2006: A Year Of Second Acts

If nothing else, 2006 could be considered a year of “second acts.”

Many things that had been dominant stories in recent years had rebirths during 2006: Redistricting, Tom DeLay (and the scandals and lawsuits stemming from the 2002 election cycle), etc.

The biggest “second act” of the year was, without a doubt, Redistricting. Or, perhaps we should say, “re-re-re-districting.”

The year began with briefs being filed before the U.S. Supreme Court on the four redistricting cases which were considered by the courts as one. After what seemed an eternity, the court ruled on the unprecedented partisan power grab and determined Congressional District 23 to be an unconstitutional gerrymander.

Then, the circus that was the presentation of remedy plans began. The worst proposed remedy was no doubt the state’s remedy plan, as it was the most partisan and based on the erroneous conclusion that Lloyd Doggett no longer lived in Travis County.

At long last when the three-judge federal panel came out with the final remedy plan, it was a gain and a loss for Democrats. It was a gain because it was clear that we would likely be able to pick up Congressional District 23. It was also a loss because Congressional District 21 was redrawn in such a way that it made a pick up by John Courage more unlikely.

Another result of the panel’s decision was another of this year’s “second acts.”

Most Congressmen, when defeated for election, retire to home or to lucrative careers as lobbyists.

Ciro Rodriguez, however, did not. After the court battle following his defeat by Henry Cuellar in 2004, Ciro stayed around to fight another day.

And fight he did. Although the bruising primary fight against Cuellar in CD-28 this year was not successful, the redistricting remedy plans put Rodriguez’s home in the same district as Henry Bonilla. And, Rodriguez ran again.

One of the ironies of this year’s election cycle is that Ciro was an “on again, off again” candidate briefly during the fall, as he announced he’d be exiting the seven-way race. But, he stayed in, forced Henry Bonilla into a runoff, and soundly defeated him in that runoff.

For Ciro, it was quite a second act.

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