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Five of ten statewide Democratic candidates made appearances at Robinson Park in Llano, at the “Hill Country Blowout” organized in large part by Bob and Lynda Gammage of Llano. Despite the heat and stiff competition from other area events, an enthusiastic crowd of about 300 attended the BBQ lunch, were entertained by Eddie Shell and the Hired Guns, and listened as eight Democratic candidates explained why they are running for public office.

The list of distinguished guests included gubernatorial candidate (and former mayor of Houston) Bill White, lieutenant governor candidate Linda Chavez-Thompson, land commissioner candidate Hector Uribe, railroad commissioner candidate Jeff Weems, judicial candidates Keith Hampton (Court of Criminal Appeals) and Kurt Kuhn (Court of Appeals), state board of education candidate Rebecca Bell-Metereau, county commissioner candidate Jerry Don Moss (Pct. #4) and county clerk candidate Cynthia Chisolm of Burnet County. Vernon and Brenda Harrison were there from Kerr County to represent Barbara Ann Radnofsky, who is running for attorney general. Also present were Boyd Richie, Chair of the Texas Democratic Party, and his wife, Betty Richie, past president of the Texas Democratic Women.

“We were extremely pleased by the turnout,” Lynda Gammage said on Monday. Bob Gammage, who served in the state legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives before being elected to the Texas Court of Appeals and eventually the Texas Supreme Court, pointed out that it was not just Democrats who attended Saturday’s event. “We had a lot of curious Independents and some disillusioned Republicans, too,” he said. It was a good crowd, and most of them stayed all the way though the cake auction,” he added, explaining that proceeds from Saturday’s event go to the Llano County Democrats Scholarship Fund for graduating seniors from Llano High School.