| Ed. note: The following is one of twenty races we are featuring in the Texas Political Report. Candidate Pages: John Mabry - former State House page
Candidate Pages: Rep. Doc Anderson website, on Facebook District Overview: The Numbers, The Issues, and the Candidates
The race pits the district's former State Representative -- John Mabry -- against its current one, Republican Doc Anderson. Campaign activity has been minimal so far. Mabry appears to be focusing on previous name ID and the scandal of Doc Anderson to carry him over the line. As Elise Hu wrote in her Texas Tribune feature about State House races: The two-term Central Texas veterinarian beat former state Rep. Mabry in 2004, the first cycle after 2003’s mid-decade redistricting. Mabry’s hoping voters will remember him this time around. Anderson will have to run more aggressively than he has in the past two election cycles to maintain his advantage. Democrats are desperately hoping that they can benefit from the anti-incumbent mood that plagues them elsewhere.
The scandal plaguing Anderson is real. From the Waco Tribune Herald: "Another tax lien filed against Waco state Rep. Anderson" About a month after filing a $58,000 tax lien against state Rep. Charles “Doc” Anderson, R-Waco, for unpaid personal income taxes, the Internal Revenue Service took further action against the veterinarian for failing to pay taxes withheld from employees’ paychecks for the final two quarters of 2008. The lien was filed at the McLennan County Clerk’s office Jan. 25 and totaled about $11,500. It was placed against the Anderson Veterinary Hospital, the clinic Anderson opened on Valley Mills Drive in 1983.
How Democrats Defeat Anderson in November: Anderson's tax liens are a decade-long problem, and one highlighted by Mabry when he lost the seat to Anderson in 2004. Mabry now can go back to voters in the district and say, "I told you so -- you can't trust him with your tax dollars when he can't even get his own house in order." However, if there is a stronger field plan or message plan in place, most Waco Democrats appear to be playing it close to the vest. Chet Edwards' race for Congress could cause many Republicans to split tickets in McLennan County and benefit Mabry's opportunity to communicate to those voters in the district. Within the next month it should be clear whether this is a race Democrats have a shot at winning back, or whether it becomes less and less likely of a pick-up opportunity. June 30 Campaign Finance Report: HD 56: Mabry vs. Anderson
| Contributions
| Expenditures
| Cash on Hand
| John Mabry (D)
| $42,854 | $1,540 | $28,863
| Rep. Doc Anderson (R)
| $59,140
| $24,353 | $46,447 | Anderson's Advantage
| $16,286 | - | $17,584 |
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