Kinky Friedman turned in 169,000 signatures to the SOS, at least one signature from every Texas county.

From their letter to the SOS:

Please excuse the condition of the petitions. You may see splotches of barbecue sauce, salsa, cigar ash, and/or margarita salt. The handwriting on some may be hard to make out, probably because they were signed by the light of a flashing neon sign. All are in compliance with the rules set forth by the Texas Election Code, as the 30,000 civilian volunteers who collected the signatures learned the procedure so well they can recite it in their sleep. We hope you find everything to be in order.

You see, most of the people who are submitting their signatures to you are not "political." They don't attend fancy fundraisers, participate in polls, or follow the intimate details of re-election campaigns. They are the majority in our state. Their kids attend public school. They are at the bars on Saturday nights, and at church on Sunday. They are at their jobs, blue or white collar, on every other day of the week. They are at music festivals, baseball games, street fairs, flea markets, and tattoo shops. They are soccer moms, NASCAR dads, college kids, yuppies, hippies, bikers, lawyers, doctors, veterans, and senior citizens. They come to sign the petition, voter registration card clutched in their hands, with expressions of mischief and righteousness on their faces. They never believed that their one vote, or lack thereof in this case, would make a difference, and now they know the truth thanks to the efforts of the Kinky Friedman Campaign.

The campaign also included a CD with an electronic database of every signature. So there you have it. We're off to the races. Rick Perry, Chris Bell, Carole Keeton Strayhorn, and now Kinky Friedman. Hot damn this is gonna be a fun campaign season.

Press release when you click on the permalink.

Kinky Friedman Turns in 169,000 Signatures

Volunteer-Driven Petition Effort Yields Nearly Four Times Minimum Requirement

Represents All 254 Texas Counties

AUSTIN, Texas - May 11, 2006 - Independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman today declared he has nearly four times the number of signatures required to get him on the November ballot.

"Today, the people of Texas are sending a message to the politicians who have run our beloved state into the ground. The people have spoken loud and clear. It's time to take our state back from the Republicans and Democrats who've caused this train wreck. We're going to make Texas great again. We cannot be stopped," Friedman said.

The campaign delivered 11 boxes containing 169,000 signatures to the Secretary of State’s office during an afternoon rally in downtown Austin.

"In these boxes are the signatures of Texans representing every single county in the state," Friedman said. "And they're all saying the same thing. 'We're angry, and it's time for change. The politicians who got us into this mess are not the same politicians who are going fix Texas. We want a chance to vote for someone who loves Texas, has no personal agenda and is going to listen to the people. They know I'm that person.'"

Friedman, whose campaign also submitted a CD containing an electronic database of each signature, urged Secretary of State Roger Williams to get the signatures validated in a timely manner.

"We have done far more than the laws of Texas require," Friedman said. "In fact, we've done most of Mr. Williams' job for him. We used our time and our limited resources to work with his office rather than against it. That's good government in action. That's how my campaign operates, and that's how this state will operate when I'm in charge - not fighting one another but working together."

"We urge Mr. Williams to expedite this process and avoid any foot-dragging or political gamesmanship. It is his duty and obligation to certify our candidacy as soon as possible."

Nearly 98 percent of the signature collectors were unpaid volunteers, according to Friedman's petition consultant Laureen Oliver.

"I've never seen anything like this. Kinky is an anomaly," said Oliver, founder and former chairwoman of the New York State Independence Party and a petition drive veteran. "Kinky's petition drive was led by people, not dollars. Because of this, his campaign will emerge with a bonafide field operation built with volunteers and supporters who truly believe in him. You can't buy this kind of support."

Friedman thanked everyone who signed his petition and extended a special thanks to the county coordinators in more than 100 counties who worked long hours to collect signatures and assist with volunteer organization.

"The real work is just beginning," Friedman said. "I'm humbled by your support, and I won't let you down. Let the revolution begin."