It looks like in the final day to fill the vacancy, another McCaul challenger has decided to run.
Multiple sources have indicated Ted Ankrum will file tomorrow to run against Republican Michael McCaul. Ankrum ran in 2006 and kept McCaul to just 55.28% of the vote but only garnered 40.4% of the vote himself. He spent less than $75,000 total in his race but gains have been minimal over the last 4 years.
For Ankrum to be successful, he will have to spend the bulk of his time in Harris County, stress his military service, let the Travis County Democratic Party and Austin area activist do the heavy lifting in the north part of the district, and get a committed group of surrogates in the 10th Congressional District and beyond to begin a massive fundraising operation.
Needless to say, with the shortened window, Ankrum will have an uphill battle. The district continues to be tough pre-redistricting, but it is good to see a Democrat step up to the challenge.
Has anyone read the latest posts about the Jack McDonald vs Michael McCaul race for the Texas 10th District? We deserve a strong, progressive Democratic candidate in a district which is trending Blue. Increasingly, it looks like McDonald has the same "I'm not really a Republican" problem plaguing Tom Schieffer's candidacy.
I have found a few documents that I find very surprising and require some answers. A short ten years ago, Jack McDonald was registered as a Republican in New York City where he worked for a prominent Wall Street law firm. See the link below:
Okay, so he was once registered GOP - I'd like to know why and what changed his heart and I'm sure I can accept those answers. What deserves a little more explanation is why he was repeatedly donating to George W Bush - one big contribution coming as late as 2003. See the link below:
Our last TX-10 candidate, Larry Joe Doherty recently put his support behind Jack McDonald, but is anyone asking any questions about McDonald's past political affiliations, his donations, and his positions on key progressive issues? I think it is very important that we know who he is, what he stands for, and where he is going to lead our Congressional District, if elected.
“I enthusiastically endorse Jack McDonald for Congress in the 10th Congressional District of Texas,” said Doherty. “I have gotten to know Jack very well over the last several months and believe that Jack is exactly what our District needs. He's a self-made man who has experienced and understands the struggles that Texas families face, a businessman who values fiscal responsibility and knows how to keep Texan workers competitive in our global economy, and an involved citizen with real-world experience who has created jobs and improved healthcare and education opportunities for Texans. Jack is the kind of principled, responsible leader we need in Congress. We expect him to win and Joanne and I look forward to actively supporting his campaign."
“I’m proud to have earned Larry Joe’s support and endorsement, ”said McDonald. “As we travel throughout the District, we continue to hear from Texans of all backgrounds and political affiliations that they want in Congress independent, fiscally-responsible leaders.”
In Texas, we have a distorted view of what a "swing seat" is for Democratic targeting. Given our multiple rounds of redistricting, true marginal seats in the traditional sense are hard to find. Texas Democrats either hail from incredibly safe districts, districts that are safe due to demographic trends but not ideology, or Republican districts where great Democrats make an exception (Chet Edwards).
That said, it's encouraging to see not one, but two Republican Congressional seats listed among the top 10 potential "dark horse" breakout races that are causing buzz in the Beltway. And not only that, but they are at the top of the list.
McCaul was technically a lower-tier Democratic target in 2008, but that was really only because his opponent, former TV judge Larry Joe Doherty (D), was raising money like gangbusters. Doherty really didn't have the right profile, and he wound up losing by a pedestrian 11 points - the exact margin of the presidential tally in the district. Now, Democrats have another big-money candidate, with businessman Jack McDonald raising $300,000 in the first quarter. We'll see if he has the right profile, but the fact that he is vice chairman of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce suggests he might. The party has already put McCaul near the top of its target list.
4. Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas)
Democrats tried to mount a late charge in 2006 against National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Chairman Tom Reynolds (R-N.Y.), and they could do it again in 2010 against current NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) only took this suburban Dallas district 53-46 in the 2008 presidential race, and the heavily Hispanic areas have grown at a faster pace than the white areas. Sessions's district is actually probably more fertile ground than McCaul's, but Democrats might not have as good a candidate. Attorney Grier Raggio (D) has an exploratory committee, but it's not clear who else might emerge.
In TX-10, Democrat Jack McDonald expressed earlier today that there is good reason to be paying attention to the 10th yet again, having raised over $634,000 to date with over half a million on hand, even while in exploratory mode and having yet to roll out campaign staff or field. While there isn't a equivalent Democratic response in TX-32 up in Dallas as of yet, the more competitive nature of the district and county coordinated campaign there provides a bit more breathing room for a top notch candidate to get settled.
This is clearly an impressive start and is probably going to make any other Democrats who were considering jumping in this race think twice. Perhaps the report may even inch incumbent Mike McCaul towards a bid for Attorney General.
District 10 encompasses two media markets and is among the most expensive districts in the state. Larry Joe Doherty raised over $1 million last year and still lost by double digits. We are going to need a lot of money (and a great candidate, of course) to have a good shot at winning this district. It is early, but I think McDonald has the potential to provide both.
Congressman Mike McCaul raised only $ 97,795 this reporting period and spent $ 81,515.80 leaving him with just $ 62,431.80 left in the bank. Wait, wait, it gets better. McCaul still has $ 511,252.56 in debt.
Mike McCaul is looking more and more vulnerable every campaign season.
President Bill Clinton has recorded a robocall for Larry Joe Doherty that will be used on Monday.
In the call, Clinton reminds voters that, "Tuesday is the day. It all comes down to who shows up to vote."
Clinton calls Doherty, the Democratic nominee against Republican Mike McCaul,"a real Democrat who's standing up for health care, education, and fighting to get our economy back on track."
The call, presumably sent to Democratic leaning households, could also provide a slight boost in turnout in the district that could benefit candidates like Donnie Dippel along with all of our statewide candidates.
A robocall from Bill Clinton is further proof that Mike McCaul is in trouble and national Democrats are starting to smell blood in TX-10.
The Houston Chronicle has a great article today with play-by-play of the first meeting between 10th District foes for Congress: Democrat Larry Joe Doherty and Republican Incumbent Mike McCaul.
It is time McCaul (TX-Rubberstamp) is exposed for the partisan politician he is:
"I've been an independent voice up there, and that's important to me," said McCaul."
Fact: According to Congressional Quarterly , McCaul has voted with his party 95% - that is hardly and independent voice.
"McCaul said he had schedule conflicts on dates offered by debate sponsors."
Fact: Doherty issued a release saying he would agree to a debate at "a time and place that will work best for [McCaul's] schedule."
"McCaul did not respond to Doherty's charge that the congressman voted to cut Medicare reimbursements, then switched his vote when he saw it would make no difference to the outcome of the legislation."
Fact: McCaul's initial decision was to vote against doctors and Medicare beneficiaries who need critical health care, but when he realized he could avoid a PR disaster before the final bell, he flipped.
The McCaul campaign is running scared and trying to hide behind false facts and an empty record for the voters of Texas' 10th Congressional District.
It's not often that Republican incumbents or their staffs muse openly about being worried about their re-election changed. Especially not if they are Texas Republicans.
But that's what's happening in the 10th District according to the Statesman.
The campaign of U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, wasn't exactly thrilled with the first few days of early voting.
McCaul campaign manager Jack Ladd told supporters on Wednesday night that, according to past primary history, Democrats in Harris and Travis counties outvoted Republicans two-to-one in early voting.
"This is very bad news," McCaul campaign manager Jack Ladd said in an email to supporters. "If you think your friends are volunteering, they are not. I know I'm not going to sit down and die, and I know you will not either. There are only 12 days left, and this is not a lifelong commitment, we are asking you just give part of a day or days and help keep CD10 Republican."
For a more in depth overview of the race, be sure to check out this article.
In addition a new Research 2000 poll has the race tightening with McCaul up just 46-42. As was noted in the write up...
McCain wins the district 48-41. Bush won the district 62-38 in 2004. That augurs well for Noriega, and maybe even Obama.
We've been intermittently publishing the McCaul Retort for almost two and a half years. That's like fifteen years or something, in Interwebz time!
The Doherty campaign sent out the following quote from a McCaul communique:
I wish that I could email you under better circumstances, but today we received shocking news. After receiving numbers from the Travis and Harris County elections offices, we have determined that Democrats are out-voting Republicans 2:1 in both major counties in Congressman McCaul's district. This is based off of voters that have voted with primary history. This is very bad news.
In 17 generalelectionendorsements so far, the Daily Texan has endorsed 13 Democrats. Of half the endorsements going to non-Democrats, no Democrat is running (CD 21, CCA 9).
Here are the endorsed Democrats:
Rick Noriega, US Senate
Larry Joe Doherty, US Congressional District 10
Lloyd Doggett, US Congressional District 25
Brian Ruiz, US Congressional Districct 31
Valinda Bolton, TX House District 47
Donna Howard, TX House District 48
Mark Strama, TX House District 50
Diana Maldonado, TX House District 52
Eddie Rodriguez, TX House District 51
Jim Jordan, TX Supreme Court Chief Justice
Linda Yanez, TX Supreme Court Place 8
Susan Strawn, TX Criminal Court of Appeals Place 3
Jim Coronado, 427th District Judge
Perhaps the oddest endorsement is Criminal Court of Appeals, Place 4. With a Republican incumbent and a Democratic challenger, the Texan decided to endorse the Libertarian, Dave Howard. Apparently he "has strong criticisms of the court with which we could not agree more."
