Politician Accused of Pretending to be Black to Win Election in TX District with Large African American Population
A local election in Houston is garnering national attention after the winner was accused of pretending to be a black man in order to deceive voters heading to the polls.
The race between Conservative Dave Wilson and 24-year incumbent Bruce Austin for a seat on Houston Community College Board of Trustees in a large African-American Democratic district was so close that a recount is being proposed to confirm the 26-vote victory.
There is also talk of impropriety and deceit from the losing side, but Wilson is assuring voters and the media that he just outworked his candidate during the campaign.
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"I caught him flat-footed," Wilson told the Daily Caller. "He pretty much thought he had this in the bag without having to run. There hasn't been one voter who called me up and said they were deceived. The only people who said they were deceived were my opponent and the liberal media," Wilson said.
Wilson's campaign mailed campaign fliers that used the pictures of African Americans that Wilson admitted his campaign pulled off of the internet and that featured messages such as "Please vote for our friend and neighbor Dave Wilson."
One other coincidental fact on the fliers stated that Wilson had been endorsed by "Ron Wilson"-a local well-respected and longtime African American state representative. But it is also the name of one of Wilson's cousins and printed in small font at the bottom of the flier revealed that Ron Wilson lives in Iowa and that "Ron Wilson and Dave Wilson are cousins."
"He's a nice cousin," Wilson told KHOU. "We played baseball in high school together. And he's endorsed me."
Wilson's campaign website also has a picture of several African Americans with captions that accurately portray Wilson's history as a small business owner, founder of a non-profit school, church member and the proud father of a son who served in Afghanistan.
However, his opponent is calling out the actions of Wilson's campaign distasteful.
"I don't think it's good for both democracy and the whole concept of fair play," Austin said. "But that was not his intent, apparently."
