurine Dickey, the Republicans didn't do so hot two years ago. Could they turn the tables this year? Find out at Hotel Palomar. Or Victory Park.​If you've spent the last few nights out and about watching Your Texas Rangers g ... More >>

At the Palomar, Where Wade Emmert's Toast But Danny Clancy Refuses to Give In

Wade Emmert​There's a kid running around sucking the helium out of the red, white and blue centerpiece balloons here in the Palomar ballroom, and just like that, over the last hour or so, somebody's let the air out of the party here.While the crowd's still going hard for Boehner on the FOX News TV ... More >>

A Week Before the Election, We Present: Watkins vs. Clancy! And: Ewing vs. Neerman!

Sam MertenDarlene Ewing talks to a scattered assortment of media gathered at Dallas County Democratic Party headquarters late yesterday afternoon.​Dallas County Democratic Party chair Darlene Ewing said she's accustomed to dealing with typical political gamesmanship during campaign season like ... More >>

It's Official: The Wheels Have Finally Come Off in the Race For Dallas County District Attorney

Photos by Sam MertenRepublican DA candidate Danny Clancy chats with a DPD officer this morning after reporting the theft of four tires from his black Ford Expedition.​Much like everyone else in Dallas media, I received a call this morning from Dallas County Republican Party chair Jonathan Neer ... More >>

Tea Partiers and Dallas County GOP Unite Around President Obama's Visit

Photos by Patrick MichelsThere wasn't much silence at all from the crowd at Franklin Stadium last night. Check out more photos here in our slide show.​As Sam noted yesterday, the local Republican party shelled out three grand for a proper venue to accommodate the mammoth crowd they expected at the ... More >>

Local Republican Party Drops Three Grand to Protest President Obama's Visit to Dallas

​While President Obama drops by the Highland Park home of lawyer Russell Budd this evening to raise dough and break bread with local Dems, Republicans are rallying at Franklin Stadium next to Hillcrest High School to ... well, to do what? "It's not just complaining about the Democrats," says ... More >>

AG's Office Says DA Watkins Must Hand Over Appointment Schedule to GOP Chair Neerman

Sam MertenCraig Watkins​Two months ago to the day, we told you about Dallas County Republican Party chair Jonathan Neerman's public information request for the calendar of Democratic Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins dating back to his first day in office -- January 1, 2007. Seeme ... More >>

Catching Up With Our Favorite George W. Bush Soundalike at the GOP Convention

Sam MertenWe tried to grab Senator Cornyn after this radio interview, but he scampered off to the VIP area before we could snag him.​As Representative Dan Branch told us yesterday afternoon shortly after addressing the delegation from John Carona's senate district, what a difference two years ... More >>

The GOP dredges up some local Dems awful pasts

Craig Watkins Doesn't Want Anyone to Know Where He's Been, And He's Asking the Attorney General to Make Sure He Doesn't Have to Tell

Sam MertenCraig Watkins​In an attempt to keep Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins's schedule private, his office has asked for an opinion from the Texas attorney general regarding a public records request for Watkins's calendar dating to his first day in office. In a May 6 letter to Atto ... More >>

GOP County Commish Ken Mayfield Offers Help to a Dem

Republican Ken Mayfield Assists Democrat Beth Villarreal in Attempt to Oust Constable Jaime Cortes

Sam MertenKen Mayfield may not know Beth Villarreal, but she's not Jaime Cortes, and that's enough for him to lend a helping hand in the April 13 runoff between the two Dems.​Nothing whets our political appetite like rumors of alliances between Republicans and Democrats during election season. ... More >>

County GOP Chair Jonathan Neerman Nearly Refers to VP as "Joe Effing Biden," Then Decides It's "Too Edgy." Ya Think?

​As you may have read in this morning's Dallas Morning News, Vice President Joe Biden has plans to drop by the home of lawyer Russell Budd tomorrow night to headline a fund-raiser for the Democrats' U.S. Senate campaign committee. Dallas County Republican Party chair Jonathan Neerman seized on ... More >>

GOP Chair Jonathan Neerman Suggests Judicial Candidates May Be Hiding Use of Tanya Watkins as Consultant

David Kelton​While combing through the recent campaign finance reports filings due Friday, we took notice of the one turned in by former Republican Judge David Kelton, who lost his robe in 2006 to Carlos Cortez, switched parties and is now battling Dale Tillery and Baltasar Cruz in the Democra ... More >>

The County GOP Goes After Dems for Behaving Like Dems

GOP Chair Neerman Doesn't Buy Harry Reid's Excuse for Backing Out of Irving Trip, Says it's a Disappointment, Not a Victory for Protestors

Hal SamplesJonathan Neerman​Earlier today, Irving Mayor Herb Gears e-mailed The Dallas Morning News to let them know that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid "just called to inform me that pressing government business in our nation's Capitol requiring his presence necessitates his having to pos ... More >>

D'oh! Homer Adams is Too Busy Cooking to Talk About Gay Opponent Attempting to Take Over as Precinct Chair in Far North Dallas.

Rob Schlein, president of the Dallas chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans​We admit that of the 14 contested primary races for Republican precinct chairs in Dallas County, the odds are that you aren't paying attention to any of them, even if you live in those precincts. Heck, we hadn't planned ... More >>

Former Council Member Donna Blumer Defends Cathie Adams; County GOP Chair Neerman Says He's Done Criticizing Her

One month into her tenure as state Republican Party chair, Cathie Adams has caused the party's executive director to resign and took sides in yet another GOP primary race.​Despite the length of our cover story on the GOP gubernatorial primary, my discussion with former city council member Donn ... More >>

Craig Watkins to Talk About Wrongful Convictions on The Colbert Report Wednesday

​Stephen Colbert's people don't like to talk about why they ask guests to appear on The Colbert Report. Trust me. We asked earlier today, when word came down that Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins has been booked for Wednesday's show (which puts him between Tuesday night's guests, auth ... More >>

Rick Perry and Kay Bailey Hutchison Are Locked In A Pitched Battle Over The Soul Of The GOP. They Are Also Running For Governor.

GOP Chair Jonathan Neerman Says DA Craig Watkins is Trying to "Start a War" By Sending E-Mail Claiming He Attacked His Family

​Nearly three months after he told us that Tanya Watkins -- the wife of District Attorney Craig Watkins -- working as a campaign consultant for judicial candidates posed an "ethical dilemma" for the couple and presented "the potential appearance of impropriety," Dallas County Republican Party ... More >>

Geez. That Didn't Last Long. Phillip Linder Out, David Finn In As GOP Candidate for DA.

David FinnLess than two months after we introduced you to criminal defense lawyer Phillip Linder, the would-be Republican challenger to Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins has stepped aside and is now supporting David Finn, a fellow criminal defense lawyer and former trial judge and federa ... More >>

GOP Chair Neerman Brushes Off Governor Perry Calling Him "a Great Kid" But Won't Take Back Comments About Cathie Adams

Sam MertenNeerman's right. He does have a lot more gray hair than Perry.When Dallas County Republican chair Jonathan Neerman told us that the election of Cathie Adams as the state party's new chair "set the party back five years," even the editorial board at The Dallas Morning News took notice. A fe ... More >>

Texas GOP Shifts Even Further Right With New Chair Cathie Adams

Dallas County GOP Chair Jonathan Neerman Says Selection of Cathie Adams as New State Chair "Set the Party Back Five Years"

Searching for a link between President Obama and Hitler? No worries. New state GOP chair Cathie Adams has you covered.If you didn't notice when Texas Republican Party chair Tina Benkiser stepped down last month to join Governor Rick Perry's re-election campaign as a senior adviser, you're forgiven. ... More >>

GOP County Chair Jonathan Neerman Responds to Kick to the Crotch from DMN'er

Hal SamplesFamily reasons? Give us a break, Neerman. Geez, like we haven't heard that one before. On Tuesday, DMN'er Gromer Jeffers reported on one of the paper's 423 blogs (apparently they have one named after the Portland Trail Blazers) that Dallas County Republican Party chair Jonathan Neerman (a ... More >>

Things Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison Apparently Hates: Rick Perry, Iran, Iraq, Obama's Health Care Plan and TxDOT

Sam MertenSenator Kay Bailey Hutchison criticized Governor Rick Perry in a speech to the local Republican Jewish Coalition this afternoon, claiming Texas has the country's highest property taxes, an education system with the worst dropout rate in the nation and a government growing faster than the ... More >>

GOP County Chair Neerman Cites "Potential Appearance of Impropriety" As DA's Wife Works as Consultant for Judicial Candidates

Hal SamplesJonathan Neerman says Craig and Tanya Watkins have an "ethical dilemma" on their hands.With the role of consultants in the city under the microscope because of what we've learned in the Dallas City Hall federal corruption trial, it seemed like a good time to check in on newbie Tanya Watki ... More >>

Former State Republican Party Chairman Tom Pauken Considering Run for Kay Bailey Hutchison's Senate Seat

Hal SamplesTexas Workforce Commission chairman Tom PaukenTexas Workforce Commission chairman and Dallas resident Tom Pauken has informed the offices of Governor Rick Perry and Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst of his interest in running for U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison's seat. "I'm taking a ... More >>

Keynote Speaker at GOP Fund-Raiser Says Party is Facing "Gut-Check Point." Ya Think?

Sam MertenU.S. Congressmen Jeb Hensarling (left) and Kenny Marchant (right) and State Senator John Carona (top right corner)The Dallas County Republican Party continued to pick up the pieces from another rough election cycle as it celebrated its largest annual fund-raiser last night at the Westin P ... More >>

Pauken Says New Leadership And Strategy Needed For GOP Progress In Dallas County

In last week's paper version of Unfair Park, we took a look at the local GOP through the eyes of Dallas County Republican Party chair Jonathan Neerman. One of Neerman's critics, Texas Workforce Commission chair (and my former boss) Tom Pauken, says Barack Obama was an important reason why the Democ ... More >>

With Dallas Republicans in Pain, One Local Leader Believes He Has the Cure

How County Chair Jonathan Neerman Plans to Ease the Dallas GOP's Woes

So, Houston, Do We Have A Problem?

With Hope Dwindling, Republicans Compete For Next Caption Contest

GOP Kisses Sheriff’s Race Goodbye

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Early Vote

Keys to the Jail

There's only one thing tougher than running for Dallas County sheriff—getting people to care

Sheriff Lupe Valdez Is Not Going to Like This Web Site One Danged Bit

Dallas County GOP Says That Valdez Chicken Video Was All in Good "Fun"