Primary Postmortem: GOP Congressional & Legislative Races

Having finally recovered to some degree from election night, it’s time to take a look at the statewide election results through a microscope and see how things went. We’ll start with GOP results in contested congressional and state legislative races.

In Congressional District 3, Sam Johnson beat back both of his primary opponents–as expected. However, given there was supposedly significant disharmony in the Plano business community with Johnson, I’m surprised that he won nearly 87 percent of the vote, and that challenger Wayne Avellanet only got 4.96 percent of the vote:

Wayne Avellanet: 4.69%
Sam Johnson - Incumbent: 86.95%
Harry Pierce: 8.34%

In Congressional District 4, it’s no surprise that Ralph Hall won the GOP Primary without a runoff, but, in light of the fact that this cycle’s field included one of the better candidates in recent memory attempting to unseat him (Kathy Seei).

Gene Christensen: 9.65%
Kevin George: 5.27%
Ralph M. Hall - Incumbent: 73.37%
Joshua Kowert: 1.48%
Kathy Seei: 10.20%

That Seei only got a paltry 10 percent of the vote doesn’t bode well for this district in November, if Hall is still so strong among Republicans. A lack of disquiet among his own party doesn’t help the D in the race. Even if Seei had the field to herself, it is safe to assume she wouldn’t have topped 22 or 23 percent, and at max would have received 27 percent.

In Congressional District 14, I expected to see a squeaker where Congressman and Presidential Candidate Ron Paul took advantage of Texas’ “Lyndon Laws” to run for congress while running for president. However, He still managed 30 percent of the vote thanks, in no small part, to the millions he raised in his presidential bid, against Chris Peden:

Ron Paul - Incumbent: 70.18%
W. Chris Peden: 29.81%

I heard a couple of sources in Austin tell me that Ron Paul’s continued victories–especially after his national exposure as a wingnut in his presidential race–are being viewed by some in the Texas GOP leadership as a “continued embarrassment.”

Turning toward Houston, one must wonder why Republicans would even bother to run someone against Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, but they had two vying for the spot. The hapless TJ Baker Holm got smoked by John Faulk in the lowest-turnout affair of any GOP Congressional race on the ballot in Congressional District 18. Faulk now gets to lose to Jackson Lee in November:

TJ Baker Holm: 21.44%
John Faulk: 78.55%

Meanwhile, in Congressional District 22, Republicans proved that they won’t be able to elect a candidate who can defeat Congressman Nick Lampson in November. Six-week-Congresswoman Shelley Sekula-Gibbs (she who wears all the pink) will be in a runoff with one-time briefcase carrier to Phil Gramm and John Cornyn, Pete Olson.
Kevyn Bazz: 1.56%
Cynthia Dunbar: 3.76%
Dean Hrbacek: 10.44%
Brian Klock: 1.76%
John Manlove: 14.94%
Pete Olson: 20.72%
Ryan Rowley: 0.75%
Shelley Sekula Gibbs: 29.72%
Jim Squier: 1.76%
Robert Talton: 14.54%

Of course, one must joy no small amount that State Rep. Robert Talton was not the nominee in this district. And, we at Capitol Annex wonder what happened to all of Judge Jim Squire’s alleged momentum? I guess “Dracula Cunt“ just sucked the darned life out of him. It’s also amazing that R’s in CD 22 are so damned fractured that they couldn’t even give their former (albeit six-week) Congressman a 30 percent margin in a primary. Add to that rumors that certain Texas Congressmen (Republicans) in D.C. who don’t like Gibbs reportedly worked to make sure that the results of the investigation from her her incident with the DeLay staffers last December was released in the two weeks prior to the election and you’ve got a full-blown “eat your own young” primary.

And, finally, in the last GOP Congressional primary that anyone bothered to pay any attention to, Quico Canseco fell to Lyle Larson in CD 23 to take on the right to lose to Ciro Rodriguez in November.

Quico Canseco: 38.45%
Lyle Larson: 61.54%

This race was also a fairly low-turnout affair, with only about 30,000 voters.

Turning to legislative races, Sen. Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands) held off a challenge from Michael Galloway, capturing just over 60 percent of the vote in Senate District 4 to hold the spot.

In SD 30, Sen. Craig Estes turned back a challenge from Charles Stafford 68-31 percent.

No surprises in either of those two.

In State House District 4, State Rep. Betty Brown (R-Terrell), who is vying to take over Arlene Wolgemouth’s title as “Dragon Lady” barely bested Wade Gent 51.87 to 48.12 percent, leading by 635 votes. That’s an unexpected victory for one of the most useless of the GOP Craddickats.

In HD 8, Rep. Byron Cook (R-Corsicana) turned back a challenge from pro-Craddick Republican Bobby Vickery, and handily kept the district in anti-Craddick Republican hands, at least for now. Cook polled 69 percent of the vote.

In HD 26, Sugar Land State Rep. Charlie Howard bested his nearest challengers, taking 64.55 percent of the vote. Paula Stansell managed to break 30 percent of the vote, though, while Norm D. Ley got 4.26 percent.

In HD 29, an open seat since State Rep. Mike O’Day decided the legislature wasn’t for him after less than a full term of office, Randy Webber, who vied for the seat in a special election in 2006, fairly easily won the GOP primary with 59.12 percent of the vote over two challengers.

In HD 48, two Republicans are vying to fall to State Rep. Donna Howard in the fall. Pro-Craddick Republican Joe Donnelly lost to Pamela Waggoner, who hasn’t said whether she’ll support Craddick or not (although if she is keeping her mouth shut, it is a safe bet she probablly will eventually support him).

In the bloody battle to take over from Mike Krusee (R-Round Rock) in HD 52, a very, very narrow race (with a potential for a recount) sent Dee Hobbs and Bryan Daniel into the runoff, leaving John Gordon behind by less than 100 votes.

In House District 55, where Diane Delisi is retiring, Ralph Sheffield and Martha Tyroch made the runoff with 31 and 36 percent of the vote, respectively.

In House District 56, Charles “Doc” Anderson handily defeated Jonathan Sibley 63.54 to 36.45 percent.

In House District 61, State Rep. Phil King (R-Waxahachie) edged out Joe Tyson 65.45 to 34.54 percent in what was probably the shocker of the night. I had Tison pegged to wipe the floor with King’s ass in this race. However, a weakened King in the General Election could be a good thing.

In House District 67, as expected, State Rep. Joe Madden turned back a challenge from upstart far-right-wing Republican snot Jon Cole 51.74 percent to 48.25 percent. We’re glad Madden won this one because Madden did the right thing last session on TYC and criminal justice reforms, and the little snot he was running against, quite frankly, ran a campaign that deserved to fall head-first into a port-a-potty.

In State Rep. District 73, one of the Leininger 5 from 2006 has fallen, and that is great news. Nathan Macias got beat by a mere 38 votes (we’re told to expect a recount, funded by God’s Sugar Daddy himself, and possibly a court challenge) as Doug Miller won the district. Take that, James Leininger (or, in the alternative,”this one’s for you, Carter Casteel“).

In State Rep. District 78, we are already hearing that a lawsuit is being drafted to challenge the legitimacy of Dee Margo’s candidacy. Nevertheless, Craddick plant Dee Margo, who moved in to the district claiming he needed a one-story home so his maid wouldn’t have to climb stairs well after the deadline to be able to serve, defeated anti-Craddick Republican Pat Haggery 56.64 percent to 43.35 percent. On the bright side, this makes the district a sure Democratic pick-up in the fall, as Dee Margo seems to equal ballot poison in general elections.

In State Rep. District 81, Rep. G.E. “Buddy” West wasn’t able to fend off challengers enough to avoid a runoff or, for that matter, even poll the most votes. He polled 38.37 percent compared to Tryon D. Lewis’s 43.97 percent of the votes, meaning the four-way race is down to a runoff. Look for about a million dollars in cash to flow into this race on both sides in the coming weeks.

In State Rep. District 83, Delwin Jones handily held off his challenger Joe D. Hnatek 63.18 percent to 36.81 percent.

In HD 96, the uber nauseating Bill Zedler managed to best Lee Jackson taking over 74 percent of the vote. Can we say “Democratic Pick-Up Opportunity In November?” boys and girls?

In the screwed-up world that is House District 97 (at least, for Republicans), Mark Shelton won the primary with 58.49 percent of the votes–meaning that Republicans, by electing him, most likely have pissed away whatever chance they had of defeating Dan Barrett in November. That’s a good thing. Former State Rep. Bob Leonard (who had Anna Mowery’s endorsement) managed to poll a mere 32.36 percent with the remaining two also rans picking up single-digits.

In State Rep. District 99, Charlie Geren turned back his second-in-a-row right-wing, Craddick-backed challenger in Tom Annunziato. Geren captured 58.06 percent of the vote. Evidently, optomitry money cannot buy elections like it used to.

In HD 101, Republicans gave Democrats another pickup opportunity, defeating State Rep. Thomas Latham in the primary and handing the GOP nomination to Mike Anderson.

In House District 112, Angie Chen Button and Randy Dunning will be in a run-off to determine who will replace retiring State Rep. Fred Hill (R-Richardson).

In HD 122, Frank Corte easily held off challenger Tony Kosub.

In HD 127, incumbent Joe Crabb held on to a not-completely-narrow victory over challengers Martin Basaluda and David M. Davenport.

In HD 129, John “I Buy Boots With My Campaign Fund” Davis held on with 64.29 percent of the vote but was bloodied just enough by John R. Keeney to make this district one hell of a pick-up for Democrat Sherrie Matula.

In House District 130, Dan Patrick and Debbie Riddle joined forces to punk notoriously poor campaigner Corbin Van Arsdale through their surrogate Allen Fletcher.

In House District 134, Joe Agris beat Carlos Obando with more than 72 percent of the vote to oppose Rep. Ellen Cohen in November.

In House District 144, Ken Legler and Fred Roberts will be in a runoff to see who vies for the GOP nomination in the place of State Rep. Robert Talton (R-Pasadena) who passed up another term in the Lege to lose to Shelley Sekula Gibbs in the CD 22 GOP Primary.

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