Posted on 04/03/2003 5:54:29 AM PST by Theodore R.
Crowded field assures hectic campaign for District 19 seat
By JOHN FUQUAY AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
In what promises to be an unusual campaign, 17 names will appear on a ballot May 3 for a special election to choose the next U.S. representative from District 19.
"Public forums are going to be mayhem," Lubbock political analyst Morris Wilkes said. "And there's only 30 days to campaign."
As Wednesday's filing deadline passed, the field of candidates ballooned to 17 men and women representing six political parties. Each candidate is hoping to replace U.S. Rep. Larry Combest, the Lubbock Republican who is retiring May 31 after 18 years in office.
Wilkes said he cannot recall an election with so many candidates, although, he said, some will be longshots to win.
"Of all of the 17 candidates in there, probably not all 17 are viable candidates," he said. "Probably five or six candidates will be able to raise most of the money."
The 19-county District 19 includes Lubbock, Midland and Odessa for the first time. Before redistricting from the 2000 census the district included all of Lubbock, but only portions of Midland and Odessa.
The seat has always been held by someone living in Lub bock. Democrat George Mahon was the first representative, serving from 1935-79, followed by Kent Hance, also a Democrat, from 1979 to 1985. Combest has held the seat since then.
Of the 17 candidates, nine are from Lubbock, four from Midland, two from Odessa and one each are from Denver City and Kermit.
The field has 11 Republicans, two Democrats and one candidate each from the Libertarian, Green and Con- stitution parties. One candidate is independent.
Important dates Voter registration deadline: 5 p.m. April 3
Early voting begins: April 16
Election day: May 3
U.S. Congress, District 19
Candidates whose names will be on the ballot:
RICHARD BARTLETT, 38, R-Midland, physician
JOHN BELL, 50, R-Kermit, oil field supervisor
JAMIE BERRYHILL, 50, R-Odessa, public servant
BILL CHRISTIAN, 40, R-Midland, public servant
MIKE CONAWAY, 54, R-Midland, certified public accountant
THOMAS FLOURNOY, 79, C-Midland, self-employed repairman
KAYE GADDY, 64, D-Odessa, retired newscaster
E.L. "ED" HICKS, 72, I-Denver City, retired farmer
CARL ISETT, 46, R-Lubbock, certified public accountant
DAVID LANGSTON, 50, R-Lubbock, lawyer
DONALD MAY, 57, R-Lubbock, physician
RANDY NEUGEBAUER, 53, R-Lubbock, land developer
JULIA PENELOPE, 61, G-Lubbock, self-employed
CHIP PETERSON, 63, L-Lubbock, author, investor, professor
JERRI SIMMONS-ASMUSSEN, 47, D-Lubbock, self-employed
VICKIE SUTTON, 43, R-Lubbock, law professor
STACE WILLIAMS, 36, R-Lubbock, lawyer
Wilkes, who is not representing any of the candidates, said special elections have special dynamics.
"There are not going to be a lot of extra voters going to the polls with interests in other elections, like in a general election," he said. "There'll be some exceptions in local elections, but most voters will have a candidate in mind.
"It's imperative that the candidates identify their voters and get them to vote. The roll of the dice is who will be the top two vote-getters."
Wilkes said it is "highly improbable" that one candidate will receive a majority of the votes. Therefore, the top two vote-getters would meet in a runoff election.
Combest surprised his constituents just days after the November general election when he said he would retire in May. He said he wanted to spend more time with his wife.
Combest had been chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. His successor will keep Combest's seat on the committee, but not as chairman.
The next representative will complete the term for the 108th Congress and would have to seek re-election in March 2004 primaries to retain the seat.
jfuquay@lubbockonline.com 766-8722
Right you are. When Daniel moved to the Governorship, he appointed him to the seat (on the same day he was inaugurated Governor, I don't know if that was an attempt to prevent Gov. Shivers from doing it, though I doubt Shivers, an Ike Democrat, would've put anyone much more liberal in the seat). Blakely declined to run against Yarborough that year ('57) for the short term, but he did challenge him unsuccessfully in '58 for the long term.
"Daniel, father of the TX sales tax, lost the Democrat primary in 1962 to John B. Connally, who went on to win only narrowly over Republican Jack Cox, a Houston oilman. But in 1964 and 1966, Connally won by margins above 70 percent."
Daniel placed a humiliating 3rd after Connally and Don Yarborough (a liberal and friend, but not relative, of Sen. Ralph's). Connally barely edged Yarborough in the runoff (and I mean by only 27k votes out of 1.2 million). Cox ran in the Dem. primary against Daniel in 1960 and did quite respectibly (received 600k votes to Daniel's 900k). By 1962, there wasn't even 100k voters in the GOP primary, so Cox had a very easy time of it. The race was close (between Cox and Connally), but not as close as the Dem. runoff. Connally won by 847k to 715k for Cox. In the Dem. primary rematch 2 years later, Connally blitzed Don Yarborough by a landslide. Yarborough would later place first in the 1968 Gubernatorial primary, but was beaten by Preston Smith in the runoff (the GOP probably would've won the Governorship that year if Don had gotten the nod).
"His son, Price, Jr., a former TX House speaker, was killed, possibly by his wife, in the late 1970s. I can't recall the details. ABC did a TV movie of the Daniel, Jr., tragedy."
I heard it was some strange scene. It was his second wife that murdered him. He was only 39.
"I think that Kent Hance could have defeated Richards. Unlike "Claytie," he knew when to speak and when to remain silent. Hance is one of those who had a boyhood dream of being governor of TX, but it was not to be."
That's too bad. However, if Williams or Hance had won, Dubya would never have become President and might have been a vastly different country today. Perhaps Williams's infamous "rape" gaffe was a "Godsend."
Somehow, some way, I think it was his destiny to become President. He would've served 3 terms in the House, perhaps then succeeding John Tower in the Senate (rather than Phil Gramm) in '84, and then maybe becoming Governor as he did in either 1990 or '94.
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