Denton County Dems May See Contested 2010 Primary

Flower Mound Woman Courted by Draft Campaign

Flower Mound resident and occasional WhosPlayin.com contributor Jennifer Giles has grown accustomed to dismissing suggestions that she run for elected office, but now a group of Democrats in Southern Denton County has started a grass-roots movement to draft her to run for U.S. Representative in 2010. This time, Giles says she is going to seriously consider running for the seat, which is currently held by Republican Michael C. Burgess.

Giles holds a B.A. in Speech Communications and Education with Spanish and English minors from Ball State University in Muncie Indiana. Before moving on to a successful career as a corporate trainer and software sales professional, Giles was a school teacher for junior high and high school, then later a college instructor.

In 2003, Giles was a founding member of the Flower Mound Democrats (later to become the Southern Denton County “SoDeCo” Democrats), and she has volunteered in several campaigns, including the state-wide campaign of Barbara Radnofsky for U.S. Senate in 2006. At the 2008 Denton County Democratic Convention, attended by several thousand local Democrats, Giles delivered a stirring and motivating speech that many local Democrats will remember.

Raised by middle class parents in the Midwest, she worked in her family’s industrial battery and forklift truck dealership as soon as she could walk, and was on the phone peddling batteries by the age of 12. Giles credits working in this small business alongside her mother and the salty employees many years her senior as the reason for her no-nonsense attitude and tough work ethic.

The filing period for the 2010 Democratic Primary begins December 3rd, 2009 and ends January 4th, 2010. Her supporters are currently organizing via Facebook while Giles explores the possibility of the 2010 run. If Giles were to run in 2010, she would challenge Denton attorney and former Democratic Party chairman Neil Durrance in the Democratic Primary.