It's primary election night in Texas. I've been watching a few races. The polls are still open, but some of the results appear clear already.
After the jump, my last prognostications before the results are announced.
- US House District 32: Pete Sessions is the incumbent. Early on, I noticed his challenger on the right, David Smith. Apparently, I was the only one. David Smith is the answer to the question, "What if you gave a Tea Party and nobody came?" There will be another election in November. Maybe that one will be more of a challenge for Sessions, but don't count on it.
- Texas House District 102: This is the GOP race to decide who will face incumbent Carol Kent in the fall. Early on, I called this one for Stefani Carter on the basis of her decision to respond to questions with bromides instead of risking alienating voters with serious answers to the serious problems facing Texas. Her challenger, Geoff Bailey, did just the opposite. I can't imagine a GOP candidate who entertains the possibility of a tax increase getting anywhere in a GOP primary, but now I'm not so sure. Don't bet against someone associated with T. Boone Pickens. I still have no idea which way this one is going to break.
- State Board of Education (SBOE) District 9: I unenthusiastically went along with long-time conservative incumbent Geraldine 'Tincy' Miller for lack of a credible alternative. George Clayton has drawn a lot of interest, but he doesn't seem to understand that the SBOE is in charge of textbooks, not TAKS (or STAAR). Also, as a philosophy major in college and an English teacher in high school, he doesn't have a clue about science.
- State Board of Education (SBOE) District 12: This is the race I held out most hope for. This position has been held for a decade by Don McLeroy, a fundamentalist Christian, young-Earth Creationist, who thinks evolution is "hooey". That's not the kind of person you want setting science standards for Texas schoolchildren. I recommended his opponent Thomas Ratliff, but I fear that McLeroy's east Texas electorate will decide that McLeroy's fight against the "experts" will deserve another term. Sigh. It's Texas school children who will pay the price.
- Governor: I didn't blog about this race to the right. With the mood of the GOP base, Kay Bailey Hutchison was probably doomed from the start. The race she ran ensured her doom. Rick "39%" Perry showed again why he's the luckiest candidate in Texas history. Last time Kinky Friedman gave him another term in the Governor's House. This time, Debra "Truther" Medina did. Palin/Perry 2012, anyone?
OK, let's sit back now and watch the returns come in.
2 comments:
As of 10:45 PM... KBH conceded to Rick Perry. No surprise there. Pete Sessions wins easily. No surprise there. Stefani Carter easily beats Geoff Bailey. My initial instincts were right -- don't talk about paying for roads in a GOP primary. SBOE races are too close to call. I knew Ratliff had a chance, but I'm surprised by Clayton's strong showing. Still, both races could go either way. Update Wednesday, March 3, 2010, 7:50 AM Both McLeroy and Miller were defeated in their re-election races for the SBOE. Ratliff's win is a mild surprise. Clayton's win is a shocker. I have confidence that Ratliff will take politics out of public education. I can only hope that Clayton can be educated about science.
Knock me over with a feather, George Clayton won his primary race. For my thoughts on what it means, read this.
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