The Key House Races 2010 - 2 July 2010 Update

KeyHouseRaces.com ^ | 2 July 2010 | Interceptpoint

[no dems]

Is he any relation to Frances "Sissy" Farenthold of Texas who almost became George McGovern's VP Candidate in 1972? A guy with a gringo surname running against a Hispanic in Corpus Christi will be an uphill battle; don't ya think?

[Uncle Ivan]

Thanks for the ping. I appreciate it.

[Paleo Conservative]

Is he any relation to Frances "Sissy" Farenthold of Texas who almost became George McGovern's VP Candidate in 1972? A guy with a gringo surname running against a Hispanic in Corpus Christi will be an uphill battle; don't ya think?

"Sissy" Farenthold is his step-grandmother. His father Randy Farenthold was murdered in 1972 and his body was dumped in Corpus Christi Bay with his feet encased in concrete.

Nueces County has been trending Republican in recent election cycles. Congressman Solomon Ortiz is getting very unpopular in Nueces County, because the Ortiz family has gotten very heavy handed in running the county for their benefit and their friends in Robstown to the detriment of tax payers of the county as a whole. Congressman Ortiz' brother Oscar is on the Nueces County Commission. Prior to January 2009, he ran the County Commission with even though the County Judge is officially the head of the commission. Congressman Ortiz threatened to take away millions of dollars from the City of Ingleside in 2009 when the Republican majority removed Oscar Ortiz from the base closing commission. Congressman Ortiz refuses to meet with his constituents, and even refuses to appear on TV in his home media market.

If the 27th district were centered on Corpus Christi, Ortiz would lose. He still has strength in the Rio Grande Valley, but Farenthold is working diligently to pry voters away from the Democrats in Cameron and Willacy counties.

[MontaniSemperLiberi]

Please also remove me from this SPAM list.

I never asked to be on it.

[no dems]

Well, it’s an off-year election and Obama is not on the ballot. Maybe there will not be much interest and the people who are really “fired-up” will get out and vote out the slime bucket.

[Paleo Conservative]

Well, it’s an off-year election and Obama is not on the ballot. Maybe there will not be much interest and the people who are really “fired-up” will get out and vote out the slime bucket.

There were about 181,000 votes cast for Congress in district 27 in 2008 when Obama was elected. There were just 109,000 votes cast in 2006. What's interesting is that on the same night in 2006 when the DemocRATS took over the US House and US Senate, and Republicans lost control of the courthouses in Dallas and Harris counties, Nueces county elected its first Republican County Judge and Sheriff since Reconstruction.

In 2008, Republicans gained control of the county commission for the first time ever when Mike Pusley beat the incumbent, Peggy Bañales by 179 votes, 10,224 to 10,045. The control of the Texas House was also determined in a House race in a district partially contained in Nueces county. Former Texas House Repersentative Todd Hunter (late 1980's - early 1990's) beat first term incumbent Juan Garcia (Harvard Law classmate of Barack Obama, Navy pilot, and now Secretary of the Navy) in the most expensive Texas House race in history. That race made the partisan balance 176-174 in favor of Republicans. Had Hunter not won, the Texas House would have been tied, and the DemocRATS would have insisted on having a DemocRAT speaker.

In 2010, Nueces county has 4 Hispanic Republican candidates on the ballot, while there are just 7 in the rest of the state. We're hoping to pick up another county commissioner position and a state judgeship district. We picked up a Republican Hispanic District Attorney and Justice of the Peace due to a retirement and a resignation to run for a different office. The Republican controlled county commission had the opportunity to put Republicans in both those positions that opened up in the last year, and we hope to retain those positions in the election in November.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks InterceptPoint.

Maybe one topic per state a sort of under-one-roof approach would be a good idea as well?

[grellis]

If you would like to be added or dropped from the Michigan ping list, please freepmail me.

Happy Independence Day, Michiganders!

The August 3 Primary is coming up fast. Even if you are not in one of the listed key districts, get out there and vote. And after your ballot is cast, wish me a happy birthday.

[70th Division]

May GOD bless you Grellis. And have a blessed 4th. OH, and GOD Bless America! Hoo Rah!

[InterceptPoint]

Maybe one topic per state a sort of under-one-roof approach would be a good idea as well?

Try THIS. You can reach this page on KeyHouseRaces.com by clicking on the very top SPOTLIGHT ON menu.

[no dems]

Re: Michigan - 13: What are the chances that any of Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick’s opponents (John W. Broad, Vincent T. Brown, Hansen Clarke, Stephen Hume or Glenn Plummer) will defeat her in the August 3rd Primary? Who, of the 5, do you think is her strongest Primary opponent?

[23 Everest]

Count me IN. Regards,

[Dr. Thorne]

Please also remove me from this SPAM list.

I never asked to be on it.