Road To The Big House
When it comes to the Capitol city’s delegation at the state Capitol, most of the incumbent Democrats have escaped without primary opposition. Valinda Bolton, Donna Howard, Elliott Naishtat, Patrick Rose, Eddie Rodriguez, and Mark Strama can sit on their cash hands till the Fall.
Democrat (sort of) Robbie Cook is retiring, and Donnie Dippel of La Grange is the lone candidate running to replace him in that party’s primary. Diana Maldonado is all alone in her Democratic primary to see who will become the next Mike Krusee. But Dawnna Dukes finds herself locked in a pitched primary battle with Austin attorney Brian Thompson.
The pickings are slimmer when it comes to incumbents on the Republican side, but the aforementioned Mr. Krusee’s retirement has sparked a four-way primary. Bryan Daniel, John Gordon, and Vivian Sullivan, all of Round Rock, have joined Dee Hobbs of Hutto for the Republican nomination to see who will survive to face Maldonado in the fall.
Valinda Bolton, the freshman Democratic legislator in the southwest Austin district once represented by Terry Keel, will face a familiar Republican name in the fall: government auditor Donna Keel, Terry’s sister-in-law.
Donna Howard will face either Joe Donnelly or Pam Waggoner in November after they duke it out first in the GOP primary.
The Libertarian Party of Texas has also fielded candidates in all of the above races.
Eliot Naishtat evaded a Libertarian candidate, but will have a perfunctory challenge from Republican Jim Hasik in the general election.
2 Responses to “Road To The Big House”
There is a second D in the District 17 race. Latreece Cooke of Bastrop. She will face Dippel in the March primary contest.
By Willis on Jan 5, 2008
Perfunctory? Uphill, assuredly. Long-shot, even. Not perfunctory. I assure you that I have more planned than that.
By Jim Hasik on Jan 28, 2008