Posted on 12/29/2005 2:25:19 PM PST by SolidSupplySide
SUGAR LAND - A 50-year-old attorney from Sugar Land has filed to run against U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay for the 22nd District in the Republican primary in March.
Thomas A. Campbell, who specializes in environmental law, is the third Republican challenger to take on DeLay, who has held the post since 1985.
Campbell paid the filing fee of $3,125 to the Texas Republican Party in Austin on Wednesday and entered his name in the race.
"We need to return some decency and civility to the way we conduct the public's business," Campbell said.
Campbell said he found it has become increasingly difficult for him to vote for DeLay, who was indicted in September and October on charges related to campaign finances. DeLay has since stepped down as House majority leader.
"I wish I had a choice," Campbell said. "And what I am trying to do is provide Republicans who are conservative a choice, an alternative."
Campbell served as general counsel for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration during the administration of President George H.W. Bush.
DeLay, running for a 12th term, filed for re-election Dec. 19. The other challengers in the Republican primary are Michael Fjetland, an attorney, and Pat Baig, a retired credit manager and teacher.
Nick Lampson, who served four terms in the U.S. House, is running on the Democratic ticket in the March 7 primary for the District 22 post.
Political unknown
Fort Bend County Republican Party Chairman Eric Thode described Campbell as a credible candidate but one with low name recognition taking on a popular incumbent.
"He (DeLay) has represented us well, and I am confident he will be re-elected in the primary," Thode said Wednesday.
Thode said Campbell is not well-known among people active in the local GOP parties.
"He has no viable group of supporters," Thode said.
DeLay campaign spokeswoman Shannon Flaherty said DeLay has strong support from party stalwarts across the district, which covers parts of Fort Bend, Harris, Brazoria and Galveston counties.
"We welcome him to the race. We respect his opinions and what he has to offer, but everyone knows Congressman DeLay has been at the heart of the Republican Party locally and a leader nationally. And he is strongly backed by the local GOP," she said.
Campbell, who has never held elected office, said he knows taking on an entrenched incumbent in a race with two other challengers will be difficult.
"It is going to be a hard fight, but it is a good fight and it is one we can win," he said.
He is a partner in the law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman and said he will take a leave of absence from his job while he's campaigning.
Campbell said he would work toward reducing government bureaucracy as well as regulatory burdens on small businesses.
Campbell, who received his law degree from Baylor University, has been married for 28 years. He and his wife, Shauri, have five children and are adopting another.
I'll be watching Campbell. He might be a good protest vote against DeLay. The other two candidates (Fjetland and the other fjemale) are jokes, and very possible Demcorats.
Sounds like an opportunistic troublemaker to me.
DeLay is one of the best republicans we have. I actually like him much more then I like Bush, and I don't dislike the President. The GOP needs to get behind him, and re-elect him next year. Send a clear message.
I hope I'm right, but I think this guy is in this to help draw apart anti DeLay voters. I know I'd get a few people to run against me if I was Tom.
I can top you . . . Eric, who lived two houses down from my grandparents, used to own homing pigeons, and he did a pigeon lesson for my Girl Scout troop several times. ;)
The other two people running in the GOP primary are loony and very possibly Democrats. Thode will not attack Campbell, and, in fact calls him a legitimate candidate. Campbell is saying the right things and is obviously a Republican.
Given the field of three, DeLay would have easily won my vote. I'll be watching Campbell. If he's the real deal, I may vote for him. I do, however, agree with Thode's assessment that DeLay will likely comfortably win the primary.
Eric tried to write me up one time before he realized he had no authority over me. He did, however, kick my best friend out of Dunn Hall.
He always did have that hall-monitor feel to him, I must say.
This on the other hand Fort Bend County Republican Party Chairman Eric Thode described Campbell as a credible candidate but one with low name recognition taking on a popular incumbent, may be the greatest understatement ever made.
I've been active in Sugar Land Republican politics for 20 years and I've never heard of the guy. He has never done anything for the party around here and I put his chance as just below ZERO!
HC, I was just telling SSS that you know Eric and have an opinion about him - I just couldn't remember what it was! :)
How do you figure that? The way I see it is that the 22nd is solidly GOP, yet DeLay can only manage 55% of the vote. That is significant shrinkage from Bush's total. There are a lot of Republicans looking for an alternative to DeLay. This guy appears to me at first blush to represent that 10% of the electorate.
DeLay is not an attorney. He came up in the oilfield, his dad owned Storm Drilling, and he was an exterminator for years.
Xena, it's not that I really dislike Eric but as the late County Judge Jim Adolphus (a fine man and a good friend)would say about him "that boy's just got too big for his britches." Eric thinks he is responsible for how well the Republican Party of Ft Bend County is doing.
I will draw your attention to the attacks Thode has made againt Pat Baig, the fjemale running against DeLay. As County Chairman, Thode has not treated all primary challengers to DeLay with kid gloves like he has to this guy.
Oh yes, I think I was 'multitasking' while reading the first line, his challenger is an attorney. multitasking=excuse for not paying attention
Thode was previously the spokesman for Enron. Heh.
I blame it on my age! ;-)
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