Other Thoughts On HD 146

I’m a member of a number of Yahoo!Groups for Texas Democrats and Houston Democrat Carl Whitmarsh is a member of many of these as well.

This morning, he posted a very well-written take on the HD-146 race down in Harris County. It provides some nice background, and also notes that there may be movements to replace a couple other Democrats afoot, which I bolded in Carl’s original text. Carl was kind enough to grant me permission to reprint his thoughts, which I do below in their entirety.

In the continuing saga of Democrats punishing those they feel have been less than loyal to Democratic Party principals, newcomer Borris Miles defeated longtime District 146 State Representative and Democratic National Committeemember Al Edwards by around 250 votes out of around 5,000 cast in the run off.  Edwards was first elected in 1978 to replace former State Rep Anthony Hall who vacated the seat to make a run for the seat of retiring Congresswoman Barbara Jordan.  In that first race Edwards defeated a very young Gerald Womack and since has faced very little if any opposition.

Interestingly, Edwards follows in the fate of former Representative Ron Wilson who was defeated by current Representative Alma Allen in a neighboring district.  Wilson had been elected in 1976 and had risen to Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee when he was defeated in 2004.  These are adjoining districts.

Similarities don’t stop there.  Both Edwards and Wilson earned lasting enimity from Democratic loyalists when they  sided with Republican Speaker Tom Craddick more than most felt was necessary.  Chief among their “sins” was siding with the Repubs in the Tom DeLay redistricting wars of 2003 and then their support of Al Green against then incumbent Congressman Chris Bell.
Green was victorious in the 2004 race, but Wilson was taken out and sites were set on Edwards.

Supported by Al Green, Sheila Jackson Lee, Rev Bill Lawson, NAACP official Howard Jefferson and California Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Edwards ran up against a well financed and articulate opponent in Miles who was supported by Chris Bell, Senator Rodney Ellis, Rep. Garnet Coleman and City Councilmembers Ron Green, Ada Edwards and Peter Brown.  Faced with  an articulate opponent, fierce united opposition and new Anglo areas of his district, Edwards campaign never really took off and as a result he joined his old ally and friend Ron Wilson in the retired by the voters heap.

It will be interesting to watch what happens next, but murmurs in the crowd at Miles headquarters indicated that State Representatives Harold Dutton and Sylvester Turner were next in the sights of the winning coalition, as well as a major push to takeover the seat of convicted Justice of the Peace Betty Brock Bell as the purification of the party continues.

Should make for an interesting next two year election cycle and should put officeholders on notice that sometimes voters actually hold them accountable for their actions. Will be interesting to see if we ever hear of the statue commissioned for the State Capitol grounds to honor influential African Americans.

Carl Whitmarsh
Houston

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