| Ed. note: The following is one of twenty races we are featuring in the Texas Political Report. Candidate Pages: Rep. Abel Herrero website, on Facebook, on Twitter
Candidate Pages: Connie Scott website, on Facebook, on Twitter District Overview: The Numbers, The Issues, and the Candidates
House District 34 represents the western portions of Corpus Christi, heavily focused around the Robstown area. Much like Rep. Joe Moody in El Paso or any of the conservative Democrats across Texas, Rep. Herrero represents a district that will always be challenged by Republicans -- even when the numbers just aren't there. Though Nueces County, on the whole, has shown signs of trending towards Republicans, this district (anchored in Rep. Herrero's hometown of Robstown) has not. The race, like the Rep. Moody race in El Paso, is a re-match of the 2008 election. In 2008, Rep. Herrero won with 53% of the vote and outperformed President Obama in the district. In his years in office -- since he was first elected in 2004 -- Rep. Herrero has been one of the strongest champions for children's health care in the Legislature, in addition to being a vocal advocate for civil rights. His opponent, Connie Scott, is a Texans for Lawsuit Reform (TLR) backed-candidate -- focusing her election on an issue (tort reform) that proved to be a failing rallying cry when she lost two years ago. Why Rep. Abel Herrero Returns Next Year With a nearly 2:1 cash-on-hand advantage, Rep. Herrero will have the resources he needs to fund a strong field program and turns out the vote for him as it has in the last three election cycles. Scott will receive large amounts of money from TLR and other Republican groups down the stretch, but ultimately the district has a ceiling on how many Republican votes there are. It will be a close race -- and in this political climate, may even narrow down from 6 to 3 points this year -- but it is not a race even Republicans are pointing to as one they plan on winning this fall. June 30 Campaign Finance Report: HD 34: Herrero vs. Scott
| Contributions
| Expenditures
| Cash on Hand
| Rep. Abel Herrero (D)
| $52,206 | $53,369,
| $156,147 | Connie Scott (R)
| $116,844 | $44,684 | $75,503 | Advantage
| $64,638 - Scott | - | $80,644 - Herrero
| |
