With a House divided nearly evenly between Republicans and Democrats, we can expect any seat in danger of turning over to be not only closely watched, but also rapidly descended upon by party operatives and campaign workers.

Through August and September, there have been a handful of announcements of House members saying they will not seek re-election, while a few steadfast incumbents are gaining challengers.

With Speaker Joe Straus’ pledge not to campaign against any incumbent House member, the hottest races may end up being those in which the incumbent is leaving the Legislature.

LSR has kept an eye out for newspaper articles, press releases, and other announcements of campaign announcements from across the Lone Star State. Though it’s still very early in the game, below are some region-by-region updates on what we’ve gathered so far.

North Texas

*HD 69: Rep. David Farabee (D-Wichita Falls) announced that he would retire as the House member for Wichita and Archer counties — a district that would not be hard for a Republican to win, given recent election history. Farabee, according to the Wichita Falls Times Record News, said his goal was to serve 12 years, which he accomplished.

Lanham Lyne, third-term Wichita Falls mayor, energy company president, and a Republican, told the Times Record News he is considering running for the seat. He had made no formal announcement by LSR’s deadline. Lyne owns the Lyne Energy Corporation and Lyne Energy Partners. Farabee told the Times Record News he was uncertain who would run on the Democratic ticket.

*HD 101: Rep. Robert Miklos (D-Mesquite), who represents mostly suburban District 101 in East Dallas County, has plenty of Republican challengers, including former representative Thomas Latham, who announced Aug. 31 his candidacy to reclaim his old seat. Other candidates, according to the Dallas Morning News, are Mesquite Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Greg Noschese and businesswoman Cindy Burkett, a former staffer for Sen. Bob Deuell (R-Greenville). Former Sunnyvale Mayor Jim Phaup is also a potential candidate, the News reported.

Latham won the HD 101 seat in 2006 but was beaten in the 2008 GOP primary by former Mesquite Mayor Mike Anderson. Anderson lost to Miklos in the Democratic sweep in the DFW area during the general election. Noschese, the News reported, is being recruited by several local party leaders to represent younger voters. Burkett is known for grassroots Republican activism in the DFW area.

*HD 100: Though the heavily Democratic district currently represented by longtime Rep. Terri Hodge (D-Dallas) is not likely to turn red anytime soon, Hodge is facing a trial on federal bribery charges later this year which may result in at least an exciting Democratic primary. Dallas lawyer Eric Johnson announced for the office, and the News said via a blog post former Dallas City Council member Leo Chaney Jr. is expected to run. Johnson said he will run whether or not Hodge is on the ballot.

West Texas/Panhandle

*HD 85: According to the Abilene Reporter News, two-term Rep. Joe Heflin (D-Crosbyton) may have a Republican challenger in the person of David Andrews Sr., an accountant from Merkel, near Abilene. Andrews announced Sept. 14, and Heflin has yet to announce a run for re-election to the rural seat. But even though the race is, according to the Reporter News, “conservative against conservative,” it may nonetheless become a battleground for conservatives looking for a more reliable vote.

“I understand as a Republican, I’d be expected to toe the party line every time,” Heflin told the Reporter News, dispelling rumors of a party switch. “I’m elected to use my brain and not have to vote straight party line on every deal, because if there’s a party vote that’s bad for my district, I’m going to vote against it.”

*HD 83: Texas House institution, 80-year-old Rep. Delwin Jones (R-Lubbock) – a onetime Democrat who some Republicans say has never changed — has so far in his career easily warded off challengers. But it looks as though he’ll have at least one more in the 2010 GOP primary. The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal is reporting that Zach Brady, a Lubbock attorney and a staffer with Sen. Robert Duncan (R-Lubbock) during the mid-’90s, wants a shot at the job of representing part of Lubbock County and all of Cochran, Gaines, Hockley and Yoakum counties. Brady, 36, announced Sept. 15.

El Paso/Rio Grande Valley

*HD 36: Embattled Rep. Ismael “Kino” Flores (D-Palmview) is out, according to a press statement Sept. 15. Democrats Sergio Munoz Jr. (a 27-year-old son of former Rep. Sergio Munoz Sr., who lost to Flores in the ’96 Democratic primary) and former teacher and probation officer Sandra Rodriguez have declared their candidacy, according to the McAllen Monitor. So far no Republicans have stepped forward, and it’s unlikely the district would turn Republican even with Flores’ image tarnished following 19 counts of tampering with government records and perjury (allegations which Flores denies).

Houston/South Texas

*HD 127: It’s no secret that 18-year veteran Rep. Joe Crabb (R-Kingwood) is retiring from the Legislature, but so far at least three Republicans are stepping up to succeed him to represent the northern Harris County district — Humble ISD Board of Trustees President Dan Huberty, anesthesiologist Dr. Susan Dobbs Curling, and possibly Dr. Martin Basaldua.

Basaldua ran for the seat in 2008, coming in second in a three-way race. Huberty is the vice president of Clean Energy, a natural gas transportation company, according to his campaign Web site. A press release from Curling’s campaign notes she has held positions in the Texas Medical Association.

*HD 43: Tara Rios Ybarra (D-South Padre Island) has a declared opponent, Jose Lozano, who filed a campaign treasurer’s report. In August the Brownsville Herald reported that Rios Ybarra was facing a pending divorce action brought by her husband, who said he will endorse a challenger. Ybarra defeated the incumbent in 2008, and how recent revelations of her personal life will affect a bid for re-election has yet to be seen.

*HD 129: Rep. John Davis (R-Houston) has a Republican challenger, Mary Huls, a Tea Party activist from Webster, according to her campaign Web site. District 129 includes El Lago and Nassau Bay, and part of Friendswood. No known Democrats have announced. In the 2008 general election Davis beat Democrat Sherrie L. Matula 59-41 percent, and by one percentage point less in 2006, which looks good for Davis should he run for re-election.

East Texas

*HD 6: The Tyler Morning Telegraph reported on July 4 Rep. Leo Berman (R-Tyler) attracted a primary opponent for his House seat during his brief candidacy for governor: former Tyler Mayor Joey Seeber. Smith County Republican Party Chair Ashton Oravetz told the Morning Telegraph that Berman would likely win, though not much has been said since Berman’s run for governor, or his subsequent withdrawal and endorsement of Gov. Rick Perry for re-election.

Central Texas

*HD 52: Williamson County Rep. Diana Maldonado (D-Round Rock) won over Republican Bryan Daniel 49-47 percent, which means that if she runs for re-election it would likely be a tough fight against a Republican challenger and, based on the district’s history, could result in a Republican victory. But with so many vying for the GOP nod — five candidates at the latest count — Maldonado might find herself at an advantage in terms of funds and campaign momentum after an easy primary.

Announced HD 52 Republican candidates so far include: blogger, former LSR correspondent, and Naval Reserve officer James Bernsen; former deputy chancellor of governmental affairs for Texas State University Larry Gonzales; former State Republican Executive Committeeman John Gordon; former Navy officer and seminarian Stephen Casey; and cigar retailer and former congressional staffer Ralph Pina.

*HD 20: With Rep. Dan Gattis announcing his intention to vacate his HD 20 seat to run for Texas Senate (see below), Milton Rister, former executive director of the Texas Republican Party and of the Texas Legislative Council, is stepping in the GOP primary race. LSR expects other candidates soon to emerge.

Comments (0)

Comment	smaller | bigger
Name
Write the displayed characters
Subscribe via email (Registered users only) I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.
	Add Comment