Posted on 05/27/2014 7:36:59 PM PDT by Din Maker
U.S. Rep. Ralph Hall, at 91 the oldest-ever member of the U.S. House, was ousted Tuesday in the Texas Republican runoff by a candidate barely half his age.
Backed by powerful national groups with strong tea party ties, 48-year-old former U.S. Attorney John Ratcliffe was able to paint Hall as too cozy with the GOP establishment after 34 years in office. He forced the incumbent into his first runoff in 17 terms in the House then won that on Tuesday.
Hall first ran for political office in 1950 and won his seat when Jimmy Carter was president. He was a Democrat until switching parties in 2004.
No Democrat is running in the district that stretches from suburban Dallas east to Louisiana and north to Oklahoma — meaning Ratcliffe will be headed to Washington after the November general election.
Even before the final results were in, Hall called the race "not one of my best ones, that's for sure."
In Texas' March primary, Hall won 45 percent of the vote compared to Ratcliffe's nearly 29 percent — but since no one won a majority in a six-way race, Hall was forced into the first runoff his congressional career.
Ratcliffe was backed by the Club for Growth and Senate Conservatives Fund, but Hall bristled at the notion that he's not conservative enough. He won endorsements from tea party favorite Rep. Michelle Bachmann of Minnesota and leading Christian conservative voice and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
Neville Govender, also casting his ballot Tuesday in Heath, said he had never bothered to vote in a congressional election until this year because he knew Hall would win in a rout.
"I just believe in what he stands for, his energy," Govender said of Ratcliffe. "I believe we need change."
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
This kind of saddens me a little when I look back at what my Father and Mother have done over the years. They took an old ranch in West Texas and managed to raise 5 kid’s feed them and kept a roof over our head’s. About 30 years ago Pop asked me to take over the ranch, he said it’s a new world he doesn’t understand so I quit the Sheriff’s department. Not long after that I put up a third of the ranch on a loan to drill our first oil well in the south end and Pop fought me all the way. We now have 72 wells on the ranch which we own 100% of and several more where we have partners. Many years later I asked POP why he turned it over to me and he simply said life was going to fast for him. He’s 94 this year and said other than marring my Mother it was the best decision he’s ever made. He knew when to get out!
Wow, excellent job, DR!
Dad was VERY wise. Sometimes you just need to know when to fold ‘em.
I just don't understand that. He was conservative (although it took him until 2004 to leave the democrats and then he only did it h assurance he would keep seniority)....but by all accounts his opponent was more conservative....and Hall was known to tow the GOPe line.
So...I don't understand a vote for him in a primary with a more conservative opponent.
Loyalty? Ok....POWER (because he can bring more to the district)?...I hope not. That's part of the reason we have the problem we do....too many people shipping $ back home.
And I certainly doubt that over the long run a younger more conservative TEA PARTY guy can do less than an older GOPer. So...I just don't get that vote. He was 91...a GOPe guy...and less conservative than his opponent. The only thing he had over his opponent was a chairmanship.
It's a win.
OMG; your Post #14 is hilarious!!!
ALL the tea party backed candidates won in Texas tonight!
_____________________________________________________________
Oh Texas; my Texas!
Michele Bachmann is a freakin’ airhead.
Clearly the author has no clue what a Conservative is and what is Huckster's Big Govt liberal record.
Old bastard will die a stubborn death. 91? Term Limits!!!
I don’t think it is bad to bring in fresh conservative blood but I am not going to pretend Ralph Hall was not conservative.
I was surprised Hall lost even in his hometown here in Texas.
Hall’s rival in next Tuesday’s GOP primary runoff, John Ratcliffe, is a former U.S. attorney whose law partners include Johnny Sutton, the U.S. attorney who put Ramos and Compean behind bars.
My local statehouse runoff went strongly against the one who wallowed in it.
In District 36, safe GOP seat, dentist Brian Babin beat Ben Streusand. Both appeared to be conservative.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Ben Streusand was endorsed by former Judge and current Congressman Ted Poe. Why; I don’t know. Ted Poe is a great fighter for the Conservative cause. Streusand ran a slimey, negative campaign. I was going to vote for him, but he turned me off big-time.
They and the media have no regard for anything that happens outside of NYC and LA. Everything (everything) outside those two points is not worth their respect.
Cities are NYC wanabes. LA only has respect from NYC because of hollyweird and it is a city on the west cost that can be spelled with two letters.
DC insiders (that includes the unelected) has not figured out they answer to NYC.
for some people it is TGIMonday.
(don’t fish, do not sit around passing gas in a rocking chair...)
One of the reasons why the Tea Party has to become a real party..With leadership that can weed out the bad candidates.
You know, these guys should have the dignity to quit after a certain point. 91? Well past the time to hang it up.
But he wanted two more years, at least.
...in with the guys who were a little too good to serve their nation in uniform.
Well I’m sure he was likely endorsed by George Wallace and John Conley at some point.
...also did a good job while in uniform, which is more than most of the Limp-Richards can say who currently are in or out of the Tea Party or any other party.
Ralph Hall served honorably, but it was time for someone new. I wish he had retired voluntarily. Same with Thad Cochran.
Life in DC is a powerful intoxicant.
Difficult for many to give it up.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.