Posted on 08/08/2006 11:57:22 AM PDT by SolidSupplySide
WASHINGTON Dogged by scandal, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay intends to withdraw as a candidate for Congress, a Republican strategist said today, a step that would allow the party to field a write-in candidate in hopes of holding his seat.
The development came one day after Texas Republicans lost a court battle in their bid to name a replacement candidate for DeLay on the November ballot.
The strategist described DeLay's intentions on condition of anonymity, saying the former majority leader intended to make his own announcement.
DeLay resigned his Houston-area seat in June and said he was switching his legal residence to Virginia. He had already won a primary in Texas, and Republican officials there moved to name a replacement candidate.
Democrats went to court to block the switch, and prevailed.
The maneuvering underscored the intensity of the battle between the two national parties as they vie for control of Congress in the midterm elections.
DeLay had held the House seat for more than two decades, but yielded his power first surrendering his post as majority leader, then resigning his seat at the urging of party leaders who said he risked defeat this fall and that his presence on the ballot could hamper other incumbents.
He is awaiting trial in Texas state court on money laundering charges alleging that illegal corporate cash helped pay for legislative campaigns in 2002. DeLay also had close ties to Jack Abramoff, the lobbyist at the center of a congressional corruption investigation.
DeLay has not been charged in that investigation, although two former aides who later developed ties to Abramoff have entered into plea bargains.
Former Rep. Nick Lampson is the Democratic candidate in the race, and had amassed more than $2 million in his campaign treasury as of June 30 in preparation for a race against DeLay.
Texas Republicans on Monday abandoned their court fight to replace DeLay on the November ballot, conceding defeat after Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia ruled against them.
"I think all our legal avenues are exhausted in terms of affecting the ruling prior to the election," said Jim Bopp Jr., the attorney who argued the Republican Party's case to allow party officials to substitute another candidate for DeLay.
In a statement late Monday, Bopp warned Democrats, "Be careful what you ask for."
The lawyer said Democrats "insisted he run for Congress, now it's up to voters to decide if Democrats are going to be happy" on Election Day.
Democrats were undaunted by the prospect of facing DeLay in November and claimed victory.
"Given the choice between facing the voters and facing the courts, DeLay chose the courts and lost handily," said Bill Burton, spokesman for the national Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Why couldn't a GOP candidate run as an independent?
A Texan who knows local election law can confirm this.
Congressman Billybob
Latest article: "Stupidity about WW III: 'Here's your Sign' "
Please see a statement on running for Congress, here.
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Perhaps you need to scroll up to post #55.
Eagerly awaiting apology.
Too bad. Re? electing Tom would have been a nice poke in the eye for the libs.
Nice touch but no apologies at this time.
Sounds like typical Lamestream agi-prop. The Quorum Report source is highly suspect and usually gets it wrong.
Did you read the article? Hey, you were WRONG about this. And yet you're STILL running around attacking FReepers who just post the truth.
DeLay is withdrawing, they're doing a write-in campaign. Now go get a life.
It's very official, he's off the ballot. The following is an email from Tom DeLay:
Not really, Houston doesn't want or need to import Salt Lake.
But DeLay's people should have been smarter about what they were doing when they went through this whole thing.
This is one seat down the tubes, one sure Democratic pick-up.
If DeLay wanted out, he should not have run in the primary.
The whole thing stinks.
I wouldn't bet on Lampson right now. The district is very heavy Bush, and you can win a write-in campaign if you own the district and you're willing to spend the money.
I dissent. Please advise the last time that a member of the House was elected on a write-in ballot.
I was a DeLay supporter, and used to admire his courage and the good works of both DeLay and his wife, Christine. However, this business of waiting to resign/withdraw until he had defeated all Republicans in the primaries is madness. I guess the Republican party wants Lampson to win for some reason?
You been here yet?
From Wikipedia:
In 1930 Republican Charles F. Curry, Jr. was elected to the House as a write-in from Sacramento, California. His father, Congressman Charles Curry Sr., was to appear on the ballot, but due to his untimely death his name was removed and no candidate's name appeared on the ballot.
Democrat Dale Alford was elected as a write-in candidate to the United States House of Representatives in Arkansas in 1958.
Republican Joe Skeen was elected as a write-in candidate to Congress in New Mexico in 1980.
Independent Ron Packard was elected to the House in California in 1982 and was the only write-in candidate to defeat the candidates of the Democratic and Republican parties. He immediately aligned himself with the Republican party after the election.
Democrat Charlie Wilson, the intended Democratic candidate for the 6th Congressional District in Ohio, did not qualify for the ballot because only 46 of the 96 signatures on his candidacy petition were deemed valid. The Democratic Party continued to support Wilson, and an expensive primary campaign ensued. Over $1 million was spent by both parties. Wilson overwhelmingly won the Democratic primary as a write-in candidate on May 2, 2006 against two Democratic candidates whose names were on the ballot.
Let me add one more: DC Mayor Anthony Williams was re-elected in a write-in campaign.
Of course, write-in victories are rare, but that's partly because serious write-in candidates are rare.
Oh yeah, well I got an email from Tom saying he was staying in the race.
No offense, but I don't consider your word official either.
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