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Veasey, Garcia start with advantage in Dem primary.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012 | 11:52 a.m.

Dallas Morning News' Jeffers writes that state Rep. Marc Veasey (D) "enjoys an advantage because the newly created district includes much of the area he represents in Austin. Those precincts include the district's most reliable" Dem voters in African-Americans. "But he'll have trouble extending his reach" into Dallas Co.

Ex-state Rep. Domingo Garcia (D) "has made strides in locking up support" in Oak Cliff and western Dallas Co., "a major portion of the district. But he must make sure he can turn out Hispanic voters, particularly if he can advance to the July 31 runoff. He also needs some sort of footprint across the county line."

Ex-Dallas City Council member Steve Salazar (D), "another of the 11 candidates" in the Dem primary, "enjoys residual name recognition from his council days," as does Fort Worth City Council member Kathleen Hicks (D). "They don't, however, have the same resources as Garcia and Veasey" (4/3).