Photos -- Annise Parker takes office in Houston
Photos by Elena Guajardo, QSanAntonio.com, January 8, 2010

On January 2, Mayor-elect Annise Parker invited her campaign staff to dinner at her home as a thank you for their work. Everyone shared memories and stories of the campaign.

On Sunday, Jan. 3rd, various GLBT groups had "A Party to Welcome the New Mayor of Houston, Annise Parker!"

Elena Guajardo at the party with out Houston Councilwoman Sue Lovell, Victory Fund CEO Chuck Wolff and Campaign Team Leader Gilbert Garcia.

Parker was sworn in publicly on January 4. The picture at right shows her presiding over her first City Council meeting.

On the stump for Annise Parker -- The road to victory
By Elena Guajardo, QSanAntonio.com, December 12, 2009

On December 12, Annise Parker won her bid to be Mayor of Houston. I was honored to be part of the run-off campaign team. Parker will be sworn into office in January and I'm planning to attend. Here are some photos from election day . I was the Latino outreach coordinator and got word that the Latino vote tallies were as follows: Annise Parker 63%, Gene Locke 37%.

On Friday, August 11, Houston Mayoral candidate Annise Pakers visited with volunteers and rallied the troops. Campaign manager Adam Harris, feeling encouraged by poll numbers, held up a set of horns in quasi-victory pose.

Top row: On Decemeber 12, Election Day, Parker visited with volunteers and poll workers. Center row: The Parker election van was hard to miss. Elena Guajardo and volunteers help set lunch up for campaign workers. Bottom rown: Pro-Parker volunteers spread out across the city including one man who embraced the holiday spirit and donned a Santa Clause suit.

Victory Party photos.

On the stump for Annise Parker -- Week 5
By Elena Guajardo, QSanAntonio.com, December 12, 2009

A special photo spread details some of the activities of the Annise Parker campaign for Mayor of Houston during the last week before the December 12 runoff election.

Spanish language and African-American papers that have endorsed Annise Parker for Mayor of Houston.

Neither rain nor snow nor sleet keep the Parker volunteers from spreading her message at the polls and block walking. In photo right, a voluteer leaves a door hanger at the gate of a snow-swept home.

Volunteers and Elena Guajardo (right) get block walking packages ready for the next day's volunteers.

Saturday was a day of wonderful choas. We had 150 volunteers come to blockwalk and phonebank. SEIU,Unite First, Hope, Seaferers and volunteers came to help in our iniative to remind people to early vote. This was the last weekend of early voting before the election.

At noon a neighborhood leader, Linda Morales held a voting rally and fundraiser at her home which was Called Sabado Gigante. She had talked her precinct to early vote and after the rally the group drove to early vote. Annise Parker (center photo) got to drop by to greet the crowd.

Sunday, Councilwoman Melissa Noreiga (top row, center photo, with red stripe jacket) and Rick Noriega held a blockwalk phone bank rally in the East End of Houston. It was a rainy day and we had 15 volunteers do phonebanking and 5 volunteers said they would weather the rain and blockwalk. Then at 4 pm we watched the second debate and finished the evening with refreshments. Parker dropped in to meet her volunteers.

Photos from an Arts for Annise fundraiser held this week. Top row: Annise Parker (center rear) greets guests at the Arts fundraiser. Bottom row: Guests at the fundraiser with David Arpin. City Councilman Peter Brown (center) with Alex Martinez (left) one of the event's organizers. Waitresses at the event show support for the candidate.

On the stump for Annise Parker -- Week 4
By Elena Guajardo, QSanAntonio.com, December 5, 2009

Early voting started in Houston on Monday, November 30 amidst a steady rain. Mayoral candidate Annise Parker voted at 8 a.m. and scores of her supporters got in line at the poll with umbrellas in hand and joined her in casting their vote.

There are nine days of early voting and this time period will determine the winner. In the general election there was less than 20 percent turnout and asking voters to return gets harder. So this week the big push is getting out the vote.

We are going to 20,000 homes with a door hanger that shows the nearest voting location. All staff and volunteers are involved in this push especially with the pending bad weather this weekend. (As I write this, the weather outside is rain with snow flurries).

Tuesday was the first of three debates. Opponent Gene Locke came out swinging in regards to safety and noted that Parker was misrepresenting her law enforcement endorsements.

Parker stayed steady and justified her statements. Locke misrepresented himself about his lobby ties and has since been talked out on his statements. Parker showed a commanding grasp for the inter-working of the city departments and city budget.

This Sunday, December 6 will be their second debate.

On the Latino front, the SEIU union has been coming in nightly doing Latino phone banking. We have a major Latino early voting block walking push this weekend. We’ll see what obstacles the weather situation throws at us. There is always our alternative option -- phone banking.

Because of weather conditions, the Stonewall Rio Grande Valley volunteers opted to phone bank back home instead of traveling to Houston. They apologized for not traveling yet are so excited to help Parker get out the vote from the comfort of a warm conference room. In addition, various Texas Stonewall groups are organizing phone banks to help get out the vote.

Again, you can help by (1) your friends in Houston and tell them to vote and (2) donate at www.anniseparker.com.

Houston City Councilman Peter Brown (at center with apron), a former opponent who had now endorsed Parker visits with the staff. Volunteers return from a cold and wet day of block walking. Yard signs stacked and ready for distribution.

Unite First volunteers get ready to block walk. Busy volunteers in the campaign office. Casey, the receptionist at the Annise Parker campaign headquarters.

On the stump for Annise Parker -- Week 3
By Elena Guajardo, QSanAntonio.com, November 28, 2009

This last week on the campaign trail has been busy. As we get closer to early voting, we were anticipating an attack from the opposition. The anti-gay attack arrived last Thursday, November 19 in a direct mail flyer sent out to 35,000 voters.

I quote conservative Christian activist David Wilson: "I have nothing but compassion, respect, and sensitivity towards those trapped in homosexual behavior. I have family members and friends who have been ensnarled in this behavior, and I know something of the incredible pain and sorrow it has brought to them and their families. With God’s grace, I carefully balance this love and respect for these individuals with warnings about the promotion and demand for legal and political approval for homosexual behavior that will stifle religious freedom and trap millions of more people in its deadly grip. Therefore, I would ask you to vote against Annise Parker for Mayor."

That Thursday, we were busy answering calls from Houstonians angry about the direct mail flyer and asking how they could help. People were calling and coming to the campaign office to drop off donations, get a yard sign, and possibly volunteer. I was told that some talk radio stations continued the gay bashing.

Annise Parker and the campaign stayed focus on the message. The two campaigns released polling results and both had Annise ahead. Great news on the weekend, the Houston Chronicle endorsed Parker. Momentum is growing.

This has been a short week because of Thanksgiving. On Tuesday I was getting calls and emails asking to replace yard signs which had been removed in the Latino precincts we block walked two days prior. I know our Latino efforts have hit a nerve since the opposing campaign is now releasing a Latino weekly report.

The campaign took Thanksgiving off and now we prepare for a very busy weekend since early voting starts Monday. The volunteers have been amazing—an array of ages, colors, and cultures. No matter the endorsements, the polls and the number of yard signs, the winner will be the candidate that gets more voters to the polls.

So again from out of town, you can support the campaign by:
1. If you know someone in Houston, contact them and ask them to vote.
2. Donate! Go to www.anniseparker.com or use the Stonewall link.

I’m very excited that next weekend, the Rio Grande chapter of the Stonewall Democrats is chartering a bus and bringing volunteers to Houston to help that weekend. Also, Dan Graney is organizing another phone bank from San Antonio. If you’re interested in volunteering contact him at 210-494-7442.

Until next week…on to victory!

State Rep. Jessica Farrar, Elena Guajardo, Honorable Rick Noriega

On the stump for Annise Parker
By Elena Guajardo, QSanAntonio.com, November 14, 2009

This week has been very exciting. Last Saturday we had an exciting Latino breakfast hosted by the Honorable Rick Noriega and State Rep. Jessica Farrar. There were150 who attended and there was an excitement in the room.

Peter Brown, the former opponent, now has endored Parker, attended and told the crowd that in the general election, Brown and Parker collected more than 50% of the vote. Now is the time for all to come back to vote for Annise Parker.

On Saturday, November 14, the gay attack began in an article in the Houston Chronicle. However, Parker's campaign is continuing to stay on message and speak to the issues.

A gay attack direct mail brochure was delivered and hit homes on Thursday. The response has been encouraging on our behalf. We've had so many people coming by the office to get yard signs, make a donations, and sign up to volunteer.

Last weekend we did blockwalking in specific Latino areas and a lady brought 10 of her friends to phone bank on Sunday.

This weekend we continue the ground game and stay on the message of why Parker is the best candidate for the job. I just spoke to a lady who is so angry about the gay mail attack. She called to volunteer and told her family and friends to vote for Parker. The Latino fever is increasing.

Last night we had the Stonewall Democrats Victory in Diversity fundraiser for Parker.

I feel so good being here to help a great candidate get elected.

On the stump for Annise Parker
By Elena Guajardo, QSanAntonio.com, November 14, 2009

I've come to Houston to volunteer for the Annise Parker for Mayor campaign. I've known Parker for five years -- she is an outstanding public servant. Not only has she served Houston as a City Councilwoman for six years, she has also been the City Comptroller for the last six years.

This is an historic race for the LGBT community since Parker is an out lesbian and never hidden that fact in any of her elections. She began mounting her campaign over a year ago. There were four contenders in the Mayor's race.

Going into election day on November 3, all the polls showed Parker as a strong second place. Houston had a low voter turnout of less than 20 percent. One of the contenders spent near $3 million of his own money for his race. She won the first place runoff position with 30 percent and Gene Locke came in at 25 percent.

I made a call to a friend in Houston to request housing so I could offer my assistance to the campaign. I must give a shout out to Rick Ramos, my dog sitter, since he is making this opportunity possible for me.

I went Houston and the campaign welcomed my arrival.

I'm very impressed with the smart campaign Parker has created. It's a lean and mean working machine. Within a day I became the Latino outreach coordinator and I've hit the ground running.

We’ve begun an aggressive ground game. On Saturday, November 14, the honorable Rick Noriega and State Rep. Jessica Farrar will be hosting a Latina meet and greet with Parker.

At the Annise Parker Campaign office in Houston, the young adults are staffers I'm working with and Hemingway is the official campaign dog.

The runoff election is December 12. Early voting begins November 30.

You can show support of Parker’s campaign:

1. If you know anyone in Houston, call/email/text them to vote for Annise Parker.

2. The fundraising goal is $1.5 million. Every dollar is critical to reaching that goal. No amount is too small. You can go to www.stonewallsa.com and link to the Parker campaign.

3. Learn more about the campaign sign up at www.anniseparker.com.

I’ll be keeping you posted on the progress of the campaign.