Race for Governor

Moderator

Karen Borta

Karen Borta is a veteran journalist who joined CBS 11 News in 1995. Her work has been recognized by numerous organizations, including the Lone Star Emmy Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Press Club of Dallas and the Association for Women Journalists. Karen was also part of the CBS 11 team honored by the Radio-Television News Directors Association with a 2006 Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington and has also worked as an anchor and reporter at CBS affiliate WTVT-TV in Tampa, KRBK-TV in Sacramento and KCEN-TV in Waco.

Panelists

Shelley Kofler Shelley Kofler is an award-winning political reporter, television producer and KERA News Director with more than 20 years of experience covering North Texas.  She served as moderator for The Texas Debates, guiding the debate between U.S. Senate candidates John Cornyn and Rick Noriega. Since joining KERA in 2007, she has been honored with multiple awards for excellence including the Edward R. Murrow Award, multiple Lone Star Emmys for governmental and political reporting as well as awards from the Associated Press and the Public Radio News Directors? Association. Shelley has reported on numerous Presidential primary contests, conventions and elections as well as statewide and local campaigns. She previously covered government and policy issues for North Texas NBC affiliate KXAS-TV and ABC affiliate WFAA-TV, where she served as the station?s Austin bureau chief and legislative reporter.
Maria Renee Barillas Maria Renée Barillas is a reporter and anchor for KUVN Univisión 23 in Dallas. She began her journalism career in Guatemala and has covered politics and other issues of importance to Hispanics for more than 15 years. She has extensive experience in radio and television, including work as a general assignments reporter for Univision's Los Angeles station.
Dave Montgomery Dave Montgomery is Austin Bureau Chief with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and has more than 40 years experience in journalism in a career that has stretched from the capitol in Austin to the Kremlin in Moscow.  He was state capitol bureau chief for the Dallas Times Herald for eight years in the 1970s, covering the aftermath of the Sharpstown stock fraud scandal and the election of Bill Clements as the first Republican governor since reconstruction. Montgomery spent 20 years in Washington, serving two stints as Washington bureau chief for the Star-Telegram during four presidential administrations from Ronald Reagan to George W. Bush.  As Moscow bureau chief for Knight Ridder from 1998 to 2002, he covered the emergence of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, the Russian financial crisis, the Kursk submarine disaster and Russia?s second war in Chechnya.  He has also covered terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia.