(Wanted to keep this post on top through the night. - promoted by Phillip Martin)
The biggest story from today's run-off: candidates backed by Speaker Craddick only won 1 out of 6 contested House races.
The voters are sending a clear message to the Speaker and the rest of the Republican machine: the time of failed leadership, corrupt practices, and power politics is over. The voters want change, and they're telling all of us loud and clear.
Here are the races in question:
1) Richard Raymond defeated Mercurio Martinez, Jr., 57.76-42.24%, in House District 42. Raymond - a Killer D leader- overcame Martinez, who worked closely with many of Craddick's closest advisers in Austin.
2) Boris Miles defeated Al Edwards, 53.54-46.46%, in House District 147. Edwards was the only House Democrat to vote with Craddick and the Republicans for the tax bill during the 79th Regular Session.
3) Jimmie Don Aycock defeated Dale Hopkins, 57.9-42.1%, in House District 54. Aycock was the Parent PAC candidate, and unconfirmed reports showed that Hopkins received as much as $150,000 in Leininger money in the final days of their campaign.
4) Susan King defeated Kevin Christian, 50.5-49.5% - by 103 votes - in House District 71. King was the Parent PAC candidate.
5) Drew Darby defeated Scott Campbell, 61.2-38,8%, in House District 72. Darby was the Parent PAC candidate.
6) Tan Parker defeated Anne Lakusta, 50.4-49.6%, in House District 63. Lakusta - who lost by only 48 votes - was the Parent PAC candidate. This was the only race a Craddick-backed candidate won on Tuesday.
Combined with the defeat of Republican Reps. Kent Grusendorf and Elvira Reyna during the primaries, today's elections represent the growing shift in Texas politics away from the Speaker's brand of corruption and incompetence. With the success of Democratic progressive candidates - and the growing force of the Parent PAC and education groups - I'd expect we'll see a great deal more change come November. |
