Early Xmas Presents

In the runoffs today in Tarrant County (Fort Worth), the Democrat beat the Republican for State Representative. Democrat Dan Barrett had been supported by a lot of active volunteers, including some who went over from Dallas County to help. In the city council race, Joel Burns -- actively supported by some Stonewall Democrats from Dallas County -- also won, though this may have been a choice between the better of two good candidates. Very unlike the legislative race, a contest between an opponent of and an announced supporter of House Speaker Craddick.

The Republicans tried to do the same thing they did in Dallas County in the Grand Prairie - Irving district, where Katy Hubener nearly beat the incumbent Republican, so he resigned early, figuring on better Republican turnout in a special election. By the skin of his teeth, the new Republican candidate did win the special and the general in 2006. (But he saw the handwriting on the wall and recently switched parties anyway.)

Governor Perry made a point of calling the legislative runoff for a different date from the Fort Worth council runoff, figuring that separate voting would help the Republican. Sadly for that strategy, Fort Worth opted to save money on holding elections by re-scheduling their council runoff. Considering what the two candidates there were like, that definitely helped the Democrat in the legislative runoff.

So the Republicans were hoist by their own canard (just to mix figures of speech). Serves them right. I think that leaves us just five seats to go to take back the House? (The results in the Startlegram, if they leave it up and readable, are here.)