Beto back on the ballot? How candidates are playing nickname game in Texas primaries
Roberto Alonzo has been on the ballot about a dozen times. He used that name to win 10 Texas House terms in Dallas County.
But this year, for the first time in his career, he’s presenting himself to voters as Roberto R. “Beto” Alonzo.
As you might suspect, it’s not a coincidence. After all, a fellow named Beto O’Rourke was the most successful Democratic statewide candidate in a generation just two years ago.
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Alonzo contends that people have called him Beto on and off for years. But he doesn’t pretend political considerations weren’t at play.
“I chose the name because it’s a name that was recognized,” he said. “When people vote, it will help me stand out.”
Alonzo didn’t invent this tactic, and he’s far from alone in trying to take advantage of it in this year’s crowded primary races. He’s not even the only “Beto” running this year; my colleague, reporter Anna M. Tinsley, found six others running, mostly for local offices.
Beyond the Betos, primary voters can also cast ballots for Annie “Mamá” Garcia in the Democratic U.S. Senate race. A candidate who apparently goes by “I Swear” running for Congress. And back in the Railroad Commission race, nostalgic Fort Worth voters can side with James “Jim” Wright.
(Just in case: The former House speaker left Congress 30 years ago and died in 2015.)
Chrysta Castañeda, a Dallas lawyer battling with Alonzo for the Railroad Commission nomination, said she’s not concerned about a Beto effect.
“I trust the voters to not be fooled by this,” she said. “They’re going to pick the qualified candidate, and I believe I am that candidate.”
Castañeda is campaigning as the candidate with the most energy experience in a race that is the nation’s most important for environmental issues. There’s no public polling, but Castañeda is far out-pacing Alonzo and two other Democratic opponents, educator Kelly Stone and lawyer Mark Watson, in fundraising. The winner will take on Republican incumbent Ryan Sitton (assuming, of course, he overcomes “Jim” Wright.)
RULES ON NICKNAMES
State election law sets out pretty firm rules for nicknames on the ballot. They are limited to “one unhyphenated word of not more than 10 letters by which the candidate has been commonly known for at least three years” before the election. Nicknames can’t be used to communicate a policy position (no “Bob ‘Low Taxes’ Smith”) or religion, among other restrictions.
The parties are in charge of candidate filing for primaries, so it falls to them to police nicknames.
It’s not that a lot of voters will be fooled into thinking they’re voting for O’Rourke. But most of the candidates are political unknowns, and a presidential race draws hundreds of thousands of voters who might not otherwise show up. Their political knowledge is shallow, and anything that strikes familiarity — a name, a sign or ad they’ve seen, even the position on the ballot — might be enough to tip the scales.
Alonzo knows this. He touts a long career in Democratic politics, starting with student and Chicano activism in his youth. But ask voters to name any state House member, even their own, and you’ll see what he’s up against.
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The peak for name games may have been in 2006. That year, Texans had four major candidates for governor, including Carole Keeton Strayhorn, the state comptroller who wanted to be listed as “Grandma.” That was denied as a derivative of her slogan, “One Tough Grandma.” Another candidate, Richard Friedman, was allowed to use the nickname he put on album covers and books for years: “Kinky.”
The winner was James Richard Perry. You know him better as Rick.
‘THE DANCER’S DEAD’
Earlier that year, Democrats tried to finally overcome a longtime pest, a candidate with the handy given name of Gene Kelly. With just the famous performer’s name, Kelly won several Democratic contests over the years without breaking a sweat.
U.S. Senate candidate Barbara Ann Radnofsky finally turned him away in a runoff, using the unsubtle slogan “The Dancer’s Dead.” She was eventually clobbered by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.
But the best of these battles might have been in Dallas County, where a Commissioner’s Court candidate listed herself as Rose “Rosita” Renfroe, arguing it was a nickname her husband had given her long ago. Her Republican opponent sued, accusing her of angling for Hispanic votes. He lost the suit but won the election.
So, for all the effort -- and all the eye-rolling -- the name game probably has a limited effect, particularly as voter turnout climbs.
But if enough Democrats are just itching to vote for Beto again, anything is possible.
This story was originally published January 17, 2020 at 10:12 AM.
